Elite Helicopters
Elite Helicopters is a CAA-licensed UK helicopter operator running two businesses from Goodwood Aerodrome: approved flight training (PPL, CPL, instructor ratings) and VIP charter, special events transport, and temporary heliport operations for venues including Goodwood and the British Grand Prix.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersChichester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Elite Helicopters does
Elite Helicopters, legally Solent Helicopters Ltd, is a UK-licensed helicopter operator headquartered at Goodwood Aerodrome in Chichester, West Sussex, with a secondary base at Fairoaks in Surrey. Founded in 1995 at White Waltham Airfield before relocating to Goodwood in 2001, the company holds Civil Aviation Authority Air Operator Certificate (AOC No. GB2055) and Approved Training Organisation status (ATO No. GBR.ATO.0198). It operates a dual-pillar business combining CAA-approved pilot training (trial lessons through to CPL(H), FI(H) and type ratings) with bespoke VIP helicopter charter for business, private and special-event travel. The fleet spans piston and turbine models including Guimbal Cabri G2, Robinson R22/R44/R66, Bell 505, Bell 206, AS350 and Agusta 109 helicopters, supporting training, charter, aerial filming and self-fly hire activities.
Revenue is generated across multiple streams: professional services income from structured training programmes; one-time charter and pleasure flight bookings; transaction-based fees from aerial filming and temporary heliport operations; and usage-based self-fly hire. The go-to-market is hybrid — enquiry-led direct sales for bespoke charter and training, a dedicated e-commerce shop at elitehelicopterflights.co.uk for gift experiences, and event-driven distribution through preferred-provider relationships with Goodwood Estate, Silverstone Circuit, the Jockey Club venues and other major UK sporting and social events. Ancillary revenue is also captured through ELCAS-funded armed forces conversion training and a temporary heliport operations service that provides complete mobile aviation infrastructure (mobile control tower, ATC, refuelling, fire-fighting and ground handling) for event organisers including the Farnborough International Air Show.
The customer base spans individual flight training students, corporate executives, premium event attendees, media production companies, wedding clients and military personnel transitioning to civilian licences. Operationally, the company maintains a 26-year continuous presence at the British Grand Prix and holds preferred helicopter provider status to the Goodwood Estate across its three flagship events. No parent company, external investors or institutional funding are disclosed in the available material; the entity is privately held by Solent Helicopters Ltd with operations concentrated in South East England and selected international heliport contracts.
Elite Helicopters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elite Helicopters
- Legal name
- Solent Helicopters Ltd
- Website
- https://elitehelicopters.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Elite Helicopters is a CAA-licensed UK helicopter operator running two businesses from Goodwood Aerodrome: approved flight training (PPL, CPL, instructor ratings) and VIP charter, special events transport, and temporary heliport operations for venues including Goodwood and the British Grand Prix.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elite Helicopters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Helicopter Charter and Training Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190), Flight Training (611512)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- VIP/Executive Helicopter Transport (THABAGAH), Helicopter Event & VIP Transport Services (TLAFACAG), Helicopter Sightseeing & Scenic Tours (TLAFACAD)
Keywords
Where Elite Helicopters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chichester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Elite Helicopters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Helicopter Flight Training: Revenue from providing helicopter pilot training including PPL(H), LAPL(H), CPL(H), Flight Instructor Rating FI(H), type ratings, night ratings, and advanced flying courses. Training is conducted from their CAA-approved ATO at Goodwood Aerodrome using their training fleet.
- Helicopter Charter Services: VIP helicopter charter for business and private travel, special events (British Grand Prix, Goodwood events, weddings), sightseeing tours, and pleasure flights. Operates both bespoke charter from customer-specified locations and scheduled park-and-fly shuttle services.
- Pleasure Flights and Experiences: Pre-bookable helicopter pleasure flights at major events and sightseeing experiences sold through their online shop, either as individual tickets or gift vouchers valid for 12 months from issue.
