About

Based in the village of Ditchling, Sussex, SKYVISUAL uses the latest radio-controlled UAVs equipped with digital cameras to provide stunning imagery from points of view not normally seen.

The advantages of using a UAV are many; telescopic masts take time to set up and cannot be erected too high as they wobble; hydraulic platforms are slow to use and expensive; both are awkward to move around quickly for different camera angles. Access for any associated vehicles can be problematic.

Fixed-wing aircraft are quite inflexible for accurate positioning. Helicopters are good for moving around quickly but neither can approach lower than 500 feet due to low-flying legislation; both types of aircraft are expensive to operate – particularly helicopters.

Aerial view of Ditchling village, Sussex

After a full site survey the UAV can be brought directly to the site and can be ready to fly in under 15 minutes. Operating height can be anywhere from a few inches to 400 feet and, with the permission of the owner, can be flown much closer to a building than an aircraft could.

The image that the camera sees is transmitted wirelessly to a monitor on the ground. If the photograph doesn’t look quite right then we just move the UAV to a different position.

Noise disturbance is minimal as the UAV is powered by six electric motors and the flight can be completed very rapidly.

Safety is at the forefront of every flight.

Digital photography brought about the use of Photoshop and so Gordon branched out into digital image creation and manipulation.

Retirement from ATC in 2007 took him back to flying gliders for a couple of years then came the advent of capable UAVs for professional standards of aerial photography.

Some of his aerial and Photoshop work can be seen at www.gkbgraphics.com