RTF Drone Photo Challenge - March 15th to 28th - Ponds - Winners Announced

Three to choose from, you selected Ponds

RULES

The usual rules apply, reproduced here as we know you faithfully read, digest and abide by them every round of RTF.

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 15th March until 23:00 Saturday March 28th 2026; the subject is Ponds

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. Why do the voices in my head only tell me to do bad things?. If a flight is undertaken in a restricted zone proof of permission having been granted is required.

E&OE

@group-challenges

3 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Long Acre Fishing Lakes, Preesall, Lancashire

10:45 18/03/26 DJI Air 2

Originally formed by subsidence due to salt mining ( see link below ), they are now used for angling activities

Morecambe Bay in the distance beyond Knott End, with Heysham power station just visible through the haze.

10 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
Location: Papplewick Pumping Station, Notts.
20/03/26 @ 12:46

DJI Air 3S / 24 mm

15 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Courteenhall, Northampton, Northamptonshire

14:00 21/03/2026

DJI Air 3S 70mm

Ok, I know it’s an “ornamental pond”, but I could shoot it from my back garden as I haven’t been able to get out and about much lately.

9 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
Sinfin Moor Park and Local Nature Reserve
DJI Mini 3 Pro
Sat, 21st March
14:14

Lightly edited on my iPad
This pond is known locally as the Big Pond. ( dunno why as it’s not big by any means)

8 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
Drigg Beach, Cumbria
DJI Mavic 4pro
18/3/26
15.11
Heartland
Loved the heart shape of the pond

13 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY.

19th March, 11.34 am.

Mavic 4 pro.

Small pond attached to Cogra moss reservoir.
Cumbria.

11 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Sunset at “Moth Pond” on Sampford Moor, Blackdown Hills, Devon/Somerset border.

1830 22 Mar 26

DJI Air 3S

70mm ISO100 1/15s at f/2.8

14 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Taken today 25/03/26 around midday with Mini 4 Pro.

The Duckpond at Sutton Poyntz Dorset.
only 15 min walk from caravan park but as you may notice only taken around 3m height as it was so bloody windy, 34mph with 50+ mph gusts, the only flight I managed today.

" Sutton Poyntz is a picturesque, historic village in Dorset, England, situated just outside Weymouth near the South Dorset Downs. Known for its scenic duck pond, the Springhead pub, and charming cottage scenery, it lies within an area rich in Neolithic and Roman history. It offers a quiet rural feel near the coast."

11 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
Norton Duck Pond, Stockton-on-Tees
26th March 7:30pm
DJI Mini 4 Pro

The serenity of the quintessential English village duck pond, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with the heart of industrial Teesside beyond

11 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

The Black Pond
Sandy Point Nature Reserve
Hayling Island
Hants
Mini 4 Pro 15:30 March 26 2026

Black Point and Chichester Harbour in the background

12 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

  • Wetlands area, Headstone Manor Park, Harrow, London
  • DJI Mini3
  • 10:01 26/3/2026

This ponds are both for nature, being a small wetlands area and for flood relief for the river Pinn. Quite new but developing nicely.

Peter

10 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

14:56 18th March 2025

East Harptree Wood, Somerset.

DJI Mini 5 Pro

The chimney next to the pond is grade 2 listed and is all that remains of East Harptree Lead Works. Chew Valley lake is in the background. A couple of weeks ago the pond was full of frogs, newts and toads and in the summer there are normally swarms of dragon flies.

10 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
28.03.26
17.32
Anton Lakes, Andover, Hampshire
DJI Air 3S
Weather has been a bit fickle to day but it came good. A bit tricky being quite close to residential areas. I had to be spot on with TOAL

7 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Victoria Embankment Park pond

Take on 28.03.26 @ 16:40
Location : Nottingham, Victoria Embankment Park
DJI Mini 3 Pro

8 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

South Windsor NSW
28/03/2026 at 18:48
Mini 5 Pro
Hoping I don’t get into trouble, sorry. :innocent:

4 Likes

You may get yourself in the excrement next time. Today is the last time we are setting our local time as GMT / UTC for a few months. Overnight we “put the clocks forward” by an hour and use British Summer Time (BST) And thus our local time will be GMt / UTC +1.

So leaving things to the last few minutes of a challenge may end badly if you get the time conversion wrong!

1 Like

For doing what?:face_with_monocle:

Entering late.

1 Like

Numbers are slightly up this time, whether because of the attraction of the subject or the better weather it’s impossible to tell. But we will stick with picking just your top three images for this poll. Closing for votes is 22:00 on Monday, March 30th.

@group-challenges