The short answer
Helicopter charter Hampshire uses Solent Airport at Lee-on-Solent, a 1,176 metre runway open 09:00 to 18:00 daily by prior permission, and Southampton Airport 10 nautical miles away. From Solent, Goodwood is about 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter against 34 by road, and Gatwick 25 to 30 against 1 hour 28. Send your date and weights for a quote.
Flying from Hampshire? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Solent Airport Daedalus (EGHF), Lee-on-Solent, 1,176 m asphalt runway, 09:00 to 18:00 daily, closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day
- Customs
- Border Force agreement for EU and Channel Islands flights; general aviation report at least 2 hours ahead
- Larger aircraft
- Southampton Airport, 10 nautical miles away; Farnborough is a jet-capable business airport 32 nautical miles away
- Solent to Southampton
- Helicopter about 10 to 15 minutes; car at least 26 minutes (15 miles)
- Solent to Goodwood
- Helicopter about 15 to 20 minutes; car at least 34 minutes (27 miles)
- Solent to Ascot
- Helicopter about 25 to 30 minutes; car at least 1h21 (66 miles)
- Solent to Gatwick
- Helicopter about 25 to 30 minutes; car at least 1h28 (70 miles)
Where Hampshire flights start and end
The map shows Solent Airport Daedalus and the other sites that serve Hampshire, 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. Solent Airport Daedalus is at Solent Airport Daedalus, Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. Open it in Google Maps.
Solent Airport Daedalus (Lee-on-Solent)
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Sites that serve Hampshire
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.
Solent Airport Daedalus (Lee-on-Solent) EGHF
- Address
- Solent Airport Daedalus, Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- 09:00–18:00 local, seven days a week; closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Out-of-hours movements need an indemnity agreement
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice (Border Force agreement – GAR at least 2 hours before)
- Runway
- 05/23 – 1,176 m × 30 m asphalt
Southampton Airport EGHI / SOU
- Address
- Southampton Airport, Wide Lane, Southampton
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Mon–Sat 06:30–22:00, Sun 07:30–22:00 local; PPR extension to 23:00; not a 24-hour airport.
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- Yes – on site (as airport hours; GAR notice 4 hours EU, 12 hours Channel Islands / Isle of Man, 24 hours non-EU)
- Runway
- 02/20 – 1,887 m × 36 m asphalt (grooved)
Helicopter charter SouthamptonOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Which Hampshire airfield suits which trip?
Helicopter charter Hampshire starts on the coast. Solent Airport, at the old naval air station at Lee-on-Solent, is owned by the local borough council and is a regulated aerodrome with a Border Force agreement for flights to and from the EU and the Channel Islands. Its 1,176 metre runway takes helicopters and turboprops easily and light jets possibly, though the airport does not publish jet handling, so we confirm acceptance for each flight. Jet A-1 and Avgas are available from 09:30.
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 larger aircraft or a scheduled connection, Southampton Airport is 10 nautical miles away, and Farnborough is the business jet airport at the other end of the county. Blackbushe is also in Hampshire, and we confirm its details directly with the airfield for each flight.
