The short answer
Helicopter charter Derbyshire uses East Midlands Airport at Castle Donington, open 24 hours with customs on site, and Tatenhill Airfield to the south. Birmingham is about 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter from East Midlands against 51 by road, and Manchester 25 to 30 against 1 hour 55. Send your date and weights for a quote.
Flying from Derbyshire? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- East Midlands Airport (EGNX), Castle Donington, 2,894 m runway, open 24 hours, customs on site, no slot restrictions
- Second site
- Tatenhill Airfield (EGBM), 16 nautical miles south-west, daily 09:00 to 17:00, prior permission
- East Midlands to Birmingham
- Helicopter about 20 to 25 minutes; car at least 51 minutes (38 miles)
- East Midlands to Manchester
- Helicopter about 25 to 30 minutes; car at least 1h55 (78 miles)
- East Midlands to Silverstone
- Helicopter about 25 to 30 minutes; car at least 1h17 (63 miles)
- East Midlands to Cheltenham
- Helicopter about 30 to 40 minutes; car at least 1h45 (90 miles)
- Night rule
- Jets not meeting Chapter 3 noise certification are not permitted 23:00 to 07:00 local
Where Derbyshire flights start and end
The map shows East Midlands Airport and the other sites that serve Derbyshire, with range rings and the nearest cities. Pins with a page of their own are links.
The map draws a satellite picture, so it needs JavaScript and an internet connection. East Midlands Airport is at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Derby. Open it in Google Maps.
East Midlands Airport
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Derbyshire
Hours, permission and customs are the airport's or site's published information, checked 29 Sept 2026. We arrange permission and confirm times with your booking.
East Midlands Airport EGNX / EMA
- Address
- East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Derby
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Airport 24 hours (customs). No slot restrictions
- Permission
- No PPR published; we still confirm before you fly
- Customs
- Yes – on site
- Runway
- 09/27 – 2,894 m × 45 m asphalt
Helicopter charter East MidlandsOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Tatenhill Airfield EGBM
- Address
- Tatenhill Airfield, Newborough Road, Needwood, Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Open daily 09:00–17:00 (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day); hours may vary with weather, season or…
Open daily 09:00–17:00 (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day); hours may vary with weather, season or operational needs; night flying by arrangement- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Runway
- 08/26 – 1,190 m × 28 m asphalt; 03/21 – 630 m (unlicensed)
Helicopter charter StaffordshireOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Where does a helicopter land for Derbyshire?
Helicopter charter Derbyshire has no airfield in the middle of the county in our library, so the answer depends on where you are going. East Midlands Airport, on the Leicestershire side of the border at Castle Donington, has a 2,894 metre runway, 24-hour customs and fuel, and no airline slot restrictions on business aviation. It is the practical gateway for Derby and the east. Tatenhill, 16 nautical miles away near Burton upon Trent, serves the south of the county. Nottingham's helicopter site is 9.6 nautical miles from East Midlands, and our Nottingham page explains the position.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. For the Peak District itself, the right plan is usually a landing on a private estate with permission, with a nearby airfield as the alternative.
Journey times from East Midlands Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 27 nm (31 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 51 min (38 mi) | 28 min |
| Manchester | 46 nm (53 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 55 min (78 mi) | 1 h 27 min |
| Silverstone | 47 nm (54 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 17 min (63 mi) | 49 min |
| Oxford | 60 nm (69 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 45 min (88 mi) | 1 h 10 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 61 nm (70 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 45 min (90 mi) | 1 h 10 min |
| Liverpool | 63 nm (72 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 2 h 01 min (96 mi) | 1 h 26 min |
| Leeds | 63 nm (73 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 55 min (92 mi) | 1 h 17 min |
| Cambridge | 67 nm (77 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 53 min (99 mi) | 1 h 15 min |
| York Racecourse | 68 nm (78 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 1 h 48 min (94 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 70 nm (81 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 03 min (104 mi) | 1 h 23 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 72 nm (83 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h (107 mi) | 1 h 20 min |
| London Heathrow | 88 nm (101 mi) | 40 to 55 min | 2 h 12 min (118 mi) | 1 h 24 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 89 nm (102 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 26 min (127 mi) | 1 h 36 min |
| London | 92 nm (106 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 32 min (119 mi) | 1 h 42 min |
| Norwich | 95 nm (110 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 3 h 03 min (134 mi) | 2 h 13 min |
| Epsom Downs | 99 nm (114 mi) | 45 to 60 min | 2 h 38 min (139 mi) | 1 h 45 min |
