The short answer
For helicopter charter Isle of Wight flights we use Bembridge Airport on the east of the island, 18.8 nautical miles from Southampton. It has no fuel, an unattended weekday radio and online prior permission at all times. Bembridge to central London takes about 30 to 40 minutes by helicopter; there is no road comparison across the Solent.
Flying from Isle of Wight? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Site
- Bembridge Airport, Sandown Road, Bembridge (EGHJ / BBP)
- Radio service (as published, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- 09:30 to 16:30 BST / 10:00 to 15:30 GMT on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only, subject to staff
- Prior permission
- Online automatic prior permission required at all times
- Fuel
- None available
- Status
- Unlicensed; not in the UK AIP
- Runways
- 12/30, 827 m concrete; parallel grass runway; no jets
Where Isle of Wight flights start and end
The map shows Bembridge Airport, with range rings and the nearest cities. Pins with a page of their own are links.
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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Sites that serve Isle of Wight
Hours, permission and customs are the airport's or site's published information, checked 29 Sept 2026. We arrange permission and confirm times with your booking.
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
Official websiteOpen in Google Maps
Helicopter charter Isle of Wight: how it works
The Isle of Wight is separated from the mainland by the Solent. Anyone arriving by road must catch a ferry, and the approach roads on both shores add to the journey. A helicopter replaces that chain with one leg of between 15 and 40 minutes, depending on where you start.
Bembridge is the island site in our library. It is a small private-use airfield with an 827 metre concrete runway and a parallel grass strip, accepting helicopters and light twins and turboprops. It is unlicensed, so it does not appear in the UK AIP, and there is no fuel on site. A radio service runs only at weekends and on public holidays, so on weekdays arrivals are effectively unattended and the flight must be prepared accordingly.
Journey times from Bembridge Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, 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.
Prior permission at Bembridge
Every movement needs online automatic prior permission, at all times and for all aircraft. We handle the request with your flight details. For international arrivals a General Aviation Report is also required, which we file as part of the booking. Because the airfield has no fuel, we plan the helicopter's fuel round the mainland site at the other end.
If your destination is a private house, hotel or estate on the island instead of the airfield, landing there is subject to landing permission and site suitability. We arrange it with the landowner ahead of time; our guide to UK helicopter landing sites explained covers the basics.
Times from the island to the mainland
There is no road time to quote, because the Solent has no bridge or tunnel. These are typical helicopter block times from Bembridge:
- To Goodwood: about 15 to 20 minutes.
- To Southampton Airport: about 15 to 20 minutes.
- To Gatwick: about 25 to 30 minutes.
- To Ascot: about 25 to 30 minutes.
- To Heathrow: about 30 to 35 minutes.
- To central London: about 30 to 40 minutes.
Sailing, shipping and engineering firms often want a quick visit to the island and a return the same day; see same-day business trips. Our Southampton page covers the mainland end.
Who flies to the island
The Isle of Wight has a long marine and engineering tradition, centred on Cowes, and a busy calendar of sailing events through the summer. Corporate hosts bring clients over for hospitality; senior staff come for short site visits; families with an urgent reason to travel use it when the ferry timetable does not fit. Dates for events such as Cowes Week should be checked with the organisers.
The mainland neighbours are the Goodwood page, with its aerodrome and motor-racing circuit, and Brighton along the coast. For the whole region read helicopter charter on the South Coast.
Booking an island flight
Send us your date, passengers, weights and exact pick-up and drop-off. We check the weather outlook, the over-water routing and the aircraft, and quote one clear flight. Arrive 10 minutes before departure with soft bags where the hold is small. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. For jets to Southampton or Bournemouth instead, see Charter Private Jet; use the southern England directory to compare other sites.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Bembridge Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Can a helicopter land at Bembridge Airport?
Yes, with online automatic prior permission, which is required at all times. We arrange it. There is no fuel on the airfield.
Is Bembridge Airport staffed on weekdays?
The published radio service runs only at weekends and public holidays, subject to staff availability, so weekday arrivals are effectively unattended.
How long is a helicopter from the Isle of Wight to London?
About 30 to 40 minutes. There is no road time to compare because the island has no road link to the mainland.
Can a jet land on the Isle of Wight?
Not at Bembridge: the 827 metre runway takes helicopters, light twins and turboprops only. Jet passengers use Southampton, then a helicopter.
Do I need to bring fuel?
No, but the airfield has none, so we plan fuel at the mainland end and tell you if that affects the schedule.
Can you land at a house or hotel on the island?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We confirm it before you fly.
