The 8th Grey Arrows Drone Club Birthday Challenge and Treasure Hunt

Challenges
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Celebrations are in order - on 17th August the Grey Arrows Drone Club will be EIGHT years old!

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This year, to reduce the strain on the Challenge judges, we are running a slimmed-down version of the Birthday Challenge and Treasure Hunt - this is what we would like you to do

Between 00:01 Sunday August 3rd and 22:00 Saturday 13th September 2025 there are eight objects for you to find and photograph with a drone flying at least 30 feet above ground level. Each object found will win a point; bonus points will be won if additional conditions are met.

Each bonus can be earned independently of the others unless otherwise stated..

The important element of your image is the clearly visible object; artistic merit is secondary but there will be a vote open to all GADC members at the end of the competition to find the best picture. Each competitor can select two of their images for consideration. First, second and third placed pictures will earn nothing bar the admiration of the GADC community and unique 8th Birthday Challenge Photo Winner badges.

The first, second and third placed winners of the Treasure Hunt will be awarded unique badges, each person who competes will receive an 8th Birthday Competitor badge, Silver for entering, Gold for completing all tasks and playing all jokers.

The challenge has changed this year. PLEASE read the subject, the jokers and the rules carefully so that you can plan how to attack the competition.

The subjects:

1. A construction site

Bonus point for yellow telehandler
Bonus point for tower crane
Bonus point for a ready-mixed concrete truck
Bonus point for an articulated truck and low loader trailer,, additional point if the trailer is loading or unloading a construction vehicle.

2. A bridge carrying a minimum gauge (15 inch) or larger railway line

Bonus point for the bridge spanning both a road and a waterway, each named on Google Maps or Google Earth
Bonus point for more than one set of railway tracks on the bridge
Bonus point for a train crossing the bridge (The train must occupy more than 50% of the bridge span)
Bonus point for two trains crossing the bridge (Each train must occupy more than 50% of the bridge span)

3. 8 or more people holding up a “Happy Birthday Grey Arrows!” banner (must be large and clear enough to be legible!)

Bonus point if all wearing blue tops or T-shirts
Bonus point for attending if it is a meetup arranged through Drone Scene and four or more of the participants are GADC members
Three bonus points for [organising the meetup through DroneScene and four or more of the participants are GADC members

4. A tractor working in a field

Bonus if it is a New Holland tractor
Bonus if there is more than one tractor working in the same field
Bonus if the tractors are two distinctly different colours/makes
Bonus if there is a combine harvester working in the same field.

5. A water-borne vessel

Bonus point for two or more masts
Bonus point for blue or red hull
Bonus point for crew clearly visible on deck
Bonus point for clearly visible wake.

6. A pier or jetty

Bonus point for vessel tied to pier or jetty - not a quay or a wharf
Bonus point for at least two people fishing with clearly visible rods from the pier or jetty
Bonus point for a vehicle on the jetty or pier

7. A building of 6 or more storeys

Bonus point if 10 or more storeys
Bonus point if all sides of the building can be seen
Bonus point if two or more yellow cars (not vans) can be clearly seen in the car park
Bonus point for sunset or sunrise reflected in the windows.

8. A Landscape not in the county in which I live

Bonus point for an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) aka National Landscape or NSA (Scotland)
Bonus point for a normal still and a 360 degree panorama (hosted on Kuula)
Bonus point for a lake or similar body of water in the foreground
Bonus point if a building with its own Wikipedia entry is clearly visible in the picture (supply a link)
A screenshot of your existing or newly added Members’ Map entry is required

The Jokers

There are five “jokers” that can be applied once each to any subject in the competition. Only one joker per subject. Each one is worth five bonus points:

  • A hyperlapse of 8 seconds or more at a minimum 3 times normal speed

  • A flight within a Flight Restriction Zone or Aerodrome Traffic Zone (FRZ or ATZ) for which the permission you obtained needs to be posted as a screenshot, *.pdf or camera image (sensitive names or addresses may be redacted). Drone Scene will be your friend when it comes to planning!

  • A video (at normal speed), minimum 30 seconds, maximum 60 seconds. The video can be one continuous shot or separate takes edited together

  • A flight over water. Airdata (free accounts available) proof is required

  • A flight between civil sunset and civil sunrise - or night as it is better known :slight_smile:

The Rules

All images for consideration must be posted in this thread with the number and name of the object claimed, the bonus points claimed, the time, date and location of the image and the drone used to take the picture. Feel free to add further information to impress your fellow contestants and amuse the judges.

Unless stated otherwise all images submitted must be a single still image, uncropped and unedited, they must be as they came from the camera. (This is so that we can access the exif data if necessary for verification)

If your image is rejected we will inform you of the reason, you are free to make further attempts to capture the object.

The Grey Arrows Drone Club 8th Birthday Challenge and Treasure Hunt runs from 00:01 Sunday 3rd August to 22:00 Saturday September 13th 2025 and all entries must be taken within that time. A maximum of one entry per day per contestant will be accepted.

