Helicopter charter in South East England

Which airfields serve South East England?

Five sites carry most of the region's helicopter work, and each has a different personality.

• Farnborough in Hampshire is the UK's largest dedicated business aviation airport, with customs on site. It is prior permission required, and it publishes weekday hours of 07:00 to 22:00 and weekend hours of 08:00 to 20:00. It is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
• Gatwick is open around the clock with customs on site, but private aircraft need a runway slot requested up to 10 days ahead and at least 24 hours before, and helicopter operations are restricted. We use it when a slot is available.
• Redhill is Surrey's main helicopter base, six miles from Gatwick and our home base. Passengers are met by their charter crew. Customs is by arrangement.
• Oxford (Kidlington) opens 06:30 to 22:30 daily, with extensions by arrangement. It is a good access point for the Cotswolds, Silverstone and the Oxford science parks.
• Goodwood in West Sussex is a licensed aerodrome that is the helicopter gateway to the estate's racing and motorsport. Hours are seasonal, and event-day operations run from 07:30 to 19:00 in daylight only.

Blackbushe, on the Hampshire and Surrey border, and Lydd in Kent also appear in the library; Lydd is the closest UK airport to continental Europe, 24 nautical miles from France, with customs during its hours (08:30 to 19:00 daily) and notice needed. Rochester is a grass aerodrome with prior permission required for all aircraft.

How much time does a helicopter save in the South East?

The South East has the best road network in Britain and still the slowest journeys, because everything funnels through the M25 and the A3, M3 and M4. The table below is our route data, and the road figures are free-flowing, so they are a floor.

• Farnborough to Ascot takes about 10 to 15 minutes by helicopter and about 25 minutes by road.
• Farnborough to Goodwood takes about 15 to 20 minutes, against about 1 hour 3 minutes.
• Gatwick to Goodwood takes about 20 to 25 minutes, against about 59 minutes.
• Oxford to Silverstone takes about 15 to 20 minutes, against about 43 minutes.
• Gatwick to Southampton takes about 25 to 30 minutes, against about 1 hour 36 minutes.

Longer, Oxford to Birmingham is about 25 to 30 minutes by helicopter and 1 hour 21 minutes by road. See also the helicopter versus car comparison for the method.

What do people in the South East fly for?

Business is the foundation. The Thames Valley corridor, the M3 technology belt through Farnborough and Basingstoke, and Oxford's research parks all generate shuttle movements to meetings that are poorly served by rail. Business helicopter charter covers how we plan a day trip, and same-day business trips covers the return flight.

Events are the second pillar. Ascot is minutes from Farnborough, Glorious Goodwood and the Goodwood Festival of Speed run from the Goodwood aerodrome, and Silverstone is a short flight from Oxford. Event slots are strictly allocated, so book as soon as your dates are set. Check the organiser for dates.

Corporate hospitality at houses and hotels is also common, with Cliveden, The Grove and Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons on our event list, each subject to landing permission and site suitability. Ask us for current availability at any country house before you plan around it.

Which cities and towns does this region cover?

Our city guides for the South East are Gatwick, Farnborough, Oxford, Goodwood, Blackbushe and Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes is served by Cranfield, just over the Bedfordshire border, and by Silverstone on event days; Cranfield opens 06:30 to 19:00 daily with remote customs on 24 hours' notice.

For Sussex coastal towns, see the South Coast page, which covers Brighton. For anything inside the M25, see London and the Home Counties.

Moving people securely in the South East

Because the South East has several quiet, well-run aerodromes within easy reach of motorways, it suits discreet, planned movements. A helicopter lifts from a private or low-profile site and lands at a point close to the destination, with no public terminal. Our secure helicopter transport page is written for close-protection teams, and our article on the secure movement of people by helicopter explains planning, alternates and why timing matters.

For shooting parties, estates in Hampshire, Sussex and Kent can be reached from several of these sites; see shooting by helicopter for how carriage rules work. In short, helicopter charter south east is a question of choosing between slot-limited Gatwick and the easier alternatives around it.

More places, events and routes in the South East

Kent has its own page, as do Berkshire and Windsor and Hampshire. For motorsport, Brands Hatch is a short hop from Biggin Hill, and for racing, Newbury Racecourse and the Goodwood meetings are covered on their own pages, including the Goodwood Revival.

For longer trips out of the region see London to Southampton and London to Oxford.