Meet Junior Aerial: Taking Creativity, Technology and Community Spirit to New Heights!

At Circular Social, we love a business with a great story behind it. And when that story involves drones, a former police officer, some seriously impressive technology and a four-legged CEO, you can bet we're interested!

Meet Junior Aerial, an independent drone and media business based in Exeter, helping businesses, organisations and even missing pets across Devon.

Founded by James Ellyatt and named after his beloved dog (and very important CEO!) Junior, this is a business proving that technology can be used for so much more than just capturing a pretty picture.

From breathtaking aerial photography and cinematic video content to technical surveys and heartwarming animal rescues, Junior Aerial is quite literally taking things to new heights!

From a Hobby to a High-Flying Business

Like many of our favourite independent business stories, Junior Aerial began with a simple idea and a little curiosity.

James originally purchased a drone as a new hobby. One day, while passing a construction site in the Devon countryside, he asked the builders whether he could capture some aerial footage of their project.

They agreed, and the results were so impressive that they invited him back to photograph the completed development.

And just like that, the seeds of Junior Aerial were planted!

James realised that drone technology could offer something really valuable to local businesses, helping them showcase their work, tell their stories and see their projects from a completely different perspective.

What began as a creative hobby has since developed into a business combining professional media production, specialist aerial surveying and search and rescue services.

Not bad for something that started with a drone and a bit of curiosity!

Helping Devon Businesses Stand Out

We all know how important first impressions are, particularly when so many of us discover new businesses through websites and social media.

Junior Aerial helps independent businesses and organisations put their best foot forward with high-quality, cinematic content that captures attention.

Combining sweeping aerial footage with professional ground-level filming, James creates videos, promotional content and social media reels that help businesses tell their stories in a memorable way.

Whether it's showcasing a beautiful venue, capturing the scale of a construction project or giving a local business a fresh visual identity online, Junior Aerial brings a creative eye and technical expertise to every project.

And as a community that champions independent businesses, we absolutely love seeing services that help smaller organisations compete and shine!

A Different Perspective on Aerial Surveying

But Junior Aerial isn't just about creating beautiful footage.

The business also offers specialist aerial surveying services for the construction, architectural and estate management industries.

Using advanced drone technology, Junior Aerial can capture detailed information about buildings, land and other assets, helping organisations make more informed decisions while potentially saving time and money.

Its services include thermal surveys, which can help identify issues such as heat loss, damp and insulation problems that might otherwise be difficult to spot.

It's a fantastic example of how modern technology can make traditionally complicated processes more efficient and accessible.

And who knew a drone could tell you so much about a building?

Helping Bring Lost Pets Home

Now, this is the part of Junior Aerial's story that really captured our hearts.

Alongside its commercial services, Junior Aerial also provides a specialist Pet Search & Rescue service, using thermal drone technology to help locate missing animals.

For anyone who's ever experienced the panic of a beloved pet going missing, you'll know just how frightening and upsetting it can be.

James brings a particularly valuable set of skills to this work. Before founding Junior Aerial, he spent five years as a police officer investigating serious crime, gaining experience in searching for missing and vulnerable people.

Combined with more than a decade of experience flying aircraft and drones, those skills are now being put to use helping reunite animals with their families.

Using specialist thermal cameras, Junior Aerial can identify heat signatures that may indicate an animal's location, even in challenging conditions.

It's a wonderful reminder that technology isn't just about convenience or commercial opportunities. In the right hands, it can make a genuinely meaningful difference to people's lives.

And we think that's pretty special.

A Business with Heart (and a Very Important CEO!)

Of course, we couldn't introduce Junior Aerial without giving a proper mention to Junior the Dog!

Not only is Junior the inspiration behind the business's name, but he also holds the prestigious title of CEO.

We're not entirely sure how many board meetings he attends or whether his salary is paid in treats, but we're confident he's doing a fantastic job!

Beyond the lovely story behind the name, Junior Aerial represents something we really value at Circular Social: an independent business built around passion, personal expertise and a desire to make a positive contribution to the local community.

Whether James is helping another small business showcase its work, providing valuable data for a construction project or searching for a much-loved missing pet, there's a clear sense of purpose behind what he does.

And that's exactly the kind of business we love to champion.

Discover Junior Aerial

If you're a Devon business looking to elevate your marketing content, an organisation in need of professional aerial surveying or a pet owner interested in learning more about specialist search and rescue services, Junior Aerial is well worth exploring.

With a combination of creativity, innovation and genuine compassion, James and Junior are showing just how much can be achieved when you look at the world from a different perspective.

We're delighted to welcome Junior Aerial to the Circular Social community and can't wait to see where this high-flying business goes next!

Want to find out more?

Visit Junior Aerial's website to explore its services, see previous projects and get in touch with James.

You can also discover Junior Aerial in our Circular Social member directory, alongside lots of other brilliant independent businesses making their mark across Devon.