The short answer
For helicopter charter Northampton we use Sywell Aerodrome, which accepts visiting aircraft on Saturdays and Sundays only, or Silverstone Heliport on event days. From Sywell, Silverstone is about 15 minutes by helicopter, Oxford and Birmingham 20 to 25, and London 30 to 35 minutes. Weekday trips can use a private site with permission.
Flying from Northampton? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Sywell Aerodrome, Hall Farm, Sywell, Northampton
- Sywell hours (as published, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Closed to visiting aircraft Monday to Friday; Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 18:00 or sunset, whichever is earlier
- Licence
- Not a licensed aerodrome, so some public-transport flights cannot use it
- Prior permission
- Strictly required, by online form
- Second site
- Silverstone Heliport, event days only, pre-booked slots, grass helipad, daylight only
- Customs
- By arrangement; a general aviation report is needed from outside the UK mainland
- Flagship journey
- Sywell to Silverstone about 15 minutes by helicopter against 42 minutes by road
Where Northampton flights start and end
The map shows Sywell Aerodrome and the other sites that serve Northampton, 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. Sywell Aerodrome is at Sywell Aerodrome, Hall Farm, Sywell, Northampton. Open it in Google Maps.
Sywell Aerodrome (Northampton)
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Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Northampton
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.
Sywell Aerodrome (Northampton) EGBK
- Address
- Sywell Aerodrome, Hall Farm, Sywell, Northampton
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Mon–Fri CLOSED to all visiting aircraft (no radio, fire cover). Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00 or sunset, whichever is earlier (local)
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice (GAR required from outside mainland UK)
- Runway
- 03L/21R – 1,258 m × 30 m concrete (LDA 1,000 m); three grass runways
Silverstone Heliport
- Address
- Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Towcester, Northamptonshire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Event days only – the on-site heliport operates for all Silverstone events including the Formula 1 British Grand Prix; no daily hours published
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
All landings by pre-booked slot – Grand Prix slots sell out early, so book with us as soon as your plans are set. On GP weekend the heliport handles 6,000+ passengers on 1,500+ flights. Grass helipad, daylight operations.
Map position is approximate.
Helicopter charter Milton KeynesOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Can you charter a helicopter from Sywell on a weekday?
Not as a visitor. Sywell Aerodrome, near Northampton, publishes that it is closed to visiting aircraft from Monday to Friday, with no radio, fire cover or fuel for them. At weekends it opens from 09:00 to 18:00 or sunset, whichever is earlier. All visits need prior permission applied for by online form, never by radio. A helicopter company is based on the field, but that does not change the rules for visitors.
That means helicopter charter Northampton on a weekday is usually arranged another way: from a private site, a business park or a hotel, with the landowner's agreement and subject to landing permission and site suitability. The aircraft flies from its own base and meets you there. Tell us your address early so we can ask.
Journey times from Sywell Aerodrome
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silverstone | 16 nm (18 mi) | 15 to 15 min | 42 min (25 mi) | 27 min |
| Oxford | 34 nm (39 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 09 min (50 mi) | 46 min |
| Birmingham | 36 nm (42 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 08 min (50 mi) | 45 min |
| Cambridge | 36 nm (42 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 08 min (55 mi) | 45 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 44 nm (51 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 16 min (63 mi) | 48 min |
| London Heathrow | 52 nm (59 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 32 min (77 mi) | 59 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 53 nm (60 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 51 min (88 mi) | 1 h 18 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 54 nm (62 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 45 min (85 mi) | 1 h 12 min |
| London | 55 nm (63 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 52 min (78 mi) | 1 h 19 min |
| Epsom Downs | 63 nm (72 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 58 min (98 mi) | 1 h 23 min |
| London Gatwick | 73 nm (84 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 13 min (116 mi) | 1 h 33 min |
| Norwich | 79 nm (91 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 23 min (116 mi) | 1 h 38 min |
| Manchester | 83 nm (95 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 46 min (127 mi) | 2 h 01 min |
| Southampton | 84 nm (97 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 22 min (117 mi) | 1 h 37 min |
| Goodwood | 87 nm (100 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 39 min (130 mi) | 1 h 54 min |
| Bristol | 90 nm (104 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 52 min (131 mi) | 2 h 02 min |
| Liverpool | 97 nm (111 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 52 min (145 mi) | 2 h 02 min |
| Leeds | 99 nm (114 mi) | 45 to 60 min | 2 h 54 min (144 mi) | 2 h 01 min |
| York Racecourse | 99 nm (114 mi) | 45 to 60 min | 2 h 47 min (146 mi) | 1 h 54 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 105 nm (121 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 2 h 54 min (153 mi) | 1 h 59 min |
