OWNED AND OPERATED BY AIRLINE PILOTS
We are a company run by aviation and media professionals who are dedicated to providing the best quality video production and aerial services for our customers.
All of our drone operators are qualified airline pilots who have a long history of working in a professional and safety conscious environment.
Our media is created and edited by experienced film-makers and photographers with a background creating digital content for TV advertising and digital marketing.
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OUR TEAM
Our team has been specifically selected to bring the best talent from the aviation and digital media industries together.
Chris Gillespie
Director/Drone Pilot
The founding member of the Skylapse team, Chris had the vision and ambition to bring together a multi skilled team of aviation, media and technology professionals to deliver a gold standard product to our clients. His background and pedigree as an aviation professional has found him progressing from flying the De Havilland Dash8-300 for Brymon Airways, through to the current aircraft of choice the Airbus A380-800, working for British Airways as a Senior First Officer. Along the way he has also operated the Avro RJ 100 and the Boeing 777 for 10 years. His desire to bring together the experience and knowledge he has built over the years, in terms of technical skills, adherence to safety, and the highest standard of customer service that was expected of him during his career at British Airways has resulted in the creation of this unique Skylapse team, where the sky is the limit.
Matt Brown
Director/Drone Pilot
Matt has always been addicted to all things that fly and has spent over 20 years flying commercially. He started small and gradually worked up, flying the Boeing 757, 767, 777 and now the Airbus A380.
Matt has flown drones and RC aircraft for around 10 years and enjoys creating videos that interplay sky and ground, trying to bring the two environments together.
He is delighted to be a part of Skylapse media, working with a team who are motivated and passionate about providing the best product possible for their clients.
Sean Johnson
Film Maker/Photographer
Sean started his career working in the film and TV industry as a camera operator, but soon found his feet in the digital marketing world. He managed a team of creatives for a social media marketing agency before joining our team in May 2020, and has worked hard to ensure our production quality is of the highest standard.
John Smith
Drone Pilot
John has had a passion for aviation from a young age, obtaining his Private Pilot's licence at 18. A degree in Aerospace Engineering swiftly followed. Flying though was always his dream and by the age of 24 he was flying the Airbus A320 commercially for an International Airline. He has been involved with 'Drones' for many years and worked on two military UAV prototypes in 2004 with Bae systems. He has developed his skills over the years and has now been flying the impressive Airbus A380 for over 6 years. A new addition to the Skylapse team in September 2020 his professionalism and desire to deliver high quality projects for all of our clients, coupled with his engineering and commercial aviation background make him ideally suited to the drone industry.
Charlie Read
Director/Head of Sales
Charlie got into aviation after a short career in sales and marketing. He joined the British Airways cadet program back in 1989 graduating in the September of 1990.
He flew with the Highlands and Islands division for six years based in Scotland and Manchester and got his first jet job flying 757/ 767's for two years before moving to the majestic 747 where he got the opportunity to fly with his dad.
Charlie got his command of the 777 but went back to the 747 for five years before heading off to the A380. He has recently qualified for command of the Airbus A350.
After over thirty years in aviation he is passionate about safety culture and effective communication, bringing this much needed skill to the drone industry.
Martin Donagher
Drone Pilot
Martin is an aviation enthusiast, beginning his career in 2011. He is a commercial airline pilot based in the UK, flying the B787.
He has a total flying time of 3,000 hours which includes single engine aircraft also.
He joined the team at Skylapse Media in May 2020, having successfully obtained his PfCO certificate.
His best asset is His passion to deliver every aspect of our customers needs using the latest drone technology in aerial filming and photography. This combined with his commercial aviation experience ensures uncompromised
safety and the highest level in professional standards.
James Read
Drone Pilot
After completing high-school in 1995 James enrolled at Oxford Air Training School, one of the most renowned Flight Training colleges in the world, to become a commercial airline pilot. He graduated with distinction gaining an ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence) and was immediately employed by British Airways CitiExpress, the regional division of British Airways, flying the De Havilland Dash 8, fifty seat Turboprop. After just three years at the age 23, James become one of the youngest Captains in commercial passenger aviation. He went on to command a wide variety of types including over a decade on the Airbus A320 and A330 where he operated into such demanding airports as Baghdad, Sana’a, Kathmandu and Damascus to name but a few. In 2015 James progressed onto the Boeing 777 operating over some of the most remote regions of the planet. After 25 years in commercial aviation James is ideally suited to apply his extensive experience in aviation and passion for technology to commercial drone operations and is a valued member of the team