RTF Drone Photo Challenge 23rd November to December 6th - Victorian Engineering and/or National Trust Properties

It’s a tie!

You have chosen to photograph Victorian Engineering and/or National Trust Properties by drone over the coming two weeks. Good luck! From the meteorological information available to us at time of writing it appears the forthcoming fortnight’s weather is best described as 'kin 'orrible. So rule 43 comes into play again - photographs illustrating the subject created other than by means of a drone will be accepted.

RULES

(Rule 43 is invoked for this competition - any means of creating the picture will be allowed with the exception of the use of Artificial intelligence)

The requirement is to submit a single still image created using a drone to illustrate the subject of the competition. This round will run from 00:01 Sunday 23rd November until 23:00 Saturday December 6th; the subject is Victorian Engineering and/or National Trust Properties

The image must be captured while the competition is open. It is a Reason To Fly Challenge so please show that the image is created by a flying camera!

Editing is confined to colour and exposure adjustments and crop only. There must be no removal or pasting of an object. Stacked images, HDR images and non-spherical panoramas are considered single images for the purposes of this competition.

Images must be posted with the following information as a minimum:

In Capitals as the first line of your post:

THIS IS MY ENTRY

If this is not done at the time of posting the picture will be ignored. Should it be necessary to change your picture then delete the previous picture and add “This is my entry” - as above - as the first line of your new post. If in any doubt contact the Challenges Committee
(@Challenges_Committee)

Further Information is required

  • Location
  • Time and date
  • Aircraft/camera used
  • Feel free to add any further information that you think will be of interest

Voting

The members of GADC will judge images. They may vote for any number of pictures through an anonymous poll open for two days after the closing date for competition entries.

Voting in the poll is open to all GADC members, whether they have entered the competition or not.

The Challenge Committee may request the original media in case of a dispute.

Schedule

The competition subject will be announced every second Saturday around 22:30. The subject will be chosen by a poll of GADC members selecting from three that have been picked at random from the subject list. You may make additions to the list at any time.

The competition will run from Sunday 00.01 to Saturday 23.00 fourteen days later. Voting by poll will be open for a further two days until Monday 22:00

The winner (and second and third-placed competitors if there are sufficient entries) will be announced shortly after the vote is closed

Have Fun! Be Safe!

All flights are the sole responsibility of the individual conducting them. Each competitor must abide by the drone code and adhere to the limitations and restrictions imposed upon them by aviation law, the aircraft being used and the qualifications they hold. Move along please, nothing to see here. If a flight is undertaken in a restricted zone proof of permission having been granted is required.

E&OE

@group-challenges

5 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
Location: Bennerley Viaduct, Ilkeston
Timestamp: 25/11/2025 @ 12:49
DJI Air 3S, 24 mm

My first choice of location was covered in scaffolding, but the viaduct made a good substitute.

15 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Blackpool Promenade
Date /Time 11.00 / 25.11.2025
Drone - Mini 3

This image focuses on the three piers and also the iconic Blackpool tower.

14 Likes

Nice shot. I had something similar in mind. Had a brief period out on prom today, similar time to your pic, were you anywhere near comedy carpet? Spoke to someone flying a mini 3. Waited till he’d moved on before popping up my drone. Was it you?

No wasnt me @Seadog

2 Likes

My first ever entry, went to Knaresborough especially to take this today, beat the torrential downpour by an hour too :rofl:
Knaresborough Railway Viaduct opened 1 October 1851 at a cost of £9803
Take off from the Castle grounds by the wall, was quiet at 10am today

Friday 28th November 2025, 10am
Knaresborough Castle
DJI Mavic 4 Pro

15 Likes

Have put it your entry for you :+1:

1 Like

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Saltburn Pier and Funicular Cliff Tramway
Sunday 30th November 3:56pm
DJI Mini 4 Pro

England’s last surviving Victorian pleasure pier opened in 1869, and beyond is The Saltburn Cliff Tramway opened in 1884, now the oldest water balanced funicular still in operation in England

Id usually clone out people in my shots (I dont do people :thinking:) luckily is was a cold and rough day so not that busy and as per the rules they had to stay for once :grin:

16 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY.