All objects found must be “real life” - no models, no AI

Banter and discussion is encouraged in the thread but BN, BR - be nice, be respectful - especially to the judges :slight_smile:

Ask any questions in the thread or by private message to @challenges_Committee

The Challenge Committee’s decisions are final

Please remember:

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. Landowners wishes and permissions must be respected and adhered to. Flying in restricted zones is allowed only after permission has been obtained from the relevant authority

E &OE

@group-challenges

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Why did I read the last joker as ‘civil unrest’?

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Sadly I will not be taking part this year, due to recent injuries.

But I wish everyone all the best.

BTW AONB is now called National Landscapes. It was rebranded by the last government

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That’s the secret joker…

Currently in hospital with Mrs Barnet awaiting the arrival of Minibarnet No. 2, but will try and find the time between nappy changes to have a crack at a few of these. Thanks to the @Challenges_Committee for putting it together.

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Our best regards and wishes to Mrs. Barnet and looking forward to welcoming miniBarnet 2 to Grey Arrows :slight_smile:

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LEADERBOARD

Dateline: Tuesday, August 12th 2025

Name Points Rank
@akey_uk 20 1
@pjmp 18 2
@macspite 15 3
@Ian5 11 4
@Acedrone 9 5
@JoeC 8 6
@TheFatController 3 7
@uav_hampshire 2 8
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The judges, having undergone induction and refresher training especially for this soon-to-be-hotly contested Challenge, eagerly await the first entries …
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Glad I just re-read the list… I’d read 8 as “A landscape not in the countRy in which I live” and was trying to figure out how to convince Mrs C I had to go to the Lake District for a weekend. :rofl:

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Wifey read it the same and said “looks like you’ll be wanting a day out in Wales then”

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@JoeC @Darwinsdad - We hope your distance vision is better than your closeup or is your VLOS range in single figures? :smiley:

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Let’s just say, you won’t be awarding me any long haul flyer badges any time soon :rofl:

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Our more northerly correspondents have advised us that “it’s a wee bit breezy” in their part of the world. How have Challengers in the other parts of the country fared? Click the pic™ to check the latest scores :slight_smile:

@group-challenges

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No flying yet, but been planning and thinking. Just need the wind to calm down a bit now to get the first shots done

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Maybe we should have had a ninth subject - set a speed record with your drone!

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When the weather is inclement the wise competitor indulges in a little light research. Has anyone captured a subject yet? Click the Pic™ to check the leaderboard!

@group-challenges

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Granny’s Guide to Sucking Eggs …

Old hands will see that the 8th Birthday Challenge and Treasure Hunt is somewhat different this year. Eight subjects rather than twenty-five should make the pace less frenetic, five jokers available to be played across those eight subjects is something new - use those jokers wisely! - and a photo competition judged by Grey Arrows members certainly breaks with traditional Birthday Challenges.

However, if it is your first time - get stuck in and enjoy! The weather seems a bit changeable for the first week but bad weather at the start can be a bonus. It’s a good time to plan and research where and when you might find your subjects, to think about meetups and contacting authorities for permissions. You may be able to plan an itinerary that allows several subjects to be completed over one day or weekend and take the family on a fun day out :slight_smile:

It should be fine to approach to 50 metres distance of any subject, 30 metres if you have A2 CofC or A16A qualifications or closer still if you are flying a sub 250gram aircraft. So there is no excuse for pictures with the subject in the far distance, three or four pixels high. The competition has been designed, in part, to allow the judges more time for their own pursuits; any judicial debate regarding a barely recognisable subject will be short and unfavourable to the competitor., especially if surf’s up! :man_surfing: :woman_surfing: :smiling_face_with_sunglasses:

If you have questions ask them in the thread and you will get an answer from one of the judges or your fellow Grey Arrows members. If your question needs to remain private (maybe you have had a brilliant idea you don’t want to share regarding a subject) then message @Challenges_Committee. We can’t guarantee an instant answer, especially if your query requires discussion among the judging panel. However, we will do our best to provide you with an answer within 24 hours.

tl;dr

Plan, fly, post, enjoy!

@group-challenges

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Yes, Ian is quite correct and we are grateful for his information. We have added a link in the subject list and also below:

8. A Landscape not in the county in which I live

Bonus point for an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) aka National Landscape or NSA (Scotland)

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@Challenges_Committee - Just a quick joker-related question. If playing the video or hyperlapse jokers, do they take the place of any still image submitted or do they need to be submitted alongside the still image entry?

So taking the below entry as an example:

If playing the second bonus point along with a video joker, would you be looking for a video and a Kuula 360, or a still, video and Kuula 360?

On a side note, very pleased to report that Minibarnet 2 joined us on Sunday. So I will be doing my best to take part as and when, even if I am a bit bleary-eyed!

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Congratulations!

Best wishes to Mrs, Barnet, Mini-Barnet number one and new Mini Barnet. And yourself!

We are greedy. And want content to make this thread longer. So a video joker means an additional video on top of the still picture and any other requirement. If you are really pushed a frame grab from the video will act as a still.

You do want a still, don’t you? How else would you have something to enter into the photo competition part of the Challenge? :slight_smile:

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“Might as well drink this and then get down the Prop and Gimbal to wet Mini Barnet 2’s head. B*gger all happening here!” Has anything happened yet? Click the Pic™ to check the Leaderboard for any movements!

@group-challenges

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