Photos: City Hall’s William Penn statue undergoing restoration, as seen by drone

Last week, we first shared the news that scaffolding had gone up around the William Penn statue atop City Hall, kicking off the start of the sculpture’s restoration. That means from now until June 9, City Hall Tower Tours are not running.

But no worries, because local drone pilot and photographer Christopher Kao has taken some jaw-dropping photos of Billy Penn a week later, this time offering views of the iconic statue from above.

These drone images were taken during the wee hours of Thursday morning, remaining within 400 feet of the structure (that’s an official Federal Aviation Administration requirement). If anything, the shots reveal that Moorland Studios’ job of restoring the 37-foot-tall statue requires a lot more than just buffing and polishing—they definitely cannot be scared of heights.

• Philly by Drone [Official]
• With scaffolding up, William Penn statue restoration begins [Curbed Philly]
• City Hall’s William Penn statue cleaning to begin in May [Curbed Philly]