A DRONE will be flying over Appleby Horse Fair for the first time to capture the fun.

Film maker Tom Lloyd, of Windermere-based Lloyd and Colman, has been filming the journey to the fair by horse for the last 15 years, but this year his venture is taking flight.

“We got our drone in 2014, and now have plenty of experience in flying it for commercial film making," said Tom. “The flights are purely a private enterprise, to get some background shots for my film, and we are not associated or endorsed in any way by the fair organisers or local authorities."

The film being made, Rolling Thunder, follows the story of Tom's father, Walter Lloyd, who has been travelling to Appleby by road with fell ponies for more than 40 years.

Last year Tom completed a two day ground course, followed by three months writing an operations manual for the drone and a rigorous flight exam in order to get permission to fly by the Civil Aviation Authority.

With advances in technology over the last couple of years, the high-tech camera platforms are now being used by smaller independent film makers.

At the fair between June 4 and 10, Lloyd and Colman are planning a series of short flights of 10 minutes each to add to the footage and stories they have already compiled.

“For safety reasons we will not fly directly over the fair, but will circle around the edge and hope to capture as much as possible," added Tom. "The drone will not be used to take any close up shots, except with written consent, although we may work with TV companies to provide them with some background for news broadcast etc."