Moving people securely by helicopter: a guide for protection teams

Key points

• A helicopter replaces a long road route with one short flight between two sites you have chosen, which reduces time in vehicles and the number of vulnerable points on the way.
• Risk moves to the two ends of the flight, the arrival and departure sites, which the team still has to secure.
• Plan with the PSO from the first call: sites, alternates, timings, who sits where, communications and a plan if the flight cannot go.
• Seat and weight limits decide how many of the team can travel, and a larger helicopter or second aircraft may be needed.
• Weather, airspace and landing permission can all change a plan at short notice, so build in an alternate and a ground fallback.
• Discretion matters: tell us only what we need, and we limit who in the chain sees the detail.
• We promise no outcome. We provide the aircraft, crew, planning and landing arrangements, and you provide the protection.

Why does a helicopter change a principal's exposure?

A helicopter changes exposure because it replaces a long, predictable road journey with a short flight from one controlled site to another. Instead of two or three hours on public roads, there is a few minutes at each end and the flight in between, in which nobody can approach the aircraft.

Three differences matter to a protection team.

• Fewer predictable points. A motorway route has known junctions, slow sections and service stations. A direct flight does not follow them.
• Fewer stops. Roads bring traffic, closures and breakdowns that force vehicles to slow or stop. A helicopter does not stop between departure and arrival.
• Less time. Our data shows what the saving can be. London to Birmingham takes about 40 to 50 minutes by helicopter and around 2 hours 26 minutes by road even free-flowing; London to Manchester takes about 60 to 75 minutes against 4 hours 9 minutes. Every hour removed from the road is an hour not spent in a moving, observable vehicle. See the full comparison in helicopter versus car journey times.

These are general features, not guarantees. A helicopter is also visible and audible on take-off and landing, and a site that is poorly chosen can be less safe than the road. That is why the planning below matters more than the aircraft.

What does a helicopter not solve?

A helicopter does not solve the security of the places where it lands, the intelligence about threats, the behaviour of the team or the privacy of the plan. It also does not guarantee that the flight happens.

• It does not secure the arrival and departure sites. The team must still check, control and, where appropriate, keep clear the landing area, the approach on foot or by vehicle and the people nearby.
• It cannot fly in weather the pilot judges unsafe. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing, but the movement still has to be solved another way.
• It does not remove noise and visibility. A landing attracts attention at sites that are quiet, so choose and brief accordingly.
• It cannot land anywhere. Airfields have hours and prior permission rules, and private land needs the landowner's permission.

Treat the helicopter as one tool in the movement plan, with a road fallback prepared in advance.

How should a PSO plan a helicopter movement?

The PSO should plan a helicopter movement as they would any movement: objective, routes, timings, sites, roles, communications and contingencies. The aviation parts add four inputs: where the aircraft can land, how many people it can lift, what time the light and weather allow and what the airspace allows.

1. Define the movement. From where, to where, when and who is travelling. Decide how fixed the times are and what the principal's tolerance for delay is.
2. Choose and recce the sites. Walk or visit the departure and arrival sites in person where possible, and note access, approaches, perimeters, nearby buildings, public areas and wires or obstacles.
3. Choose alternates. Pick at least one alternative landing site for each end, with its own access. Our directory of UK heliports and airfields lists published hours, customs and prior permission details.
4. Confirm permissions. We obtain landowner permission and any aerodrome prior permission. Private sites are subject to landing permission and site suitability.
5. Agree seats and weights. The pilot needs the actual weight of each person and bag.
6. Brief the team. Share a short flight brief, the contact chain and the fallback.

Our secure helicopter transport service page explains how we support this, and the same-day business trips page covers day-return movements.

For a step-by-step version of this planning, see our close protection helicopter planning checklist, which sets out the sites, alternates, seats and communications an advance team should settle before the day.

How do you choose landing sites for a protection movement?

Choose landing sites that you can control, reach quickly by vehicle and observe from a distance. The best site is not always the nearest one to the destination: an airfield with a perimeter and controlled gate can be better than a field next to a public road.

Each landing needs a clear area, approach and departure paths without obstacles and a way for vehicles to meet the aircraft close by. The CAA advises pilots to obtain the landowner's permission before landing at a private site, and says that sites within a congested area or close to large open-air gatherings can need CAA permission as well. Our landing sites guide explains the rules.

How many protection officers can travel with the principal?

The number depends on the helicopter, the weights and the fuel needed for the route. As a guide, our Leonardo AW139 and Airbus H145 D3 each carry up to 8 passengers in charter layout, the Agusta 109 Grand up to 6 and the AS355 Twin Squirrel up to 5 (ask us about the Sikorsky S-76), so a principal with a two-person team is comfortable in any of them, while a larger party may need the AW139, the H145 D3 or two aircraft.

Weight limits can bite before seats do. Body armour, radios, medical kits, bags and long-range fuel all add weight. Give us real weights and tell us what the team carries. If the team must be split, agree in advance who goes in the first aircraft and who follows by road. Equipment that is regulated, such as firearms, is outside what this article covers and subject to the law and the aircraft company's carriage rules, which we confirm before booking.

What about communications, discretion and information control?

Communications and information control are as important in the air as on the ground, and the principle is need to know. Share the route and timings with as few people as possible, and agree how the team will talk to the pilot and to ground parties.

• One point of contact. Name one person on the team as the link with our planning line, which is open 24 hours.
• Limit the detail. We do not need to know why a person travels. We need names, weights and times, and the details are shared with the crew only as needed.
• Agree call-ins. Decide when the aircraft calls the arrival team, and what the signal is for a delay or a change of site.
• Protect the plan. Booking details, flight briefs and emails should be handled as part of the principal's wider information security.
• Be aware of public tracking. Aircraft movements can be visible to some public flight-tracking services. Ask us what applies to a particular flight.

We do not discuss clients or flights with third parties.

What are the limits of weather, airspace and permission?

The main limits are weather, airspace and landing permission, and any of them can change a plan with little notice. Build the plan with a primary and a fallback from the start.

Helicopters usually fly by visual reference, so low cloud, poor visibility, strong wind and icing can stop a flight. The pilot decides on the day. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing, and we discuss earlier or later departures and alternate sites. Controlled airspace near major airports, restricted areas and temporary restrictions for events may alter the route or timing, and our planners deal with those. Daylight also matters for many sites, so late arrivals in winter need extra thought. For ground fallbacks, Executive Global Travel arranges chauffeured cars at either end.

Do protection officers need a licence, and does the helicopter change that?

In the UK, guarding a person against assault or injury from others' unlawful acts is a licensable activity, and the Security Industry Authority (SIA) licenses close protection operatives under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. People employed directly by the company or individual who uses their services usually do not need an SIA licence. The government's regulated professions page for close protection operatives sets this out.

A helicopter charter does not change any of that. We provide transport. Your own licensing, insurance and duty-of-care arrangements stay with you and your employer, and we do not give legal advice.

How does a typical secure movement work with Charter-A Helicopter?

Moving people securely by helicopter works best when the planning starts early. A typical movement starts with a short call, then a written plan. You tell us the principal's party size, weights, dates and the sites you want to use or consider. We check helicopters, runway or helipad options, prior permission requirements and alternates, and send a quote and flight brief. On the day the aircraft positions to the departure site, the crew meets your lead, and the team boards about 10 minutes before departure.

Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. All helicopters are flown under a UK CAA or EASA approved AOC, are fully insured and have type-rated pilots. Read the secure helicopter transport page for the service summary, our business helicopter page for corporate use, or start with how charter works. For central London movements, Battersea Helicopter's London Heliport page has the site details.