- Aerial Filming and Photography: Helicopter platform rental for film and photography productions with options for door removal, sliding windows, and camera mounting (nose or side mounts). Full charge only incurred if weather causes postponement.
- Temporary Heliport Operations: Provision of complete temporary heliport facilities for event organizers including staffing, equipment, and safety services. Event organizers receive commission for each passenger flown on pleasure flights.
- ELCAS Training Credits: Acceptance of Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCAS) for armed forces personnel undergoing transition, with up to £2000 per year claimable toward type rating, CPL training, and military-to-civilian conversion courses.
- Self-Fly Hire: Aircraft rental for licensed pilots to build hours and gain experience. Once approved, pilots can hire helicopters including Cabri G2 and R44 with structured guidance on progressive skill development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Lesson Vouchers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Bespoke Charter Flights |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Event Park & Fly Shuttle |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Self Fly Hire |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Elite Helicopters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elite Helicopters, trading as Solent Helicopters Ltd, is a CAA-licensed UK helicopter operator offering two principal lines of business: helicopter flight training (PPL(H), CPL(H), LAPL(H), FI(H), type ratings, night ratings, trial lessons and self-fly hire from a CAA-approved ATO at Goodwood Aerodrome) and VIP helicopter charter services (business and private travel, special-event transport, sightseeing, aerial filming, weddings and corporate team-building). The company also establishes and operates temporary licensed or unlicensed heliports for special events, providing mobile control tower, ATC/A/G radio, refuelling, fire-fighting and trained marshalling services.
Product overview
Elite Helicopters operates as a dual offering business combining helicopter flight training and VIP charter services. The training division provides CAA-approved programmes through the company's ATO status (GBR.ATO.0198), encompassing trial lessons, private pilot licence (PPL(H)), commercial pilot licence (CPL(H)), light aircraft pilot licence (LAPL(H)), flight instructor rating (FI(H)), advanced ratings and type training across a diverse fleet including Guimbal Cabri G2, Robinson R22/R44/R66, Bell 505, Bell 206, AS350 Squirrel and Agusta 109 helicopters. The charter division offers bespoke VIP helicopter services for business and private travel, special events (including preferred provider status for Goodwood Estate and 26 years of British Grand Prix operations), sightseeing tours, aerial filming, corporate team building and wedding transport. The company also provides temporary heliport operations for major events. Experiences and lessons are available for purchase through the company's online shop at elitehelicopterflights.co.uk.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Elite Helicopter Flights: Separate shop website for booking flight experiences and lessons
Products and services
- Helicopter Flight Training CAA-approved (ATO No. GBR.ATO.0198) helicopter pilot training covering trial lessons, PPL(H), LAPL(H), CPL(H), flight instructor rating FI(H), advanced flying and ratings, and self-fly hire, delivered from Goodwood Aerodrome using a fleet of training helicopters.
- Trial Lessons Introductory hands-on helicopter flight experiences conducted under instructor supervision, sold to consumers (often as gift vouchers) via the Elite Helicopters website and dedicated experiences shop.
- Helicopter Charter Bespoke VIP helicopter charter for business and private travel, with complete package arrangements including helicopters, hotels, restaurants and chauffeur-driven cars, billed pro-rata at 0.1-hour (6-minute) intervals.
- Sightseeing Tours Pre-bookable helicopter sightseeing experiences such as Portsmouth City, Bailiffscourt Fly and Dine, Beaches and Bays, and Goodwood Gallop, available to consumers via the website.
- Pleasure Flights Scenic helicopter flights at shows and events (e.g., Festival of Speed, Goodwood Revival) sold as individual tickets or 12-month gift vouchers.
- Aerial Filming and Photography Helicopter aerial platform hire for film and photography productions with removable doors, sliding windows and nose or side camera mounting, with weather-postponement charge protection.
- Corporate Flying Days Corporate team-building and entertainment packages combining helicopter trial lessons, hover challenges, sightseeing flights, aerial treasure hunts and VIP transfers, with optional land-based activities at Goodwood or Fairoaks.
