'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex

Enjoy a fantastic 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour over Sussex and the South Coast, flying over miles of sandy beaches and admiring incredible views from this vantage point.
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From £ 109 For 1 Person

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Enjoy a fantastic 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour over Sussex and the South Coast, flying over miles of sandy beaches and admiring incredible views from this vantage point.

Helicopter Experience Days: Take to the skies with this fantastic 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex, and enjoy stunning views of the South Coast from this wonderfully unique vantage point. During this thrilling tour, you will fly over the spectacular headland of Selsey Bill and along the unspoilt, sandy coastline which stretches past the East and West Wittering beaches, Chichester Harbour and Hayling Island. Flying from Goodwood Aerodrome, you will be able to enjoy remarkable views of Goodwood House and Estate, as well as the world-famous race track.

Helicopter travel is one of the most exhilarating and liberating forms of transport; you go backwards and sideways as well as forwards - perfect for hovering over sights of interest - and can weave through the clouds gracefully and easily. Whether you're looking for a special experience gift for a loved one, a unique way to celebrate a special occasion, or just want to enjoy breath-taking views of the south coast and Sussex area, this fantastic helicopter sightseeing tour will tick every box.The 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex will begin when you arrive at the Chichester airfield near the Goodwood Estate, where you will be given a full safety briefing from the ground crew. You will then board either a Bell 206 Long Ranger or a Jet Ranger and begin your ascent! You will enjoy a twenty minute aerial tour of the glorious southern coastline including Selsey Bill, Witterings Beach, Hayling Island and Chichester Harbour. The exact route may vary depending on which runways are in use on the day, traffic patterns at Goodwood Aerodrome and the weather. After your tour has finished you will settle gently back onto solid ground, and have the rest of the day to explore the neighbouring Goodwood Estate if you choose to.

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Availability

The 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tours in Sussex runs on specific dates from January to November weather permitting. 

2024 Scheduled Dates:

Sunday 18th February

Sunday 10th March

Easter Saturday 30th March

Sunday 21st April

Monday 6th May

Saturday 25th May

Sunday 9th June

Sunday 30th June

Sunday 28th July

Thursday 1st August

Sunday 11th August

Sunday 29th September

Saturday 12th October

Sunday 27th October

Sunday 17th November

Dates are subject to availability at time of booking

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Requirements

Maximum Weight: 17 stone.

Please note if you exceed 17 stone, you would be required to pay for an additional seat. 

All passengers will need their own seat. Young children cannot sit on the lap of a parent/adult.

Those under the age of  10 must be accompanied by an adult. 

If you have any disabilities, you will need to make the provide aware upon making a booking. 

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Duration

Experience Duration: 0:20

Time Spent at Venue: 0:45

The 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussexlasts for 20 minutes flying time, although you may be at the centre for approximately 45 minutes.

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Group Size & Spectators

Participants: The 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex is for 1 participant.

Max Group Size: 6

Spectators Allowed on Site: Yes

You are welcome bring family and friends along with you to watch your The 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex; however, only those taking the tour can go airside. There is a viewing lounge at the aerodrome which looks out over the helicopter operating area which is perfect for spectators to observe the flying activities.

The helicopter tours will take place in either in a Bell 206 LongRanger, which can hold up to six passengers per flight, or in a JetRanger, which can hold up to four passengers per flight.

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Where is it Located

Chichester (West Sussex)

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What to Wear

You should wear comfortable, casual clothes for your 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex. All safety equipment such as ear defenders will be provided by the centre.

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Weather

The 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex is weather dependent and will not go ahead in particularly adverse weather. If this is the case, your tour will be rescheduled.

Reviews
Mike Osborn - Fittleworth
  • 25/07/2023
The flight was worth every penny. Really eell organised. They take safety first. So what failed? YOU GUYS!! You emailed me saying you 'don't have a phone' are you emulating Debenhams?? If you don't have a phone you ar discriminating...
The flight was worth every penny. Really eell organised. They take safety first. So what failed? YOU GUYS!! You emailed me saying you 'don't have a phone' are you emulating Debenhams?? If you don't have a phone you ar discriminating against the elderly, like me. It's disgraceful. You caused me unnecessary stress. Would you want to do that to your grandfather? Grandmother? GET A PHONE.
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Richard - Anonymous location
  • 17/08/2016
Pleasant and informative flight with excellent commentary by the pilot. The only problems were the seating space, which was tight, and the view from the rear seats - but I knew that from a previous flight in a similar aircr4aft!
Elite Helicopter Flying Lessons Interview

Experience Days are constantly on the lookout for fresh and exhilarating new experiences; we love anything from track days to pamper days. This week, we bring you one of our newest activities, which we are super excited about – Helicopter flights with Elite Helicopters. We had to delve a bit deeper and really get an insight behind the company and what they offer, so we caught up with Bill Leach from Elite.

