Felixstowe North Seafront

Felixstowe rewards a pilot who is willing to be disciplined about geography. The prize is the view: from the north seafront you can watch a constant procession of the world's largest container ships passing offshore into Britain's busiest port, an extraordinary sight from a modest height over the sea. Take off from the quieter north end near Cobbold's Point, away from the crowded central promenade, and keep your flying out over the water and to the north. What you must not do is drift south. Landguard Point and Common are a clearly signed no-drone zone, and immediately beyond lies the Port of Felixstowe itself - critical national infrastructure that you should never overfly or approach. Stay north of the pier and you are on ordinary East Suffolk council seafront, where there is no blanket ban but the usual 50m separation from people applies. There is no controlled airspace directly overhead - Wattisham is about 25km northwest - but the port's own security presence means common sense and a low profile go a long way here. A clear morning with ships stacked on the horizon and calm seas gives the best results, with the Edwardian prom curving beneath you.