The short answer
Birmingham to Cheltenham takes about 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter. By road it is 57 miles and at least 1 hour 13 minutes free-flowing, so the helicopter typically saves about 51 minutes each way. Race days are the busiest time on this route, so the helipad request goes in early.
Quote Birmingham to Cheltenham Racecourse We reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Distance
- 34.3 nautical miles (40 statute miles) in a straight line
- Helicopter time
- 20 to 25 minutes
- Car time
- At least 1 hour 13 minutes free-flowing, 57 miles by road
- Typical time saved
- About 51 minutes each way
- Birmingham end
- Birmingham Airport, open 24 hours with two business aviation facilities; Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green for the west
- Cheltenham end
- Cheltenham Racecourse helipad by arrangement; Gloucestershire Airport (Staverton), weekdays 08:30 to 19:30
- Return journey
- The same time applies in the other direction
Birmingham to Cheltenham Racecourse on the map
The dashed line joins the main airfield or heliport at each end, with a ring at the midpoint. Real flights follow the sites at each end and the weather on the day.
The map could not load just now. Birmingham Airport to Gloucestershire Airport: about 34 nm in a straight line, 20 to 25 min by helicopter.
Helicopter against the car
Birmingham to Cheltenham: the numbers
Birmingham to Cheltenham by helicopter takes about 20 to 25 minutes, against at least 1 hour 13 minutes on the road.
The straight line is 34.3 nautical miles (40 statute miles). The road is 57 miles and 1 hour 13 minutes even when it flows freely, so the helicopter typically saves about 51 minutes each way. The M5 south of Birmingham is the slow part, and on a Festival day the roads into Cheltenham are slower still.
Likely departure and arrival sites
The sites we would normally use at each end, with the same figures worked out from the site itself.
| Site | Flying | Distance | Helicopter | By road |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City centre to city centre | Birmingham to Cheltenham Racecourse | 34 nm | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 13 min |
| Birmingham Airport | to Cheltenham Racecourse | 34 nm | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 11 min |
| Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport | to Cheltenham Racecourse | 37 nm | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 10 min |
| Gloucestershire Airport | to Birmingham | 37 nm | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 11 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse Helipad | to Birmingham | 34 nm | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 14 min |
Two ends, two choices
At the Birmingham end, the airport has a 3,052 metre runway and is open 24 hours, with customs, handling and fuel at any hour. Ground handling is mandatory and slots are cleared in advance, so we book the business aviation facility early; its terminal is apart from the main passenger building. Halfpenny Green, 19 nautical miles west, is a quieter helicopter option; see helicopter charter Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
At the Cheltenham end, the racecourse has a helipad used on race days, subject to permission. Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton has a 1,432 metre runway and strict prior permission with a slot. See helicopter charter Cheltenham.
Racing and the Festival
Birmingham is the nearest big city to Cheltenham Racecourse, and corporate guests and owners come from the whole Midlands. The Cheltenham racecourse page explains the meetings through the year. For other racing days, horse racing by helicopter covers the circuit. Silverstone is also 35 nautical miles from Birmingham; see Silverstone.
A same-day plan
- Leave Birmingham at 09:00, land at Cheltenham between 09:20 and 09:25.
- Racing, lunch or a business visit.
- Leave Cheltenham at 17:00, land at Birmingham between 17:20 and 17:25.
That is 40 minutes to 50 minutes in the air for the round trip. The same trip by car is at least 2 hours 26 minutes of driving, so the helicopter typically gives back about 1 hour 41 minutes across the day. On race days we agree the return slot first. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Beyond race days
Cheltenham is a business town as well as a racing one, and the Cotswolds hotels and country houses host corporate days all year. Landing at a hotel or an estate is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we ask the owner first. The route can continue to Oxford or London. For the ground, Executive Global Travel can arrange cars at either end.
Where the figures come from
For Birmingham to Cheltenham the straight-line distance is 34.3 nautical miles. At a cruise of 135 knots that is about 15 minutes; we add 8 minutes for start-up, climb and the approach, which gives a block time of about 23 minutes, and we show it as a range, 10 per cent shorter to 12 per cent longer, rounded to the nearest five minutes. The road figure is the free-flowing time from a routing engine, so it is a floor. Real journeys on the day are usually slower. The other routes are on the UK helicopter routes page, and helicopter against car journey times explains the comparison.
Flying the other way
The figures are the same in both directions: Cheltenham Racecourse to Birmingham is 34 nm in a straight line and 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter. The car takes at least 1 hour 13 minutes (57 miles).
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to fly from Birmingham to Cheltenham?
About 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter.
How long is the drive from Birmingham to Cheltenham?
At least 1 hour 13 minutes for 57 miles, free-flowing. Real journeys are usually slower.
Can I land at Cheltenham Racecourse from Birmingham?
Yes, on race days subject to permission. We book the helipad with your flight.
What is the alternative site?
Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton, with a car for the last stretch.
What happens if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
