01Tourism & heritage
Castles, gardens, museums and landmarks filmed for tourism campaigns, brochures and visitor websites, with permissions arranged in advance.
Drone Pilot York
A CAA-licensed, fully insured commercial drone pilot for York and North Yorkshire. Matt Barker plans and flies aerial photography, 4K video and FPV around the city's landmarks, venues and people.
Clifford's Tower by night, York · Shot by SkyHi
Scroll
(Meet your pilot)
Matt Barker, your drone pilot in York
Busy streets, protected landmarks and lots of different landowners. York is a city where it pays to hire an experienced pilot.
Matt has been flying drones commercially for over 4 years, after more than 25 years in the creative industry. He's based in Leeds, about 25 miles away, so York and North Yorkshire are easy to reach. He knows how to plan a York shoot around visitors, landmark permissions and the weather, and he flies every job himself, so you deal directly with him from the first call to the final files. Want to see the finished imagery? Take a look at our drone photography in York.
(Hire Matt for)
What you can hire a York drone pilot for
From heritage to hospitality, a licensed pilot for every kind of aerial job in York. See all services
01
02FPV pilot for hotels, bars & restaurants
York's venues are full of character. An FPV flythrough shows it off in one continuous, cinematic shot for your website and socials.
03Drone pilot for TV & film crews
Establishing shots and aerial sequences of York for TV, film and online content, flown by a licensed pilot who handles the planning.
04Weddings & events
Weddings at York's city and country-house venues, race days and festivals, flown safely around guests and crowds.
05Property & estate agents
Period homes, new developments and commercial buildings, shown in their setting in the city or the countryside around it.
06Construction & site progress
Repeatable aerial progress photography for developments across York and North Yorkshire, from groundworks to handover.
North Yorkshire.
One pilot, every view.
The Cross, Skipton · North Yorkshire
(How it works)
How hiring a drone pilot in York works
Five simple steps from your first message to finished files, with York's landmark permissions built in.
- 01
Tell us the brief. Send the location, your dates and what you want to capture, and you'll hear back from Matt.
- 02
Airspace & permissions. Matt checks the airspace, any restriction zones and who owns the land, and arranges permission where it's needed.
- 03
Flight plan & risk assessment. Every job gets a site assessment, a flight plan and a written risk assessment before the drone leaves the case.
- 04
Flight day. Matt flies the shoot, with the forecast watched closely. If wind or rain make it unsafe, we agree a new date together.
- 05
Delivery. High-resolution photos and 4K video, ready for your website, social media, listings or print.
(Licensed & insured)
Licensed, insured & landmark-aware in York
York is busy with visitors all year round, so every flight is planned around people, landmarks and landowners.
CAA-registered & fully insured
SkyHi is a CAA-registered drone operator, Matt holds the CAA's A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC), and every flight is covered by commercial insurance.
Landmark & landowner permission
Many of York's landmarks are looked after by organisations such as English Heritage, York Minster or the city council. Matt checks the rules for each site and arranges permission where it's needed.
Crowd-aware city flying
The walls, the Minster and the Shambles are busy, so flights are planned for quieter times, with safe distances from people and buildings.
(Guide prices)
Drone pilot prices in York
Clear starting prices for a licensed pilot, kit and insurance, with every job confirmed in a free quote once we know the location and what you need.
Half day
from£550
Up to 4 hours on site. Ideal for property, venues and single-location shoots.
Full day
from£950
Up to 8 hours on site. For events, productions and multi-location shoots.
Multi-day & productions
Custom quote
FPV productions, TV & media crews and multi-day shoots, priced around your brief.
Prices include the pilot, drones and insurance. Video editing and shoots that need special permissions are quoted separately. No travel charge within York or anywhere in Yorkshire. Get a free quote
(Where Matt flies)
Covering York & North Yorkshire
From the city centre to the villages, the moors and the coast, Matt flies York and the whole of North Yorkshire.
Across York
- City centre
- York Minster
- The Shambles
- City walls
- York Racecourse
- University of York
- Acomb
- Haxby
- Bishopthorpe
- Fulford
- Poppleton
Nearby
- Harrogate
- Selby
- Tadcaster
- Malton
- Castle Howard
- Wetherby
- Leeds
- All of Yorkshire
(Questions)
Hiring a drone pilot in York: FAQs
Can't see your question? Ask Matt directly and he'll get back to you.
Last updated
How much does it cost to hire a drone pilot in York?
Hiring a drone pilot in York with SkyHi starts from £550 for a half day (up to 4 hours) and £950 for a full day (up to 8 hours), including the pilot, drones and insurance. There's no travel charge within York. Video editing and shoots that need special permissions are quoted separately, and every job is confirmed in a free quote.
Who will fly my drone shoot in York?
Matt Barker, SkyHi's founder and commercial drone pilot. Matt holds the CAA's A2 CofC and is fully insured, flies every job himself, and has more than 4 years of commercial flying and over 25 years in the creative industry. He's based in Leeds, about 25 miles from York.
Can a drone pilot fly over York city centre?
Yes, with careful planning. York's centre is busy with residents and visitors, so Matt plans flights for quieter times, keeps safe distances from people and buildings, and secures permission from the landowner where he takes off.
Can you fly a drone at York Minster or Clifford's Tower?
Sometimes. Many of York's landmarks are managed by organisations such as York Minster, English Heritage or the city council, and some don't allow drones without permission. Matt checks the rules for each site and arranges permission, or suggests a nearby take-off spot that gets the shot legally.
Do I need permission to fly a drone in York?
Usually you need the landowner's permission to take off and land, and every flight has to follow UK drone law on people, buildings and airspace. When you hire SkyHi, Matt checks all of this for your location and handles the permissions for you.
Can you film weddings and events in York?
Yes. Matt flies at weddings, race days, festivals and corporate events across York, working with the venue or organiser and your photographer so the drone captures the day safely without getting in the way.
Are you licensed and insured to fly commercially in York?
Yes. SkyHi is a CAA-registered drone operator and Matt holds the CAA's A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC), with more than 4 years of commercial flying experience. Every job is fully insured and follows UK drone law.
How quickly can a drone pilot get to York?
SkyHi is based in Leeds, around 25 miles from York, so the city is easy to reach and short-notice jobs are often possible, as long as the weather is safe and any landmark permissions are in place.
How do I book a drone pilot in York?
Send your location, preferred dates and what you want to capture through our contact form. Matt will check the airspace and permissions, suggest the best approach and send you a quote.
(Let's work together)
Need a drone pilot
in York?
Tourism campaign, venue flythrough, property or wedding, tell Matt what you have in mind and you'll get ideas and a free quote.