| Cardiff | 109 nm (126 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 3 h 27 min (176 mi) | 2 h 29 min |
| Newcastle | 167 nm (192 mi) | 75 to 90 min | 4 h 36 min (231 mi) | 3 h 13 min |
| Edinburgh | 237 nm (273 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h 05 min | 6 h 34 min (346 mi) | 4 h 41 min |
| Glasgow | 250 nm (287 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 15 min | 6 h 26 min (350 mi) | 4 h 26 min |
Times from Silverstone Heliport
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford | 18 nm (21 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 43 min (28 mi) | 25 min |
| Birmingham | 35 nm (40 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 17 min (58 mi) | 54 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 40 nm (46 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 32 min (67 mi) | 1 h 04 min |
| London Heathrow | 42 nm (48 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 24 min (70 mi) | 56 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 42 nm (48 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 26 min (69 mi) | 58 min |
| Cambridge | 45 nm (51 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 33 min (73 mi) | 1 h 05 min |
| London | 48 nm (55 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 48 min (82 mi) | 1 h 18 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 53 nm (61 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 41 min (81 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Epsom Downs | 54 nm (62 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 49 min (91 mi) | 1 h 16 min |
| London Gatwick | 64 nm (73 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 2 h 05 min (108 mi) | 1 h 27 min |
| Southampton | 69 nm (79 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 1 h 56 min (95 mi) | 1 h 16 min |
| Goodwood | 74 nm (85 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 30 min (123 mi) | 1 h 50 min |
| Bristol | 76 nm (87 mi) | 40 to 45 min | 2 h 26 min (110 mi) | 1 h 43 min |
| Manchester | 89 nm (103 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 55 min (134 mi) | 2 h 05 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.
What is Silverstone Heliport?
Silverstone Heliport is at the Silverstone Circuit near Towcester, about 16 nautical miles from Sywell. It operates for events, including the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, when it becomes the busiest event heliport in Europe, handling more than 6,000 passengers on more than 1,500 flights over the weekend. Every landing is by pre-booked slot on a grass helipad, in daylight, and Grand Prix slots sell out early.
If your interest is race days, read helicopter charter to Silverstone, race circuit by helicopter and the nearby city page for Milton Keynes. Book as soon as your plans are set.
How much time does a helicopter save from Northampton?
Distances are short, so the saving per trip is moderate but real. Silverstone is about 15 minutes by helicopter and 42 minutes by road. Oxford and Birmingham are each about 20 to 25 minutes, against 1 hour 9 minutes and 1 hour 8 minutes by car. Cambridge is about 20 to 25 minutes against 1 hour 8 minutes.
London is the clear winner: roughly 30 to 35 minutes by helicopter and 1 hour 52 minutes in free-flowing traffic. Heathrow is also 30 to 35 minutes against 1 hour 32 minutes. Manchester is 40 to 50 minutes against 2 hours 46 minutes. For the capital, read the London helicopter charter page; for the central landing option see the London Heliport in Battersea.
Who charters helicopters in and around Northampton?
Northamptonshire is the home of British footwear, and several long-established shoemakers still make in the town. The county is also the centre of the UK motorsport industry, with teams and suppliers around Silverstone and Towcester. Business, motorsport and logistics firms use the M1, the A14 and the A43, and all three can be slow. See our business helicopter charter and same-day business trip pages.
Northampton Saints play at Franklin's Gardens, and a day at a Premiership match is a typical client-entertainment trip. Country houses and shooting estates across the county also generate charters; see shooting by helicopter. For nearby bases, see Leicester and Cambridge.
Booking a Northampton helicopter in practice
We ask for the date, the place, and the weight of each passenger. We check whether Sywell is open on that day, whether another site is better, and whether the landing permission is in place. Arrive 10 minutes before departure. Soft bags are best where the hold is small.
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. For prices, read the price guides and the whole region at Midlands.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Sywell Aerodrome, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Northampton have an airport?
Not a commercial one. Sywell Aerodrome serves the area but is a small unlicensed field with weekends-only access for visiting aircraft.
Is Sywell open on weekdays?
Not to visiting aircraft. It publishes closure Monday to Friday, with weekend opening 09:00 to 18:00 or sunset. Checked on 29 September 2026.
Can I get a helicopter to the British Grand Prix from Northampton?
Yes, through Silverstone Heliport, using a pre-booked slot. Slots sell out early, so contact us as soon as plans are set.
Can a jet use Sywell?
Not as a general rule. It is not available to aircraft that need a licensed aerodrome. For jets we would use another field such as Luton or Cranfield.
Can the helicopter land at my office in Northampton?
Possibly, with landing permission and a suitable site. We ask the landowner and confirm before you book.
