The short answer
Helicopter charter to Cowes Week lands at Bembridge Airport on the east of the Isle of Wight, with a car across the island to Cowes. Bembridge has no fuel and a weekend-only radio service, so we plan the fuel and the permission. Southampton and Goodwood are 15 to 20 minutes away by helicopter. 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
- Cowes Week, Cowes, Isle of Wight
- Usual timing
- About a week in early August
- Dates
- Dates are announced each year: ask us for the current date
- Where we land
- Bembridge Airport (EGHJ), 827 m concrete runway, unlicensed, online prior permission at all times, no fuel available
- Radio service
- Weekends and public holidays only, subject to staff; weekday arrivals are effectively unattended
- Bembridge to Southampton
- About 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter; no road link
- Bembridge to Goodwood
- About 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter; no road link
The nearest landing site
Bembridge 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. Bembridge Airport is at Bembridge Airport, Sandown Road, Bembridge, Isle of Wight. Open it in Google Maps.
Bembridge Airport (Isle of Wight)
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Bembridge Airport (Isle of Wight) EGHJ / BBP
- Address
- Bembridge Airport, Sandown Road, Bembridge, Isle of Wight
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
09:30–16:30 BST / 10:00–15:30 GMT – ground/air radio service on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only, subject to…
09:30–16:30 BST / 10:00–15:30 GMT – ground/air radio service on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only, subject to staff availability; online automatic PPR required at all times- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Runway
- 12/30 – 827 m concrete; parallel grass runway
Helicopter charter Isle of WightOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Where do you land for Cowes?
Helicopter charter to Cowes Week uses Bembridge Airport, on the east side of the Isle of Wight, because it is the island site in our library. Cowes is on the north coast, so a car takes guests across the island. The airfield has an 827 metre concrete runway and a parallel grass runway, but it is unlicensed and not in the UK aeronautical information publication. Online prior permission is required for every visit, and there is no fuel at all, so the aircraft carries what it needs for the round trip or refuels on the mainland.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. Weekday arrivals are effectively unattended because the radio service runs only at weekends and on public holidays. We tell you what that means for your day before you book. See helicopter charter Isle of Wight.
Journey times to Bembridge Airport
Typical helicopter times against the car from the nearest cities, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwood | 17 nm (20 mi) | 15 to 20 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Southampton | 19 nm (22 mi) | 15 to 20 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| London Gatwick | 45 nm (52 mi) | 25 to 30 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Ascot Racecourse | 47 nm (54 mi) | 25 to 30 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Epsom Downs | 50 nm (57 mi) | 25 to 35 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| London Heathrow | 54 nm (62 mi) | 30 to 35 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| London | 59 nm (68 mi) | 30 to 40 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Oxford | 70 nm (81 mi) | 35 to 45 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Bristol | 74 nm (85 mi) | 35 to 45 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 83 nm (95 mi) | 40 to 50 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Silverstone | 84 nm (97 mi) | 40 to 50 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Cardiff | 95 nm (109 mi) | 45 to 55 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Cambridge | 104 nm (119 mi) | 50 to 60 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Birmingham | 109 nm (126 mi) | 50 to 65 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 110 nm (126 mi) | 50 to 65 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Norwich | 149 nm (172 mi) | 65 to 85 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Manchester | 166 nm (191 mi) | 75 to 90 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Liverpool | 172 nm (198 mi) | 75 to 95 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Aintree Racecourse | 181 nm (209 mi) | 80 to 100 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Leeds | 193 nm (222 mi) | 85 to 105 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| York Racecourse | 196 nm (226 mi) | 85 to 105 min | No road link | Not applicable |
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 from the mainland
The island has no road link, so there is no car figure to compare. Bembridge is 17.4 nautical miles from Goodwood and 18.8 from Southampton, about 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter in each case. Gatwick is 44.8 nautical miles, about 25 to 30 minutes, and Ascot 46.9, also 25 to 30. The scheduled alternatives are the ferry, the hovercraft and the scheduled flights, all of which are busy in regatta week.
Our Southampton page, Hampshire page and Goodwood page cover the mainland starting points. A flight from London via Southampton is the straightforward option.
Hospitality and the regatta
Cowes Week is a sailing regatta with many races and a social programme, and company hospitality is a large part of it. Boat charters, marquees and club places are arranged separately by their hosts; we arrange the flight. If your hosts have a private lawn or a yacht club with space for a helicopter, we can ask for landing permission, subject to site suitability, but we do not promise one and the sea frontage is congested during the week.
The Solent is a busy waterway for ships, and the Southampton approaches affect the helicopter route. Pilots plan around that. See dining by helicopter for lunches on the island and business helicopter charter for corporate groups.
Planning notes
Arrive 10 minutes before departure and keep bags soft. Sea fog and low cloud are the main limit on the Solent, and a strong wind can affect both the helicopter and the racing, so we watch the forecast on the day before and on the morning. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Book the car on the island at the same time. Executive Global Travel can arrange the transfer from Bembridge. The South Coast page gives the wider picture.
Frequently asked questions
Can a helicopter land in Cowes itself?
We do not hold a landing site in Cowes in our library. We land at Bembridge and a car completes the journey. A private lawn may be possible with permission.
Is there fuel on the island?
No fuel is available at Bembridge, so the aircraft carries enough or refuels on the mainland.
When is Cowes Week?
Dates are announced each year: ask us for the current date. It normally runs for about a week in early August.
How long is the flight from Southampton?
About 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter. There is no road link.
Can you fly on a weekday?
Yes, but the airfield has no radio service on weekdays, so we plan it carefully.
What if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
