Dallas Proposal Lights Up the Sky With Drone Spectacle

According to PEOPLE, Dallas witnessed one of its most extravagant drone shows when influencer Erica McDowell stepped onto a balcony and saw the words Will You Marry Me glowing above the skyline. It was the moment her boyfriend of five years, Travon Duncan, had spent months planning.

Erica expected a quiet night with friends. Instead, she found the balcony packed with red roses, dozens of flickering candles, and the smiling faces of family members and lifelong friends. The room behind her was full of cheers and energy. The skyline in front of her was filled with hundreds of drones rising into position.

She says her mind spun as soon as she saw the message in the sky. It felt unreal. She describes the moment as stepping into a dream. Her body went numb. For a few seconds, she could not even speak.

Her family and friends watched her take it in. Many were crying before she even said yes. Travon noticed she looked overwhelmed and gave her a soft kiss on the neck to help her breathe. She says that simple gesture grounded her in the middle of all the excitement.

Erica said it felt like the moment was written just for them. Seeing so many loved ones standing together made the entire scene feel spiritual. She had never seen a drone show that close. She had certainly never seen one used to ask one of the biggest questions of her life.

Planning the Drone Display Was a Major Challenge

Travon is a cybersecurity engineer and a business owner, but even with that experience, this proposal pushed him into new territory. He started building the idea in July. He knew Erica once mentioned that her dream proposal involved drones. She said it during a playful video last year. She forgot about it. He never did.

He went hunting for a drone company that could fly a full light show over the Dallas skyline. He found one, but the real battle came when he tried to secure permits. Drones cannot fly over moving vehicles, so he needed approval to block off nearby streets.

The city denied the permit at first. That setback hit him hard. He felt crushed. But a few days later he received a call saying the approval had gone through. That green light changed everything. Once the streets were cleared and the airspace was secured, the drone company could design the show.

He took care of every detail while making sure Erica had no clue. He told her it was a self care day with a friend, followed by a simple dinner. She believed every word. She walked into the evening thinking it was ordinary, then stepped onto a balcony and saw the sky filled with floating lights.

Travon says he does not want to reveal the cost. He only describes it as a major investment and a true labor of love. He says the intention and emotion mattered more than the money. Erica agrees. For her, the planning, the secrecy, and the gathering of everyone she loved meant more than any number.

A Viral Love Story and a Future in the Making

Videos of the proposal spread across TikTok and Instagram within hours. This clip reached more than fifty three million views and one million likes.

Viewers around the world reacted to Erica sobbing while looking into the sky with her mascara running. She posted that she felt like she was on cloud one hundred million.

Their story began in 2017 at Virginia Union University. Erica saw Travon across campus and whispered to her friend that he would be her husband. Years later, after reconnecting in 2019 and building a committed relationship in 2020, they moved forward together. In 2021, Travon encouraged her to quit her job and move to Dallas to pursue content creation full time.

The couple will have a civil wedding in early 2026. Their larger celebration will take place in Italy in 2027. They want an intimate gathering with the people who supported them through every season of their lives.

DroneXL’s Take

Drone proposals keep getting bigger, but this one feels like a milestone. Blocking streets, securing airspace, and launching hundreds of drones for one message shows how sky displays are becoming part of personal storytelling. The technology keeps improving, and gestures like this show how drones can turn a private moment into a glowing work of art above a city. Now, unmarried people from China, this guy just set a high bar. Your turn.

Photo credit: Tiktok / officialericaaam