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Flying over the South Coast of England — July 2025

I recently passed my Private Pilot's Licence - something I'm excited to pair with my love of aerial photography. Photographing the South Coast from a light aircraft.

Published 20 July 2025
Beachy Head's chalk cliffs fall sheer to a flat calm English Channel, the red-and-white banded lighthouse standing isolated on its rock platform below. Shot from a high vantage at midday in high summer, the image trades atmosphere for scale and graphic clarity. The parched downland above the cliff face records the dry conditions of July.
Beachy Head's chalk cliffs fall sheer to a flat calm English Channel, the red-and-white banded lighthouse standing isolated on its rock platform below. Shot from a high vantage at midday in high summer, the image trades atmosphere for scale and graphic clarity. The parched downland above the cliff face records the dry conditions of July. Buy this print →

I wanted to share something that you probably didn't know: that I've recently achieved my Private Pilot's Licence (PPL). It's been a challenging journey, requiring a minimum of 45 hours flying and passing a series of exams and a practical skills test. But it's been incredibly rewarding, and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to pursue my passion for aviation. Whilst I don't photograph aeroplanes, I do now have the opportunity to photograph from aeroplanes!

I recently had my first opportunity to do just this, where a good friend and I flew a light aircraft and captured some amazing photos from above. We chose to explore the South Coast, known for its white cliffs, piers and lighthouses.

From the air, it's even more breathtaking than we expected, with the blue of the channel being particularly striking on this bright summer day next to the white cliffs.

I've attached a few photographs to this blog post:

  • Beachy Head Lighthouse, beside the towering white cliffs where people look like tiny ants.
  • Brighton Pier, where a theme park is crammed onto the end of the pier — and the remnants of the one which burned down.
  • Eastbourne Pier, the historical and well preserved 150+ year old pier.
  • London, here captured in black and white, was captured from around 1,500ft from the north. You can see many iconic buildings, including those in the City and the Shard.

I used my Sony a7R IV camera for these captures, paired with my Sigma 70-200mm Sport lens. Having the longer focal length was essential to be able to pick out compositions from above. The real benefit of this particular lens is that it is an internal zoom (essential for zooming whilst against the windows of the aircraft), along with the aperture of f/2.8 (super helpful for having fast shutter speeds).

It was a great experience, and one that I'm eager to repeat. I'm looking forward to capturing more photos from the air and exploring this perspective of Britain.

The skeletal remains of Brighton's West Pier sit isolated in the English Channel, framed against a crowded summer beach and the dense Victorian and modern townscape beyond. Shot from a high vantage point in strong midday light, the image documents rather than interprets, with the ruined iron structure providing the sole focal anchor in an otherwise busy frame.
The skeletal remains of Brighton's West Pier sit isolated in the English Channel, framed against a crowded summer beach and the dense Victorian and modern townscape beyond. Shot from a high vantage point in strong midday light, the image documents rather than interprets, with the ruined iron structure providing the sole focal anchor in an otherwise busy frame. Buy this print →