| Bristol | 101 nm (116 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 2 h 43 min (139 mi) | 1 h 48 min |
| London Gatwick | 110 nm (126 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 2 h 54 min (157 mi) | 1 h 56 min |
| Southampton | 113 nm (130 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 2 h 58 min (155 mi) | 2 h |
| Cardiff | 114 nm (131 mi) | 55 to 65 min | 3 h 10 min (163 mi) | 2 h 10 min |
| Goodwood | 120 nm (138 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 19 min (171 mi) | 2 h 16 min |
| Newcastle | 133 nm (153 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 3 h 37 min (178 mi) | 2 h 29 min |
| Edinburgh | 200 nm (231 mi) | 85 to 110 min | 5 h 43 min (296 mi) | 4 h 05 min |
| Glasgow | 212 nm (244 mi) | 90 to 115 min | 5 h 35 min (300 mi) | 3 h 52 min |
Times from Tatenhill Airfield
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 22 nm (25 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 50 min (34 mi) | 32 min |
| Manchester | 37 nm (43 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 35 min (60 mi) | 1 h 12 min |
| Liverpool | 50 nm (57 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 41 min (78 mi) | 1 h 11 min |
| Silverstone | 52 nm (60 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 41 min (82 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 55 nm (63 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 43 min (86 mi) | 1 h 10 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 58 nm (67 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 43 min (86 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Oxford | 61 nm (70 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 52 min (92 mi) | 1 h 17 min |
| Leeds | 63 nm (73 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 2 h 07 min (101 mi) | 1 h 29 min |
| York Racecourse | 72 nm (83 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h (103 mi) | 1 h 20 min |
| Cambridge | 80 nm (92 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 17 min (119 mi) | 1 h 32 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 86 nm (99 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 25 min (127 mi) | 1 h 40 min |
| Bristol | 93 nm (107 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 41 min (135 mi) | 1 h 51 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 93 nm (107 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 35 min (134 mi) | 1 h 45 min |
| London Heathrow | 94 nm (108 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 33 min (134 mi) | 1 h 43 min |
Helicopter figures are typical block times: distance at 135 knots plus 8 minutes, shown as a range. Road figures are free-flowing road times, a floor that real journeys rarely beat. Distances are in a straight line. Figures from our UK route data, checked 29 Sep 2026.
Chatsworth, Donington and the Peak estates
The county's best-known houses and circuits shape most charters. Chatsworth, near Bakewell, is the Duke of Devonshire's home and a dining and event destination; our Chatsworth page explains how landing is handled there. Donington Park, the motor racing circuit beside the airport, is a short transfer from East Midlands; see Donington Park. Other estates and hotels in the Peaks take helicopters only by landing permission and site suitability, which we ask for in advance.
Our dining by helicopter page covers lunch and dinner trips for clients, and shooting by helicopter covers the moorland estates with shooting seasons.
Business and speed from the East Midlands
Derby is a city of aerospace, rail and automotive engineering, and the region's logistics sit along the M1 and M69. From East Midlands, Birmingham is about 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter against 51 by road, Manchester about 25 to 30 against 1 hour 55, Silverstone 25 to 30 against 1 hour 17, Oxford 30 to 40 against 1 hour 45 and Cheltenham 30 to 40 against 1 hour 45. Those road times are free-flowing floors.
See helicopter charter East Midlands for the airport page, Leicester for the county next door, and business helicopter charter for how a day is built. A jet connection is covered by airport transfers by helicopter.
Planning notes
Give us the date, the destination and each passenger's weight; arrive 10 minutes before departure and keep bags soft. The Peak District weather is changeable, with low cloud on the high ground, so we watch the forecast the day before and on the morning. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Executive Global Travel can meet you at the airport. The Midlands region page gives the wider picture and the airfield directory lists the sites we use.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to East Midlands Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Which airport do helicopters use for Derby?
East Midlands Airport at Castle Donington is the practical gateway, open 24 hours with customs on site.
How long is a helicopter from East Midlands to Manchester?
About 25 to 30 minutes, against at least 1 hour 55 minutes by road.
Can you land at Chatsworth?
We arrange it for your date, subject to landing permission and site suitability. See our Chatsworth page for how.
Is there a night restriction?
Jets that do not meet Chapter 3 noise certification are not permitted between 23:00 and 07:00. Helicopters are not affected by that rule.
Can I land at a Peak District hotel?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We ask first.
What if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
