MMS Marine Tow: Ex-PLA Yacht ST Katherine

Cinematic drone filming and high-end aerial photography capturing the historic transit of the ST Katherine for MMS Marine Services.

UAS London was recently commissioned by MMS Marine to carry out a comprehensive aerial photography and filming project documenting a highly complex, live river transit: the towing of the historic, ex-PLA yacht ST Katherine from her mooring at Temple Pier downriver to Bay Wharf in Greenwich for dry docking at Thamescraft. As one of London’s premier marine drone operators, our team managed all operational planning, airspace authorisations, and live coordination for this high-profile Thames tow. Towing a historic vessel of ST Katherine’s size requires meticulous planning and timing. Our background as experienced Thames skippers allowed us to plan the aerial capture seamlessly around tidal flows, bridge clearances, and active river traffic. Operating a drone over a live commercial tow is a high-responsibility mission. We maintained close, constant communication with the MMS Marine tow master and vessel skippers via VHF radio throughout the transit. By establishing clear safe-standoff zones and utilising zoom capabilities, we captured highly detailed, dynamic angles without ever intruding on the crew’s operational field or compromising flight safety.