PDG Helicopters
PDG Helicopters (PLM Dollar Group Limited, trading as PDG Aviation Services) provides helicopter-based aerial survey, inspection, lifting, charter, and UAV drone services to UK and Ireland critical infrastructure operators across utilities, rail, telecoms, renewables, marine, defence, and national parks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersInverness, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PDG Helicopters does
PDG Helicopters trades as PDG Aviation Services and is the legal entity PLM Dollar Group Limited, a private limited company registered in Scotland (UK). The company describes itself as the UK and Ireland's leading provider of aerial survey, inspection and lifting solutions, delivering services directly to enterprise customers through a project- and contract-based commercial model. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales, with engagement initiated via the company's website contact form and service delivery performed by PDG's own aircraft fleet and operational teams across the UK and Ireland.
The core technology is helicopter-based aerial survey, inspection, and lifting operations, complemented by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/drone) offering branded as Team UAV™, which extends the platform to smaller-footprint and specialized unmanned inspection tasks. The service portfolio comprises four primary lines — Survey & Inspection, Aerial Lifting, Aircraft Charter, and Filming — applied across customer segments that include utilities, rail, telecommunications, renewables, marine, defence, and national parks. Named customers include Network Rail, SSE, BT, Balfour Beatty, QinetiQ, Scottish Power, UK Power Networks, Northern Powergrid, Northern Ireland Electricity Networks, Wales and West Utilities, National Trust and Norpower, indicating long-standing enterprise relationships with major UK critical national infrastructure operators.
Revenue is generated through professional services revenue streams across the four service lines, with pricing quoted project-by-project rather than published. No public pricing, no app or API products, no disclosed headcount, no disclosed revenue or funding history, and no certifications are documented in the available data, constraining quantitative assessment of scale.
PDG Helicopters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PDG Helicopters
- Legal name
- PLM Dollar Group Limited
- Website
- https://pdghelicopters.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- PDG Helicopters (PLM Dollar Group Limited, trading as PDG Aviation Services) provides helicopter-based aerial survey, inspection, lifting, charter, and UAV drone services to UK and Ireland critical infrastructure operators across utilities, rail, telecoms, renewables, marine, defence, and national parks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PDG Helicopters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerial Survey & Inspection Services
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Helicopter Passenger Services (TLAFAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Offshore Marine & Aviation Support (PSVs, AHTS, Crew Boats, Helicopters) (EUALABAJ)
Keywords
Where PDG Helicopters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Inverness
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
PDG Helicopters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Aerial Survey Services: Providing aerial survey and inspection services to infrastructure operators including utilities, rail, telecommunications, and renewables sectors. Services capture damage, corrosion and potential risks for critical infrastructure maintenance.
- Aerial Lifting Services: Specialized helicopter lifting operations for infrastructure installation, maintenance and construction projects.
- Aircraft Charter: Charter transport services for personnel and equipment, including support for TV and film productions.
- Filming Services: Aerial and technical filming capabilities for TV and film productions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
PDG Helicopters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PDG Helicopters (trading as PDG Aviation Services) provides helicopter-based aerial survey, inspection, lifting, charter, and filming services across the UK and Ireland, serving critical national infrastructure sectors including utilities, rail, telecommunications, renewables, marine, defence, and national parks. The company also offers UAV/drone-based survey and inspection through its Team UAV sub-brand, complementing traditional manned helicopter operations.
Product overview
PDG Aviation Services operates as a unified aviation services platform offering helicopter-based aerial solutions across four interconnected service areas: Survey & Inspection (capturing infrastructure damage and risks), Aerial Lifting (heavy lift operations), Aircraft Charter (transport services), and Filming (aerial media support). The company also provides UAV services through its Team UAV™ brand, extending capabilities to drone-based operations for clients requiring smaller footprint or specialized unmanned solutions. These services are delivered across critical infrastructure sectors including utilities, rail, telecommunications, renewables, marine, defence, and national parks throughout the UK and Ireland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Team UAV™: A UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) service offering, operated as a distinct service brand under PDG Aviation Services.
Products and services
- Survey and Inspection Services
- Aerial Lifting Services
- Aircraft Charter Services
- Filming Services
- Team UAV
Companies that use PDG Helicopters
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PDG Helicopters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
PDG Helicopters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SSEcoreSSE is a major UK energy company operating in electricity generation and transmission. PDG provides aerial survey and inspection services for SSE's infrastructure.
- Northern PowergridcoreNorthern Powergrid is the electricity distribution network operator for the North East, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. PDG provides aerial services for infrastructure maintenance.
- Network RailcoreNetwork Rail owns and operates the railway infrastructure in England, Scotland and Wales. PDG provides aerial survey and inspection for rail infrastructure.
