FAQs

When thinking about hiring an aircraft, many people feel bombarded with terminology and questions they don't understand. We keep it simple. If you are not sure, our operations staff will be able to give you guidance, an outline quote and help by suggesting landing sites close to you.

We have outlined below many of the normal questions people ask about helicopter flight.

How many passengers? Our Eurocopter EC155 can carry up to 8 passengers. Above 4 passengers, we may have to stop for a quick re-fuel en-route.

Where can we land? In addition to the recognized airports and heliports, we can land anywhere in the UK with the land owner's permission and sufficient space for a safe operation. If you don't have an obvious landing area, we will find a site nearby, by calling local landowners to gain their permission on your behalf.

Can we fly at night? For a commercial flight at night, the helicopter must have two engines and be fitted with an autopilot. In addition the crew must be suitably qualified. Naturally, all flights offered by Polaris meet these criteria. For landing at night, we need to have visited the site during the day to asses it's suitability and we often require landing lights for the approach. Again, this is something we will take care of if you are planning any night departures or landings.

How far can we travel? There really is no limit. If your journey is likely to cover more than 400 miles we may recommend that you take a private jet. Unless there is a significant advantage to using a helicopter, for instance when there is no convenient airport nearby, it is often quicker and sometimes more economical to take a jet. Polaris can of course arrange this. You may wish to combine the benefits of both a helicopter and a jet - we will give you advice on the best options.

What are the costs? Polaris only charge for flight time plus landing fees and other expenses at cost. You do not pay for waiting time. Our operations team will try to give you an all inclusive price. However it may be necessary to mention some exclusions when all details cannot be pinned down at the time of quotation.

Overnight charges? When you stay away for a night or two, we will often park the helicopter in the grounds or at a nearby airfield to minimize the cost of re-positioning. In this case you have the helicopter on hand for excursions if required or the ultimate convenience of changing the return time to suit your timetable. For longer stays we will fly back to base and return for you. If it is more economical for the pilot to travel back to base during your stay, we will only charge the incurred expenses.

Can we fly in bad weather? Polaris helicopters and crew are certified for instrument flight rules (IFR). IFR refers to flight without reference to ground features where the pilots use the flight instruments. The rules provide an additional safety margin and allow the flight to be operated well away from the ground, under radar control. Fog poses the biggest obstacle to operating to private sites. However, it is often possible to make an instrument approach to a local airfield and complete the journey visually once clear of cloud.

Why twin engined? All the helicopters that Polaris operates offer the considerable safety benefit of twin turbine engines. A twin engined aircraft is permitted to fly directly over built up areas and, in the unlikely event of one engine shutting down, the flight can continue on the second engine to an alternative landing site. Any commercial flight in the UK over a built up area, over water or at night must be carried out in a twin engined aircraft.

Why two pilots? Whilst the aircraft are certified to fly single pilot, separating the tasks between two people adds a further degree of safety and flexibility. Turn around times can also be kept to a minimum by allowing for boarding & disembarkation to take place "rotors running" with one of the pilots guiding the passengers to and from their seats.

Safety First? Safety is paramount to us at Polaris. We have taken great care to provide our customers with the very best instrument certified crew and aircraft. Our continuous crew training program and rigorous aircraft maintenance regime ensures we are at the forefront of the industry in terms of equipment and crew safety.

Crew Training? In addition to the statutory 6 monthly proficiency checks, our crews spend one week a year at simulator training facilities. In the simulator, the pilots carry out a full program of refresher training and realistic emergency procedures, benefiting from the very best instruction direct from the aircraft manufacturers.

Aircraft Maintenance? As you would expect, aircraft maintenance is highly regulated worldwide. All Polaris aircraft are released to service with a daily maintenance check. There is a program of checks and inspections by qualified engineers weekly, after 15 flight hours, 50 flight hours, 100 flight hours and so on in addition to the annual checks.

Further Information For any additional information, please just ask one of our operations team.