A take on your opening image, but no steam powered drone or top hat for me.

Clifton Suspension Bridge
Taken 30/11/25 @ 12:10 pm
DJI Mini 4 pro

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is famous for being an iconic symbol of Bristol, a magnificent feat of Victorian engineering designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and its spectacular setting over the Avon Gorge. Completed in 1864, it was a ground breaking project that pushed the boundaries of bridge construction and has remained remarkably unchanged for over 150 years.

Took advantage in a break in the weather, nice and sunny at the time, only lasted a few hours though.

18 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
23,11,25 @ 1,30 pm ish
Ouse Valley Viaduct Sussex
Mavic 3
180 Pano & crop

19 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
30-11-2025, 12:15 pm
St Michael’s Church, Burrow Mump, Burrowbridge, Somerset
Mini 4 Pro

My first RTF challenge entry. Though, to be fair, my reason to fly was because it was a lovely sunny day and I was meeting a friend for a couple of pints at the nearby King Alfred pub.
National Trust site but I TOAL from the public footpath along the bank of the River Parett

20 Likes

What better reason to fly, hope you enjoyed your beverages. Cheers :honeybee::beer_mug:

1 Like

THIS IS MY ENTRY

  • Location: Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich from above the River Thames
  • Time and date: 16:30 on 02 December 2025
  • Aircraft/camera used: DJI Mini 5 Pro

Technically, this image captures two feats of Victorian engineering for the price of one.

In the centre-left is the Cutty Sark, a tea clipper built in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869 - one of the fastest ships of its era.

Anchoring the foreground is the cupola entrance to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. While it opened in 1902, this engineering project was commissioned and began being constructed in 1899, making it one of the final major infrastructure projects of the Victorian age. The tunnel runs deep beneath the River Thames, connecting Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs.

More information

Cutty Sark - Wikipedia
Greenwich foot tunnel - Wikipedia

12 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
Location: Hurst Bourne Viaduct
04.11.25 Time: 14.58


It was designed by Joseph Locke for the London & South Western Railway and completed in 1854. It is constructed of dark red bricks, is 127 yards long and has nine round-headed arches of 34 feet span.

13 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Location: Roadbridge, Looe, Cornwall

Time: 19/11/2025 at 10:54

Drone: DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Bridge open September 1855 and built at a cost of £2984

13 Likes

Parked in that car park bottom right many times when having a day out to Looe, love the place, great photo

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Alfred’s Tower, part of the Stourhead Estate, nr Mere in Wiltshire

11.25am 30/11/25

Mini 2

14 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

National Trust properties are a bit thin on the ground here so Victorian Engineering it is then.

I had to have two cracks at this, I originally tried on Friday. I chose a stupid-hot 40°C afternoon, dripping with sweat and flies in every orifice. I couldn’t find my way to get close to the thing, so I bent the VLOS rules slightly trying to avoid a motorway, a railway line, power lines and heaps of trees. I didn’t realise at the time but the heat/flies/intense concentration conspired against me. I got home and started downloading the pics only to realise I was at the wrong bloody bridge!

Back again this morning, I found a trail which took me onto the viaduct itself. I know it was the right one this time as there was a plaque informing me that it had built by John Whitton around 1867, thirty years into Queen Victoria’s reign. Anyway, hope you like it.

13 Likes

It would be useful if they had a “no fly” policy over there by the sound of it. :fly:

3 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

  • Westbury Court Gardens, National Trust Property, Westbury-on-Severn.
  • 30 Nov 2025 @ 1451
  • DJI Flip

NT staff really don’t like you operating over or close to their property do they :laughing: The cartoon of the NT person in the intro was like a challenge to me so I went for it. In between the shouting about requiring a licence to fly over NT property and me breaking GDPR I did manage to congratulate them on the well manicured gardens. I liked that I could get the River Severn into the shot too.

TOAL from the lay-by next to the A48 directly outside the property. I was hoping to get better lighting but I guess that’s the luck of the draw.

11 Likes