Hi Bill, please explain your journey as ‘Elite Helicopters’ so far.
Well, ‘Elite Helicopters’ has been in business for over 17 years now and was initially formed by two directors who had originally worked for another helicopter operator (which has now closed down). Elite was first based at White Waltham Airfield near Maidenhead before moving to Goodwood Aerodrome over ten years ago, and is now one of the South of England’s largest charter operators and pilot training schools.

Elite’s Operations Manager and Commercial Manager also have a wealth of experience in the industry, having worked for other helicopter companies in Berkshire and in Yorkshire.  Between them, the directors and managers have well over 60 years of experience in the helicopter industry!

Incredible, we would definitely feel safe in their piloting hands! Ok, so perhaps a tricky question: what are the best parts of the job for you?
One of my all-time favourite parts of the day is the look on our customers’ faces after their experiences. It’s always a pleasure to see passengers get out of the helicopter with a huge smile on their face. They often board the aircraft with a combination of excitement and nerves and come back to the airfield having thoroughly enjoyed their experience, dying to go back up again.

It sounds amazing! So, from a day to day aspect what keeps you interested, or what types of tricky challenges do you find yourself facing?
Every enquiry we receive is different, whether it’s someone thinking about learning how to fly a helicopter, wanting a pleasure flight, aerial photography and filming, or a flight to an event or business meeting.  You would be surprised what kind of things we are asked to do with a helicopter – some of which are possible, some of which aren’t!  Once we agree to conduct a flight, we then go through the detailed process of arranging landing sites, planning the flight and briefing the pilot.  As each flight is different, there’s plenty to keep us interested!

Lots of planning then! Now, you’ve been running Elite for a fair amount of time now, what has been the biggest or most memorable event? You must have met a few celebs along the way?
We provide helicopters for a wide range of events – many of them within just a few weeks of each other.  Last year we had one of our busiest British Grand Prix times in recent years, using 17 helicopters to fly some 600 guests in to Silverstone over the weekend.  Many of the faces were recognisable, including four Formula 1 World Champions, the race winner on the day and an up-and-coming star of the future as well as some stars of film and TV.

Is there any inside information you can give us about your experiences?
We always find our most popular experience is the trial lesson! In terms of our experiences, the day usually starts off with a briefing to the student about their flight from our instructor, explaining the basics of how the helicopter flies and the effects of the controls, and answering as many questions as possible in the time available. The flight is usually conducted in one of our two seat Robinson R22 helicopters, although we also have the option to fly in our four seat Robinson R44. The bigger aircraft is brilliant for anyone who would like friends and family to sit in the back during the lesson, or for our larger students. The flight is a “hands on” experience – we want people to experience flying the helicopter for themselves as the aircraft climbs, turns, descends, flies straight and level, and performs those most unique of helicopter manoeuvres – hovering, and maybe even flying backwards and sideways!

We often get asked about the best place to wait and watch the flight. There is plenty of opportunity for friends and family to watch as they take a seat in our comfortable lounge with views across the airfield. It gives you a brilliant opportunity to take photos of the helicopter as it departs and arrives and to watch all the other aircrafts coming and going.  We can’t guarantee an appearance… but there are Spitfires and Harvards based at Goodwood and plenty of other interesting aircraft to watch as the Trial Lesson takes place.

Some of our Trial Lesson participants “get the bug” and come back for more flying lessons, and we can proudly say they go on to achieve the Private Pilot’s Licences and learn to fly different types of helicopter.

Do you have any exciting plans for the future that you’d like to tell us about?
Elite Helicopters already offer training beyond the Trial Lesson, including training to achieve the Private Pilot’s Licence, helicopter Type Ratings and Commercial Pilot’s Licences.  Very shortly, we will also be offering Flight Instructors Courses, training the helicopter instructors of the future.

 

 

Thank you for talking to us today Bill, you’ve helped fuel our dream of becoming a pilot, that’s for sure!

If you guys can see yourself sitting in the cockpit and chopping away into the clouds, why not check out the brilliant range of lessons these guys offer:

 

 R44 Trial Helicopter Lesson in Sussex (30 Mins)

‘Beaches and Bays’ Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex

‘Castles in the Air’ Helicopter Tour

R22 20 Minute Trial Helicopter Lesson  in Sussex

30 Minute Trial Helicopter Flying Lesson in a Robinson 22 in Sussex

One Hour Trial Helicopter Lesson in a Robinson 22 in Sussex

One Hour Trial Helicopter Lesson in a Robinson 44 in Sussex

FAQ
Please could you advise me how long the helicopter tour lasts?

The Beaches and Bays Helicopter Tour has a flight time of approximately 20 minutes, however, please expect to be at the centre for around 1 hour.

What is the maximum age limit for the Beaches and Bays Helicopter Tour?

The is no maximum age limit for the Beaches and Bays Sightseeing Tour in Sussex, as long as you are able to get in and out of the helicopter and are happy to fly.

What's the minimum age for the 'Beaches and Bays' Helicopter Sightseeing Tour in Sussex?

The minimum age limit for the helicopter tour is 2 years old however, please be aware that it can be loud in the helicopter and passengers will be required to wear ear defenders.  Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult and all children must occupy (and therefore pay for) their own seat.

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