Journey times from Solent Airport Daedalus
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 10 nm (12 mi) | 10 to 15 min | 26 min (15 mi) | 13 min |
| Goodwood | 17 nm (20 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 34 min (27 mi) | 16 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 41 nm (47 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 21 min (66 mi) | 53 min |
| London Gatwick | 43 nm (50 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 28 min (70 mi) | 1 h |
| Epsom Downs | 46 nm (53 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 26 min (69 mi) | 58 min |
| London Heathrow | 48 nm (56 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 31 min (76 mi) | 1 h 01 min |
| London | 55 nm (63 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 38 min (76 mi) | 1 h 05 min |
| Oxford | 62 nm (71 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 45 min (86 mi) | 1 h 10 min |
| Bristol | 67 nm (77 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 2 h 23 min (98 mi) | 1 h 45 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 74 nm (85 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 14 min (106 mi) | 1 h 34 min |
| Silverstone | 76 nm (88 mi) | 40 to 45 min | 2 h 12 min (109 mi) | 1 h 29 min |
| Cardiff | 88 nm (101 mi) | 40 to 55 min | 3 h 13 min (160 mi) | 2 h 25 min |
| Cambridge | 98 nm (113 mi) | 45 to 60 min | 2 h 50 min (140 mi) | 1 h 57 min |
| Birmingham | 101 nm (116 mi) | 45 to 60 min | 2 h 49 min (144 mi) | 1 h 56 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 105 nm (120 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 2 h 52 min (149 mi) | 1 h 57 min |
| Norwich | 145 nm (167 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 01 min (203 mi) | 2 h 48 min |
| Manchester | 158 nm (181 mi) | 70 to 85 min | 4 h 34 min (225 mi) | 3 h 16 min |
| Liverpool | 163 nm (188 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 4 h 40 min (243 mi) | 3 h 20 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 172 nm (198 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 4 h 41 min (251 mi) | 3 h 16 min |
| Leeds | 184 nm (212 mi) | 80 to 100 min | 4 h 59 min (258 mi) | 3 h 29 min |
| York Racecourse | 188 nm (217 mi) | 80 to 105 min | 4 h 53 min (260 mi) | 3 h 20 min |
Times from Southampton Airport
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwood | 24 nm (27 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 41 min (36 mi) | 23 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 38 nm (43 mi) | 20 to 30 min | 1 h 02 min (53 mi) | 37 min |
| London Gatwick | 46 nm (52 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 34 min (79 mi) | 1 h 06 min |
| London Heathrow | 46 nm (53 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 16 min (66 mi) | 48 min |
| Epsom Downs | 47 nm (54 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 26 min (73 mi) | 58 min |
| Oxford | 53 nm (61 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 26 min (73 mi) | 53 min |
| London | 54 nm (62 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 39 min (81 mi) | 1 h 06 min |
| Bristol | 58 nm (66 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 2 h 04 min (85 mi) | 1 h 29 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 64 nm (73 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 55 min (93 mi) | 1 h 17 min |
| Silverstone | 69 nm (79 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 1 h 53 min (96 mi) | 1 h 13 min |
| Cardiff | 79 nm (91 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 54 min (147 mi) | 2 h 09 min |
| Birmingham | 91 nm (105 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 30 min (130 mi) | 1 h 40 min |
| Cambridge | 95 nm (109 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 35 min (130 mi) | 1 h 45 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 102 nm (117 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 2 h 37 min (139 mi) | 1 h 42 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.
The Solent in minutes
The Solent coast is a place where short air hops beat long road trips. Solent Airport to Southampton is about 10 to 15 minutes by helicopter against 26 by road, to Goodwood about 15 to 20 against 34, to Ascot about 25 to 30 against 1 hour 21, to Epsom about 25 to 30 against 1 hour 26 and to Gatwick about 25 to 30 against 1 hour 28. Bembridge on the Isle of Wight is only 8.9 nautical miles from Solent; see Isle of Wight and Cowes Week.
Those road times are free-flowing floors, and the M27 and A3 are slower in summer. See Goodwood, Glorious Goodwood and the Goodwood Revival for the neighbouring events.
Planning notes
Give us the date, the destination and each passenger's weight; arrive 10 minutes before departure and keep bags soft. Solent Airport closes at 18:00, so a late return needs an extension agreed in advance, and out-of-hours movements need an indemnity agreement. Sea fog and low cloud on the coast can delay a morning departure. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
The South Coast region page covers the area and the southern airfield directory lists every site.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Solent Airport Daedalus, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Where do helicopters land in Hampshire?
Solent Airport at Lee-on-Solent and Southampton Airport on the coast, and Farnborough in the north-east, depending on the destination and the aircraft.
How long is a helicopter from Solent Airport to Goodwood?
About 15 to 20 minutes, against at least 34 minutes by road.
Can a jet land at Solent Airport?
Possibly a light jet, but jet handling is not published, so we confirm acceptance for each flight. Southampton or Farnborough suit larger aircraft.
Does Solent Airport have customs?
A Border Force agreement covers EU and Channel Islands flights, with a general aviation report at least two hours ahead.
Can you land at Chewton Glen?
We arrange it for your date, subject to landing permission and site suitability.
What if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