- Helicopter Hire for Weddings Private helicopter charter for wedding transportation including pre-flight photography, champagne arrangements and bespoke special-requirements catering.
- Special Events Charter Helicopter charter services to major UK sporting and social events including Cheltenham Festival, British MotoGP, Epsom Derby, Royal Ascot, Isle of Wight Festival, Henley Royal Regatta, British Grand Prix, Goodwood events, The Open Championship and Cowdray Park Polo.
- British Grand Prix Charter VIP helicopter charter to the Silverstone British Grand Prix, supported by 26 years of operational experience, twin-engine aircraft (A109, AW169, EC135), a dedicated VIP terminal, refreshments and courtesy transport to hospitality.
- Goodwood Events Charter Preferred helicopter provider to Goodwood Estate for Festival of Speed, Glorious Goodwood and Goodwood Revival, offering bespoke charter and per-seat Park & Fly shuttle services from Eashing Farm.
- Temporary Heliport Operations Establishment and operation of temporary licensed or unlicensed heliports for special events, including mobile control tower, ATC/A/G radio service, refuelling facilities, rescue and fire-fighting service, and trained marshallers and ground handlers.
- Self Fly Hire and Hour Building Post-licence helicopter rental for licensed pilots to build hours and develop skills on the Cabri G2 and R44, with progressively advanced flying assignments.
- Flight Experiences and Shop Dedicated e-commerce platform (elitehelicopterflights.co.uk) for booking helicopter lessons, experiences and gift vouchers online.
Quantifiable outcome
- 26+ years of British Grand Prix operations, being one of the largest helicopter operators at this prestigious event
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Elite Helicopters
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Elite Helicopters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Elite Helicopters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Goodwood EstatecoreElite Helicopters holds preferred helicopter provider status to the Goodwood Estate, providing exclusive or priority helicopter services for the Festival of Speed, Glorious Goodwood (Qatar Goodwood Festival), and Goodwood Revival. Services include bespoke charter flights, park-and-fly shuttle operations, and pleasure flights.
- Silverstone CircuitcoreVIP helicopter transfer services to British Grand Prix with dedicated heliport operations, VIP passenger terminal, courtesy transport to corporate hospitality suites, and operational presence for three days of the event.
- Farnborough International Air ShowminorProvision of temporary heliport operations including complete infrastructure, staffing, and safety services for the aviation industry event.
- Helitech InternationalminorTemporary heliport operations across multiple venues including Redhill, Duxford, ExCeL London, and RAI Amsterdam for the international helicopter industry exhibition.
- Cheltenham Racecourse (The Jockey Club)minorHelicopter charter services for attendees of the Cheltenham Festival horse racing event.
- Royal AscotminorHelicopter charter flights for Royal Ascot horse racing event attendees.
- Isle of Wight FestivalminorHelicopter charter services for music festival attendees requiring transport to the island venue.
- Henley Royal RegattaminorHelicopter charter services for sailing event attendees.
- Cowdray Park Polo ClubminorHelicopter charter services for Gold Cup Final and other polo events.
- Epsom Derby (The Jockey Club)minorHelicopter charter services for Epsom Derby horse racing event.
- UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)coreRegulatory licensing and oversight body. Elite Helicopters holds Air Operator Certificate (AOC No. GB2055) and operates as an Approved Training Organisation (ATO No. GBR.ATO.0198). Also registered as data controller with Information Commissioner's Office (ZA352010).
- Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS)minorRegistered approved learning provider for armed forces personnel. Eligible members can claim up to £2000 per year towards helicopter training courses including type ratings, CPL training, and military-to-civilian conversion bridging courses.
- London Heliport (Battersea)minorOne of multiple departure locations for British Grand Prix charter flights, offering VIP configured helicopter transfers.
- Denham AerodromeminorOne of multiple departure locations for British Grand Prix charter flights.