- Balfour BeattycoreBalfour Beatty is a major infrastructure construction and investment group. PDG supports their projects with aerial lifting and survey services.
- BTcoreBT Group is a UK telecommunications company. PDG provides aerial survey and inspection for BT's network infrastructure including masts and cables.
- National TrustminorThe National Trust is a conservation charity managing historic properties and natural landscapes. PDG provides aerial survey services for their estates.
- QinetiQcoreQinetiQ is a defence technology and security company. PDG provides aerial services supporting defence and security infrastructure projects.
- Wales and WestminorWales and West Utilities manages the gas network across Wales and the South West of England. PDG provides aerial inspection services.
- Scottish PowercoreScottish Power is a major UK energy company generating and supplying electricity. PDG provides aerial survey services for their infrastructure.
- Northern Ireland Electricity NetworkscoreNorthern Ireland Electricity Networks is the electricity network operator for Northern Ireland. PDG provides aerial services for their network infrastructure.
- UK Power NetworkscoreUK Power Networks manages electricity distribution networks in London, the South East and East Anglia. PDG provides aerial survey and inspection services.
- NorpowerminorNorpower provides telecommunications infrastructure services. PDG provides aerial support for their network projects.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
PDG Helicopters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sloane Helicopters: UK-based helicopter sales, charter and operational services provider. Comparable as a UK helicopter charter and operational services peer competing for similar corporate, infrastructure and aerial work customers.
- Bristow Group: Global helicopter services company serving energy, government and search-and-rescue markets. Comparable for offshore aviation support and infrastructure inspection contracts, and a potential substitute for UK/Ireland customers.
- CHC Helicopter: One of the world's largest helicopter operators, with UK and European operations serving energy, government and infrastructure clients. Directly comparable service portfolio including aerial survey, lifting and passenger transport.
- Specialist Aviation Services: UK helicopter operator providing aerial survey, lifting and charter services to infrastructure and media clients. Closely comparable service mix to PDG across the UK market.
- Castle Air: UK helicopter charter and operations company serving corporate, infrastructure and aerial work customers. Overlaps with PDG's charter, lifting and survey offering in the UK regional market.
- Babcock International (Mission Critical Services & Aerial Services): UK-headquartered operator providing helicopter and aviation services to defence, energy and emergency customers. Direct competitor for UK helicopter work across infrastructure, defence and aerial survey contracts.
Emerging players
- Cyberhawk Innovations: UK-based UAV inspection specialist serving utilities, oil and gas, and infrastructure operators. Direct competitor to PDG's Team UAV™ offering for aerial inspection of critical infrastructure.
- Sky-Futures: UK-headquartered drone inspection services company focused on industrial infrastructure (energy, rail, utilities). Closely comparable to PDG's Team UAV™ service line and a partial substitute for PDG's manned-helicopter inspection work.
Regional players
- NHV Group: European helicopter operator headquartered in Belgium, primarily serving offshore energy and government customers. Comparable service model and fleet type, focused on a different European geography.
- HeliService International GmbH: German-based helicopter operator providing offshore and onshore aviation services across Europe. Similar mix of helicopter-based aerial and lifting work for industrial customers, in adjacent European geographies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PDG Helicopters social profiles
Digital presencePDG Helicopters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PDG Helicopters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
PDG Helicopters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PDG Helicopters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PDG Helicopters
What does PDG Helicopters do?
PDG Helicopters (trading as PDG Aviation Services) provides helicopter-based aerial survey, inspection, lifting, charter, and filming services across the UK and Ireland, serving critical national infrastructure sectors including utilities, rail, telecommunications, renewables, marine, defence, and national parks. The company also offers UAV/drone-based survey and inspection through its Team UAV sub-brand, complementing traditional manned helicopter operations.
Is PDG Helicopters a public or private company?
PDG Helicopters is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was PDG Helicopters founded?
PDG Helicopters was founded in 1974. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is PDG Helicopters based?
PDG Helicopters is headquartered in Inverness, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does PDG Helicopters make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Aerial Survey Services are the primary driver. The others are aerial Lifting Services, aircraft Charter and filming Services.
Who are PDG Helicopters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sloane Helicopters, Bristow Group, CHC Helicopter, Specialist Aviation Services, Castle Air and Babcock International (Mission Critical Services & Aerial Services). Emerging players are Cyberhawk Innovations and Sky-Futures. Regional players are NHV Group and HeliService International GmbH.
Does PDG Helicopters have an API?
No public API is recorded for PDG Helicopters.
What industry is PDG Helicopters in?
PDG Helicopters's product category is Aerial Survey & Inspection Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAAAE, Helicopter Passenger Services, with a secondary code of EUALABAJ, Offshore Marine & Aviation Support (PSVs, AHTS, Crew Boats, Helicopters). Its SIC code is 7819.