Self Fly Hire

Own a helicopter for the day

So now you have passed your PPL(H) what next? Whether you are planning a flying career and need to hour build or simply fly for pleasure, unless you are in a position to purchase your own aircraft then self fly hire is for you. Cost is determined by rotors running time therefore the duration at your destination is not restricted. The only limitation is the weather and daylight!

Unlike hiring a car it’s not quite as simple as showing your license, signing a form and checking for dents. To self fly hire one of our helis you do indeed need to show your license of course but in addition you will be required to complete an initial dual check flight with our Head of Training. If you have recently qualified with us then the dual check won’t be necessary. As long as you fly for at least 1 hour every 28 days with us, you will only require a dual check flight every 6 months.

Once you’ve been signed off you can then hire away! Some pilots plan their trip at home where others choose to arrive ahead of schedule and plan in the flying school, making use of our resources with instructors on hand to assist/advice. Then it’s down to the aircraft for a pre-flight inspection and fuel if necessary before completing our hire agreement. Then book out with the tower and you are off.

What better way to treat friends and family or avoid a schlep up the motorway for a business meeting than hiring a helicopter for the day!

Where to fly

We have a list of locations you may wish to fly to; Isle of Wight, Duxford, hotels with helipads for lunch. Needless to say the sky really is the limit on places to fly and by the time you complete your PPL training you probably already have a few destinations in mind. The great thing about flying helicopters is their ability to land in diverse areas that don’t necessarily have a runway. Now of course there are risks that need to be taken in to account before just taking off into the unknown. Surrounding airspace, accessibility, obstacles and power requirements are just some of things you may wish to consider when selecting a landing site. If you are planning to fly somewhere that hasn’t been approved you may need a dual flight with an instructor to do a site recce in advance. Don’t forget to factor in your fuel stops. 

Often PPL holders join our student trips to build confidence to fly further than you may do solo; Padstow, Cromer and of course our favourite Le Touquet.

Club Elstree

All self fly hirers are invited to join CLUB ELSTREE, membership to which entitles you to our preferential SFH rates, prices starting from £299 the lowest in London and Hertfordshire. More details on this below.

Insurance

Whilst of course you are fully insured to fly our aircraft, including public liability insurance, you will be subject to the normal insurance excess according the insurance schedule, depending on which aircraft you hire.

For more info on self fly hiring or to book your dual flight then get in touch

Top Trips

PW at Le touquet paras airport

1

Le Touquet

2

Isle of Wight

3

Padstow via Rock

4

Heli Museum Weston-Super-Mare

5

London Heli Lanes

6

Imperial War Museum Duxford

7

Brocket Hall

In 2019 we put together our most ambitious trip to date… our UK Tour! 5 days, 4 helicopters, 3 flight instructors, 3 pilots and 2 students took part in this epic adventure circumnavigating the UK using the coastline (and the odd map) as our guide.

Due to the success of this tour we planned to retrace our rotors around the UK but also add another two more tours our calendar; Ireland and a Tour de France! Needless to say these were postponed due to Covid-19 but we very much hope to run our UK tour in the Autumn with Ireland and France in 2022.

“To see so much natural beauty, so many historic landmarks with such a great group of likeminded helicopter enthusiasts, was the bucket list experience of a lifetime!” – Capt. Smyth

“Home at Elstree safe and sound. Thank-you everyone for an amazing fantastic time!” – Capt. Storey

You can read all about our epic UK tour on our blog or to reserve your seat on our next adventure book NOW!

Club Elstree

Club Elstree is an annual membership which entitles you to our preferential self fly hire rates across the fleet. Your membership fee is paid annually which then entitles you to our very low ‘pay as you go’ SFH rates. Prices starting from an incredible £299* making us the most affordable self fly hire in London and Hertfordshire. All self fly hirers are invited to join Club Elstree so they can get the most from their PPL(H).

*Price dependant on aircraft type

Helicopter sunset

Our Fleet

Robinson R22, R44, R66
Guimbal Cabri G2 & Bell 206 Jet Ranger

Using your PPL(H)

Life after PPL – The sky is the limit!

Join our trips

Our student trips run throughout the year flying to locations in the UK and abroad. For dates and destinations please register below.

gone flying