I have just added this to the map of places to fly your drone at Drone Scene:
Rumbling Bridge lives up to its name — the River Braan thunders through a narrow gorge, crashing over rocks beneath a timeless stone arch. Perfect drone heaven.
TOAL - from rocks on south side of bridge with obvious (and only) was to approach the river.
Caution. A cable runs directly over the bridge between two wooden telegraph posts.
The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 23/09/2025. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.
Was a great spot to fly, was talking with another Drone flyer who walked past and lost his MINI under the bridge!
I flew it with the AVATA2 and MINi3 Pro, the MINI3 for high shots, and the AVATA to fly under the bridge and up the falls, not recommended as it was extremely powerful waterfall and lots of spray and gusts in the gorge, plus a lot of ghost branches that almost caught me out, but with care it can be flown FPV, albeit slowly…
Thanks hon, brave or foolish, I flew it twice up and once down, and my heart was in my mouth, hopefully the footage will be worth the adrenaline… Just running it through gyroflow now, have 2 flights to do as I had to land after the first fly under to clean the lens of water…
Perhaps a wee bit foolhardy to attempt to fly such a place, but sometimes you have to push the envelope, to try things that scare you, even at risk of losing the drone.
To do any less, to back down, would be to admit defeat and that you have reached as far along your growth cycle as you are comfortable enough to traverse, and sometimes you just have to screw up your courage and go for it. This was a case of the latter!
Perhaps not the best conditions to fly, but the powerful Falls of the Braan in Autumn were just too good to miss, and despite the spray and uncertain wind shear in the gorge, it just had to be done!
A first overflight, then a test inspection, followed by a flight under the bridge and close call wth the branches (the second flight under the bridge on the video) and then another flight up the falls (the first time under the bridge) provided some interesting footage, showcasing the power of the falls in full flow, despite the spray and the camera lens getting covered in spray.
Overall, not a place to take lightly, a passerby told me they had lost their MINI3 Pro trying to fly under the bridge previously, so he was amazed my AVATA2 made it in such rough conditions…
Anyhows, enjoy the somewhat tricky and perilous flight
I took off from the bridge (hand launch), and yes, mind the cables and overhanging twigs. I was there in June and the water levels were quite a bit lower. It looks much better in full spate.
