Video
Drone video offers an aerial tour along the length of Felixstowe Pier
A still from Matt Porter's drone video of Felixstowe Pier - Credit: Matt Porter
A drone pilot has offered a rare glimpse of Felixstowe Pier’s offshore promenade.
A still from Matt Porter's drone video of Felixstowe Pier - Credit: Matt Porter
Technology enthusiast Matt Porter has published video footage showing the 136 metre stretch from the shore to the pier’s eastern tip.
The wooden seaward section of the pier has been off limits to members of the public for many years due to safety reasons, however it still provides a popular spot for gulls, as the video shows.
Mr Porter, who posted the video on Youtube as Gadget Man Matt, said he wanted to offer a new perspective of the pier while it was being refurbished, which started two months ago.
“It’s there for interest really, people like to see their home town and what’s going on in it,” he added.
Matt Porter with his drone. Paul Shalan Photography - Credit: Paul Shalan Photography
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“Also, my six-year-old daughter Gracie absolutely loves going to the pier and playing on the amusements.”
Mr Porter, who lives in Ipswich, used a DJI Phantom 3 Standard drone to take the footage and a smartphone app called Litchi, which enabled him to plot a route for the drone to follow.
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The pier is currently undergoing a major redevelopment, believed to cost around £3million, which involves the creation of a new 39m long building including shops, a restaurant and entertainments centre.
It had been hoped to have a 73m building with a function suite seating 325 people, a second storey and a shipping observation tower with walkway. However, this part of the plan had to be removed because of cost issues. It is scheduled to reopen next summer.
Pier owner Stan Threadwell has said that if the revamp proves a success, it could be extended again to include additional features in the years ahead.
One advantage of the changed plans is that the pier’s offshore section will remain – under the originally-approved scheme it would have been mostly demolished. However, because it is unsafe, people will still not be able to walk its length.
Visit here to find out more about Mr Porter’s technological interests.
