Spring Sunshine at the Lovell Radio Telescope, Jodrell Bank Observatory, UK

After being diverted from our original plans - through encountering roads closed for the Wilmslow Half Marathon - Jodrell Bank Observatory presented itself as an amazing subject for a drone flight and a visit.

We checked that the observatory was not currently being used - it was 'parked' due to 30mph wind gusts - and took the time to visit the excellent visitors centre.

On leaving the centre - and making sure that there was no FRZ (Flight Restricted Zone) we then found a couple of locations to fly from - 450m and 850m away - and used the DJI AIR3 with the 77mm (x3) camera in order to capture some pretty amazing footage... Flying conditions were cold, 8C and windy, with hgh wind warnings encountered on the first 2 flights, but the AIR3 with its high speed S Mode made for a stable platform that handled the wind extremely well...

Just to confirm - for anone who is concerned about the legailty of the flight near the Radio Telescope - the flight was conducted from a distance of between 400 and 800m from the dish, using a combination of the 77mm camera on the AIR3 and zoom on DaVinci Resolve to bring the subject closer on the screen. There are no FRZ restrictions in place, and the flight was conducted in accordance with the Drone Code and CAA rules, VLOS was maintained at all times - the maximum distance that the AIR3 flew from us was 500m - which was easily visible silhouetted against the sky. We also confirmed that the dish was not in use before flying, there is a live feed into part of the visitor centre that shows what is being received, and it was showing 'parked' due to the wind gusts.