RTF Drone Photo Competition September 27th to October 10th - Tall Chimney - Winners Announced

For this round of RTF you chose:

RULES

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 September 27th to 23:00 Saturday October 10th 2026; the subject is Tall Chimney

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, next sentence please, nothing to read here!. If a flight is undertaken in a restricted zone proof of permission having been granted is required.

E&OE

@group-challenges

4 Likes

:rofl:

5 Likes

Rather ironic that Fred is the cartoon for the challenge, seeing how he is the reason that there aren’t many left around the North West (not East Midlands FFS) :wink: :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

3 Likes

Now this could be a hard one, can’t think of anything off top of my head near here :thinking:
Not that I can fly near anyways

Are you anywhere near Swadlincote?! :wink:

2 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY
Location: Crofton, Wiltshire
Time and Date 07.55 28/09/26
Aircraft: DJI Air 3S
This is Crofton Pumping Station. Built to supply water to the highest summit level of the Kennet & Avon Canal. It was constructed between 1807 and 1809 to lift water 40 feet from nearby springs and reservoirs into a feed channel (leat) that flowed into the summit. A Grade 1 listed site run by volunteers and open to the public and which is one of the few fully working examples from the Industrial Revolution.

20 Likes

Well, that’s my plan out the window then :rofl:

It ain’t over till the fat lady sings as they say. Give it your best shot!!

1 Like

I was actually going to do it from another angle :thinking:
We’ll see :joy:

Hope the sun comes out for you. It was a bit dull this morning but the mist made up for it.

I’ve always loved going there, it’s quiet & peaceful,
One finds that neck of the woods ever Sooooo therapeutic :rofl:

Good childhood memories visiting the pumping station .

1 Like

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Victrex polymer plant, Thornton Cleveleys ///blocking.hello.dumplings

16:10 28/09/26

DJI Air 2

15 Likes

That looks like our hospital chimney, that’s that out the question now as well :joy::+1:

2 Likes

I take it your local. I live about 15 mins from it and I’ve never been before, so this challenge has been really educational for me. I knew of it but have always loved Wilton Windmill a short distance away. In fact, I did a bit of filming for them, when they had a new set of sails installed recently. A timelapse over 2 days. It looks really smart now after 18 Mths of not being operational

That’s where my aunt lives, just behind the high street!!

Ditto & flown that many times too :))

Australia :australia: Berkshire mate :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like

THIS IS MY ENTRY

Tees Energy from Waste Plant
Haverton Hill

September 30th 8:05pm
DJI Mini 4 Pro

18 Likes

THIS IS MY ENTRY

  • Old Kodak Factory Chimney, Harrow
  • 15:04 30/9/2026
  • DJI Mini 3

This chimney is all that remains of the Kodak Factory in Harrow. The chimney is 63m tall. For more details see: Kodak Harrow - Wikipedia.

Peter

16 Likes

I dunno about tall chimneys - I’ve been puffing like a chimney trying to think :thought_balloon::joy:

3 Likes

this is about a mile from me - I have flown here a few times but not done anything great with it

Another great site is the Birds Factory in Digbeth - got loads of photos of that but none of them applicable to this challenge as they were taken ages ago :frowning: