The helicopter fleet we charter, side by side

Which helicopters can we put you in?

The type follows the job. One director going between two offices does not need the same aircraft as eight people travelling to an away-day, and a group heading to Paris wants something different from a team with equipment cases. This is our helicopter fleet, from the largest down, with the details that decide most bookings.

Each aircraft has its own page covering who it suits, what fits in the cabin and the kind of landing sites it uses.

How do we choose the right helicopter for your trip?

We work down five questions until one type clearly fits. You do not need the answers in advance; the quote form asks for them in plain terms and we fill in the gaps.

1. Passengers and weights. Seats are only half the answer. Passengers plus bags must sit under what the aircraft can lift on the day, and that falls as the fuel for a longer leg goes up. We ask for weights for this reason.
2. Bags and equipment. A team carrying presentation kit or cases needs a different cabin from two people with overnight bags. Tell us the number and size of bags.
3. Route and distance. A short hop can be flown in almost anything. A long leg with reserves, or a flight to Paris, narrows the field. Our UK helicopter routes and journey times show typical times for the main city pairs.
4. Landing site. Some heliports, hotel lawns and racecourse helipads suit one size of aircraft and not another. See our guide to UK heliports and airfields.
5. Position, time of day and weather. A good aircraft nearby usually beats a perfect one an hour away, because the positioning flight is part of the job. Flights after sunset need an aircraft, crew and site set up for them.

Our guide, how to choose a helicopter for your trip, goes through worked examples.

Why is every aircraft twin-engine?

A twin can keep flying on one engine if the other fails, and that is why it is the usual choice for business passengers flying over towns, cities and open water, where a single-engine helicopter is often not permitted to carry passengers at all. Having two engines also means the performance and the cabin room that a team and its bags need. For us we do not offer single-engine charter. It is a simple policy: every aircraft in the fleet is a twin, so you never have to ask the question.

Twin-engine does not mean you can fly in any weather. Cloud base, visibility and wind decide whether a flight goes ahead. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.

What do you get on every flight?

Whatever the aircraft, the same rules apply. Every flight is operated on a UK CAA Air Operator's Certificate, the aircraft is fully insured and the pilots are type-rated. The phone line is open 24 hours, so someone answers if plans move on the day. Charter-A Ltd is a member of the Air Charter Association and has been trading since 2011.

Luggage goes in soft bags, because the hold on most types is small and bags that bend fit where hard cases do not. Please arrive 10 minutes before departure, with passport or photo ID if the flight is international. Landing at a hotel, house, venue or private estate is always subject to landing permission and site suitability; we ask the landowner and agree the details before you travel.

Which routes and services use which helicopter?

A few patterns come up again and again. City-to-city business trips such as London to Birmingham or Leeds to Newcastle suit the quick, refined Agusta 109 Grand. Larger delegations on a business helicopter charter favour the AW139 or the H145 D3, and overseas guests flying in for a day of meetings usually do best in the H145 D3 for its room.

Trips to the Continent, such as our helicopter charter to Paris, are a natural fit for the 109 Grand. Race days and stadium events, covered under corporate days out by helicopter, suit any of the five depending on party size, and estate sites for a day shooting often suit the Twin Squirrel, with its room for bags. People moving under the care of a protection team use the types described on our secure helicopter transport page.

For central London departures from the London Heliport in Battersea, see our sister site Battersea Helicopter.

Who meets you at either end?

The helicopter is one leg of a door-to-door journey. We can arrange a chauffeur-driven car to meet you at the landing site and take you on to your meeting, hotel or home, and to bring you back, through our sister company Executive Global Travel. It also covers the days a helicopter cannot fly, when low cloud means a car is the only way to keep an appointment. Tell us at the quote stage and we plan the timings together so nobody waits.

How do you ask for a particular helicopter?

You can ask for a type by name and we will tell you whether it is available for your date and whether it suits the route and sites. We cannot promise a specific aircraft, because availability changes by the day; we can promise to tell you what is on offer and why. For a figure, use the quote form and you will have a fully inclusive quote for your own trip. If you simply want to understand what drives cost, the helicopter hire price guides explain it without publishing a rate card.