- Elstree AerodromeminorOne of multiple departure locations for British Grand Prix charter flights.
- Goodwood Motor CircuitminorAssociated venue offering driving experiences incorporated into corporate flying day events alongside helicopter activities.
- Eashing FarmminorDesignated departure site for park-and-fly shuttle service to Goodwood events, located off A3 at Milford, easily accessible from most parts of the country.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Elite Helicopters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hummingbird Helicopters: UK helicopter charter and training operator offering trial lessons, pilot training and bespoke charter services. Comparable SME-scale helicopter operator with similar training-plus-charter business mix.
- Helicentre Aviation: UK-based helicopter flight training academy offering PPL(H), CPL(H) and type ratings alongside charter services, operating a similar Robinson/Bell fleet. Most direct peer given overlapping training and charter business model.
- Castle Air: Gloucestershire-based UK helicopter charter and aerial work operator. Comparable in offering VIP and event charter with multi-aircraft fleet, directly competing for corporate and leisure helicopter customers.
- Starspeed: UK private aviation services company operating helicopters and business jets from Farnborough, focused on VIP charter. Comparable premium-charter positioning and shared Farnborough-area event clientele.
- Ultimate Helicopters: UK helicopter training and charter operator based at Sherburn-in-Elmet, offering PPL/CPL courses and self-fly hire across a Robinson-led fleet. Highly comparable twin-engine-of-business (training plus charter) to Elite Helicopters.
- Heli Air: UK helicopter operator offering charter, training and aerial services with a multi-type fleet. Directly comparable small-to-mid UK helicopter operator competing for the same pilot training and corporate charter demand.
Broad incumbents
- CHC Helicopter: Global helicopter services company operating offshore, SAR and emergency response fleets. Industry incumbent reference point for helicopter operations economics, regulatory compliance standards and crew training benchmarks relevant to Elite Helicopters' AOC and ATO business.
- Bristow Group: Large global helicopter operator headquartered in the UK providing offshore energy, SAR, and government services. Relevant incumbent for industry benchmarks on UK helicopter operations, fleet economics, and regulatory standing, though focused on different end-markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Elite Helicopters social profiles
Digital presenceElite Helicopters compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Elite Helicopters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elite Helicopters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Elite Helicopters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elite Helicopters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Elite Helicopters
What does Elite Helicopters do?
Elite Helicopters, trading as Solent Helicopters Ltd, is a CAA-licensed UK helicopter operator offering two principal lines of business: helicopter flight training (PPL(H), CPL(H), LAPL(H), FI(H), type ratings, night ratings, trial lessons and self-fly hire from a CAA-approved ATO at Goodwood Aerodrome) and VIP helicopter charter services (business and private travel, special-event transport, sightseeing, aerial filming, weddings and corporate team-building). The company also establishes and operates temporary licensed or unlicensed heliports for special events, providing mobile control tower, ATC/A/G radio, refuelling, fire-fighting and trained marshalling services.
Is Elite Helicopters a public or private company?
Elite Helicopters is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Elite Helicopters founded?
Elite Helicopters was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Elite Helicopters based?
Elite Helicopters is headquartered in Chichester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Elite Helicopters make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Helicopter Flight Training is the primary driver. The others are helicopter Charter Services, pleasure Flights and Experiences, aerial Filming and Photography, temporary Heliport Operations, ELCAS Training Credits and self-Fly Hire.
Who are Elite Helicopters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hummingbird Helicopters, Helicentre Aviation, Castle Air, Starspeed, Ultimate Helicopters and Heli Air. Broad incumbents are CHC Helicopter and Bristow Group.
Does Elite Helicopters have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elite Helicopters.
What industry is Elite Helicopters in?
Elite Helicopters's product category is Helicopter Charter and Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFABAH, Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing, with a secondary code of THABAGAH, VIP/Executive Helicopter Transport. Its NAICS code is 481211 and its SIC code is 4522.