A bird's eye view of Shropshire on River Severn tour

When the sun shines, Shropshire looks simply stunning . . . as these amazing aerial pictures show.

Photographer Russell Davies took to the skies in a helicopter to capture this fascinating overhead view of Coalport China Museum one of the 10 Ironbridge Gorge Museums

Photographer Russell Davies revealed a different perspective to the county when he joined a half-hour flight to celebrate the launch of a new business offering helicopter flights for corporate and leisure customers.

The 'Scenic Severn Tour', which began at Sleap Airfield near Wem, headed to Shrewsbury to pick up the river on its meandering route through Leighton and Buildwas towards Ironbridge, Jackfield, Coalport, and finally down to Bridgnorth.

Russell said: "It was a beautiful day, with blue skies and not much cloud – perfect for taking aerial pictures.

"All in all, I managed to get nearly 50 pictures, including views across Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth town centres, plus places like Wroxeter Roman City, and some of the county's great stately homes which sit close to the river, including Attingham Park and Apley Hall.

"As well as the famous sights in the Ironbridge Gorge like the bridge and the power station's cooling towers, we also got some fascinating views of the Coalport China Museum."

The River Severn meanders through this picture of the Severn Valley

Helitrip, based in Shrewsbury, is the brainchild of founders Steve Patterson and Phil Jones, who both hold a private pilot's licence and regularly fly in their spare time. They created the company to combine their business interests with their passion for aviation.

Steve said: "The launch comes after many months of planning and preparation. Our vision is to be the UK's leading helicopter charter company and the first choice for corporate travel.

We have ambitious plans to grow both within the Midlands and across the UK.

"Helicopters provide a flexible, quick and economical way to travel around the UK. Whether you have meetings in multiple locations, need a swift airport transfer or simply want to escape to a country house hotel for the weekend."

The Scenic Severn Tour costs £375 plus VAT. There are many other packages available. For further information about Helitrip's charter services, visit www.helitrip.co.uk

We will be publishing more of Russell's aerial pictures over the coming days.