Wetherby aerial videography company takes Top Gear to the sky

A West Yorkshire-based drone company was able to secure a new deal to film footage for the current series of BBC motoring show Top Gear.

Aerial Republic, based in Wetherby, was commissioned by Extreme facilities – the production company behind the new series of the much talked about BBC Two show – to capture hours of aerial footage featuring new co-host and Friends star Matt le Blanc riding a sand buggy through a remote desert location in Morocco.

The footage was broadcast on 29th May during the first episode of Top Gear, which pulled in more than 4 million viewers and was fronted by le Blanc and Radio 2 DJ and broadcaster Chris Evans.

Founded in 2014, Aerial Republic employs a team of six UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) videography and production specialists to capture broadcast quality aerial film, documentary and television footage for clients including MTV, National Geographic and the BBC.

The team travelled to Morocco in April this year, working with presenters Evans and le Blanc and the show’s producers to film three days of aerial footage using a set of top-spec, high-agility drones worth over £75k.

In addition, the company was commissioned by Top Gear to film content in Snowdonia National Park in Wales in December 2015 that will also be aired in an upcoming episode of the current series.

Lois Etheridge, operations director at Aerial Republic, said: “The fact that our aerial videography experience was called upon by the team behind one of the most popular television shows in the world is a testament to the specialised knowledge and experience that we bring to each and every project.

“Filming for Top Gear was an experience that was game changing both on a personal level and for the company, as it has allowed us to add another major name to our portfolio as we continue to work with bigger industry players.”

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