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…
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What a fantastic video .
I went there in the late sixties , I was about 14years old , and a keen amateur astronomer .
In the visitors centre they let you move the smaller dish to pick up the radio noise from the sun , don’t know if they still do that for the public.
Brought back some very happy memories and despite the huge size of the main dish you filmed it is incredibly hard to find when you are driving to Jodrell Bank, you used to be able to see it for about 15 seconds from the M6 motorway ( if you knew where to look.)
Great shots keep it up.
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Thank you kindly… I grew up about 10 miles away - used to see it all the time when we went onto the hills that are seen behind the dish - yet my only visit was about 40 years ago…
It is something I always look for on driving up the M6, a fleeting glimpse can be had as you approach the Crewe junction as you descend the hill…
That camera on the Air3 is superb, the clarity of the framework is first class,
The lighting and direction all contribute as well
Well done 
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Thank you kindly… It was windy, but the IR3 coped well, and the lighting and weather were otherwise superb… Just need to get a Pocket3 gimbal camera instead of using hubby’s mobile for the really close in shots…
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Great video 
. The telescope looks quite majestic in some of the longer distance shots. Interesting how smooth some of the sport mode sequences look, too.
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Thanks Adrian… Given the gusty winds I was majorly impressed with how stable the AIR3 was, especially using te 77mm camera, which accentuates every single buffet of the wind… Great drone, really glad I bought it 
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