The Pierre Auger fluorescence detector. Cross-checking the absolute calibration using a drone

The Pierre Auger Observatory combines the air shower fluorescence and surface array methods to study ultra-high energy cosmic rays. As the energy scale of the experiment is derived from calorimetric measurements by the fluorescence telescopes, their accurate calibration is of primary importance to all Auger data. We discuss a novel calibration method based on a remotely flown drone equipped with a specially designed light source that mimics a snapshot of an air shower traversing the atmosphere. Several drone measurement campaigns have been performed to study the properties of the Auger fluorescence telescopes and to derive an end-to-end calibration. We give an overview of the measurements and present the basic analysis chain as well as the first results of an independent cross-check of the Auger energy scale.