The short answer
Helicopter charter to Badminton Horse Trials plans a landing at Cotswold Airport near Kemble, the nearest site in our library, or at a private site with the estate's permission, followed by a car. The trials are held on the Badminton Estate in Gloucestershire in the spring. Dates are announced each year: ask us for the current date.
Quote this event Tell us the date and the number of guests; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Event
- Badminton Horse Trials, Badminton Estate, Gloucestershire
- Usual timing
- Spring, normally early May
- Dates
- Dates are announced each year: ask us for the current date
- Nearest site in our library
- Cotswold Airport (Kemble), Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 17:00, closed to the public on Mondays, strictly prior permission
- Kemble to Oxford
- About 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter; at least 1 hour 6 minutes by road
- Kemble to Bristol
- About 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter; at least 1 hour 14 minutes by road
- Landing at the estate
- Subject to landing permission and site suitability; never promised in advance
The nearest landing site
Cotswold Airport is the site we plan around for this event. Permission and times are confirmed with your booking.
The map draws a satellite picture, so it needs JavaScript and an internet connection. Cotswold Airport is at Cotswold Airport, The Control Tower, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Open it in Google Maps.
Cotswold Airport (Kemble)
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Cotswold Airport (Kemble) EGBP / GBA
- Address
- Cotswold Airport, The Control Tower, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–17:00; closed to the public on Mondays (movements by arrangement); out-of-hours arrivals and…
Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–17:00; closed to the public on Mondays (movements by arrangement); out-of-hours arrivals and departures and night flying by arrangement. Strictly PPR by telephone at all times- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice (minimum notice periods apply; immigration and customs managed by the airport team)
- Runway
- 08/26 – 1,972 m × 43 m asphalt (TORA 1,799 m)
Helicopter charter CotswoldsOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Where does the helicopter land for Badminton?
Helicopter charter to Badminton Horse Trials is planned case by case. The event takes place across a private estate, and the organisers manage access and parking. What we can say with certainty is that Cotswold Airport at Kemble, a 1,972 metre private airfield, is the nearest site in our library, and that it works by strict telephone prior permission, Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00. From Kemble a car completes the journey.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. If the estate agrees, a landing closer to the event may be possible, subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we ask the organisers before we promise anything. Bristol Airport, 30 nautical miles from Kemble, is the jet-capable alternative. See helicopter charter Cotswolds and Bristol.
Journey times to Cotswold Airport
Typical helicopter times against the car from the nearest cities, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 15 nm (17 mi) | 15 to 15 min | 42 min (23 mi) | 27 min |
| Oxford | 29 nm (34 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 06 min (42 mi) | 43 min |
| Bristol | 30 nm (35 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 14 min (43 mi) | 51 min |
| Silverstone | 46 nm (53 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 36 min (67 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Birmingham | 49 nm (56 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 44 min (71 mi) | 1 h 14 min |
| Southampton | 51 nm (58 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 42 min (81 mi) | 1 h 12 min |
| Cardiff | 51 nm (58 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 52 min (81 mi) | 1 h 19 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 54 nm (62 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 30 min (74 mi) | 57 min |
| London Heathrow | 61 nm (70 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 42 min (87 mi) | 1 h 07 min |
| Goodwood | 69 nm (79 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 17 min (114 mi) | 1 h 37 min |
| Epsom Downs | 71 nm (81 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 03 min (100 mi) | 1 h 23 min |
| London | 71 nm (82 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 06 min (99 mi) | 1 h 26 min |
| London Gatwick | 77 nm (88 mi) | 40 to 45 min | 2 h 18 min (118 mi) | 1 h 35 min |
| Cambridge | 89 nm (102 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 54 min (137 mi) | 2 h 04 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 97 nm (112 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 3 h 01 min (145 mi) | 2 h 11 min |
| Manchester | 102 nm (117 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 09 min (141 mi) | 2 h 14 min |
| Liverpool | 104 nm (120 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 15 min (159 mi) | 2 h 20 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 113 nm (130 mi) | 55 to 65 min | 3 h 16 min (167 mi) | 2 h 16 min |
| Leeds | 133 nm (153 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h (190 mi) | 2 h 52 min |
| Norwich | 137 nm (158 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h 09 min (198 mi) | 3 h 01 min |
| York Racecourse | 141 nm (162 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 3 h 53 min (192 mi) | 2 h 40 min |
| Newcastle | 203 nm (233 mi) | 90 to 110 min | 5 h 42 min (276 mi) | 4 h 02 min |
Helicopter figures are typical block times: distance at 135 knots plus 8 minutes, shown as a range. Road figures are free-flowing road times, a floor that real journeys rarely beat. Distances are in a straight line. Figures from our UK route data, checked 29 Sep 2026.
Times to the Cotswolds
From Kemble, Cheltenham is 15 minutes by helicopter against at least 42 minutes by road, Oxford 20 to 25 against 1 hour 6, Bristol 20 to 25 against 1 hour 14 and Silverstone 25 to 30 against 1 hour 36. Those figures are from our route data.
The event draws guests from across the south and west, and a day that starts in London, Oxford or Bristol is the usual shape. See Bristol to Oxford, London to Oxford and London to Cheltenham for related routes.
A day at the trials
Badminton is a major multi-day eventing competition with dressage, the cross-country course and show jumping. Entry, parking, hospitality and trade stands are run by the organisers. We arrange the aircraft, the airfield permission and the car. Tell us the party size, weights and the day you want, and we plan the arrival and the return.
Spring weather in the Cotswolds can be wet, and a muddy site makes the last mile slower. Plan a margin and sturdy footwear for guests. Similar spring and summer days are on the events hub, including Cheltenham and polo.
Planning notes
Arrive 10 minutes before departure and use soft bags. Kemble is closed on Mondays, may close in adverse weather, and charges extra outside its hours. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Executive Global Travel can arrange a car at Kemble. Read dining by helicopter for country-house lunches nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Can a helicopter land at Badminton?
Only with the estate's permission and subject to site suitability. We ask the organisers and never promise it. Kemble is the nearest site in our library.
When are the Badminton Horse Trials?
Dates are announced each year: ask us for the current date. They are held in the spring, normally early May.
How long is the flight from Oxford?
About 20 to 25 minutes to Kemble, then a car.
Is Kemble open every day?
No. It is closed to the public on Mondays, and strictly prior permission applies.
Do you sell tickets?
No. Tickets and hospitality come from the organisers. We arrange the travel.
What if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
