Back in 2013

It all began at the point consumer drones became affordable!

I’d dreamt of flying ‘something’ with a camera attached for years but after a couple of failed attempts with radio controlled planes, the chance to buy a drone arrived. They had come down in price dramatically so I headed to First Person View in Shoreham in 2013 and purchased my DJI Phantom.

The first flight was a nervy one but confidence came the more I flew. After a short while I was ready to head out from the cliffs near Beachy Head, Sussex and over the water. That was it, I was hooked!

I had one real goal from the start and it was to fly up over Helvellyn in the Lake District. After years of hiking up and down this iconic mountain, I thought it would be amazing to get a different perspective, from above.

I submitted the necessary application to the Civil Aviation Authority and made the journey up to Cumbria. Drones were a new thing back then and I’m pretty sure my Helvellyn video was one of the first Lakeland Drone videos to go live on YouTube. I even received a call from the local hang gliding club to ask what a ‘drone’ was - it was early days and people just didn’t know!.

12+ years later and fast forward to current day, my love for flying a drone is just the same. I love the perspective it gives, looking down on the terrain below and framing the composition with all the options it gives.

I’m lucky to do what I enjoy and for that I am very grateful