helicopter
Events
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FREE Ground School – PPL(H) Quiz Night Christmas Edition
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomOur last ground school of the year will be on Tuesday 17th December and it's our festive favourite... The ever popular PPL(H) Quiz Night - Christmas Special at our usual time of 18:00 - 20:00. As always, the quiz will be based on questions across the entire theoretical knowledge syllabus from ALPHA to ZULU with a few seasonal teasers along the way too!
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FREE Ground School – Principles of Flight
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomOn Tuesday 14th January it's one of Capt. White's favourites... Principles of Flight at the usual time 18:00-20:00
Principles of Flight (POF) is best described as the science bit of the PPL course. Specific topics to be confirmed but obviously we can't miss out our POF favourites; Vector force on rotors, Vortex ring including the 'Vuichard Technique' and Flat Back! We will also look at ground effect, autorotation and stability, and how all affect our in-flight decisions as a pilot.
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FREE Ground School – Meteorology
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomNext up it’s Meteorology on Tuesday 11th February from 18:00-20:00. Being able to anticipate the weather is akin to a super power for a pilot as will affect you, the aircraft and your operation.
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FREE Ground School – Operational Procedures
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomWe hope you enjoyed Principles of Flight last time, I know many of you were keen to continue on the subject so will try and juggle the schedule to make room for that. Next up is... Operational Procedures on Tuesday 18th March at the usual time 18:00 - 20:00.
For the most part, understanding Operational Procedures requires common sense and often good airmanship is the key. Essentially, the procedures are there for a reason and basically you have to prove you understand them. We will focus on, among others; Squawk codes, flight plans, GARs, radio intercom and headsets, ground resonance, emergency procedures but welcome any suggestions or questions you have across the topic.
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Student Trip to Gunton Arms Summer 2025
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomJoin us for our second year of flying to Gunton Arms in Norfolk. What to expect from this trip? A cosy country pub and hotel situated in 1000 acre deer reserve.
There are a couple of routes to take depending on the weather, via east coast over Ipswich and Great Yarmouth. Once landed and deer avoided it will be time for some amazing food cooked by the chef on an open fire in the restaurant. This makes for a great atmosphere and definitely not to be missed.
If you are currently learning to fly our student trips are great practise for navigation, straight and level flight and radio work as well of course as being jolly good fun! Already passed? These trips are a great excuse to use your PPL, hone your skills, hour build or just spend time with other pilots. Aircraft owners are also welcome to join us, the more the merrier!
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FREE Ground School – Flight Performance and Planning
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomNext up on Tuesday 15th April we will be exploring Flight Performance & Planning 18:00 - 20:00
The 7 Ps is a British Army adage for Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents P*** Poor Performance. As an instructor we teach a PIC (pilot in command) the importance of having a well prepared flight plan and a good understanding of your aircraft’s capabilities. This time we will be planning a trip to the Lake District which include all your FPP favourites; Choice of route, Airspace, fuel planning, weight and balance, PLOGS and the good old Whizz Wheel (CRP-1).
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Student Trip to Le Touquet April 2025
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomOn Saturday 8th October we head to Le Touquet for our very first overnight stay! What better way to use your piloting skills than flying yourself across the channel. Le Touquet is a popular destination with PPL holders and students as the trip provides some incredible opportunities to hone your piloting skills; planning, navigation, radio, crossing water and the list goes on.
If you’ve not been to Le Touquet before it’s located at the northern tip of France meaning it is easily accessible from the UK with some fabulous views along the way. The airport is only a short bike ride from the hotel and the town (taxis are available) where you’ll find a beautiful beach and plenty of restaurants and shops. Join us on our mini Tour de France this Autumn, full details to follow shortly...
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5 day UK Tour 2025
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomBack by popular demand... It's another opportunity to join our intrepid aviators as we revisit our EPIC UK Tour!
This 5 day trip circumnavigates the British Isles taking a coastal route. Departing from Elstree on day one we head south to Isle of Wight then west making Cornwall our first stop. Day two we head north to Wales including the Mach Loop and of course Snowdon. Day three sees us sightseeing the north west coast, following a historic railway through The Lake District and into Cumbria. Day four is our most ambitious of all as we venture to The Highlands! We scale Ben Nevis, search for Nessie in The Lochs and fly along the West coast of Scotland and back across the border. On the last day its seaside central as we follow the east coast all the way down to Felixstowe before heading west again and back up to Elstree.
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FREE Ground School – Navigation
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomOn Tuesday 6th May we will be focusing on Navigation at the usual time 18:00 - 20:00
When flying as PIC (pilot in command), you also need to become a navigator too. It’s critical you are able to apply the correct practices to navigational tasks and developing your navigation skills is the very essence of flying solo, hence the importance of this section of the PPL(H) syllabus.
The ability to Navigate is second only to physically flying the aircraft so to hone your NAV skills will be a huge benefit to your overall competence as a pilot; for student, self fly hirer, commercial pilot or aircraft owner.
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FREE Ground School – Aircraft General Knowledge
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomNext up is... Aircraft General Knowledge! On Tuesday 17th June from 18:00 - 20:00 we go LIVE as Capt White performs a check A. As our seasoned Ground Schoolers will know, Aircraft General Knowledge will cover the 'nuts and bolts' of the aircraft; Engine, Gearbox, Air frame, Rotor/Electrical Systems and Avionics etc. It is important to have a good understanding of the helicopter so you know what to look for during your daily inspection, warning signs of potential issues either before or during flight. Our session this week is designed to give you broader knowledge of your aircraft and how it works.
This is a real must see session so please try and join us in person if you can!
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FREE Ground School – PPL(H) Quiz Night & BBQ
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomOn Tuesday 15th July it's our SIZZLING SUMMER edition of our PPL (H) Quiz Night and BBQ at our usual time of 18:00 - 20:00. As always, the quiz will be based on questions across the entire theoretical knowledge syllabus from ALPHA to ZULU!
No team required! Simply meet at the flying school or in our Virtual Crew room via 'ZOOM'. Please RSVP and look out for invitation via email from Capt. White.
If you haven’t been before then why not give it a try! Whether you are currently training, a qualified pilot or perhaps you just share our love of helicopters, escape to our virtual crew room and enjoy a couple of hours of quizzing fun.
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FREE Ground School – Human Performance & Limitations
Elstree Helicopters Elstree Helicopters, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, United KingdomOn Tuesday 14th October we will be focusing on Human Performance and Limitations at the usual time 18:00 – 20:00
Join Capt.White as he guides us through HPL and answer any questions you may have. Human error is cited as a major cause in over 70% of accidents, and it is widely agreed that a better understanding of human capabilities and limitations - both physical and psychological - would help reduce human error and improve flight safety. Specific topics to be confirmed.
