Helicopter training across Nottinghamshire
From Worksop in the north to Bingham in the south, Nottinghamshire is served by a single helicopter training school at Nottingham Airport. Whichever end of the county you are in, the drive is manageable and the A1 and A46 do most of the work.
Getting here
The airfield sits at Tollerton on the south-east side of Nottingham, which puts it within easy reach of the whole county. Southwell and Bingham are a short run; Newark comes down the A46 or A1; Mansfield, Worksop and Retford come south on the A60 or A1. Northern Nottinghamshire is the longest journey at around fifty minutes, which is still comfortably a weekly trip.
Nottinghamshire is a good place to learn rotary flying. The training area away from the city gives you room to work, and the county is full of the sort of landmarks that make navigation exercises stick in the memory rather than being abstract lines on a chart.
Open country east and south of the airfield means practice areas that are quiet and close, not a long transit away.
The Trent, the A1, Newark, Southwell Minster and the Vale of Belvoir give you real features to navigate by.
The R22, R44, R66 and Bell 206 JetRanger are all on the fleet, so progression does not mean changing county.
Where to start
If you are coming from the north of the county, it is worth planning slightly longer sessions so the drive earns its keep. Tell us where you are travelling from and we will build the timetable around it.
The usual first step, with a briefing and time on the controls.
Read more →Every course, from PPL(H) to advanced ratings.
Read more →For pilots who already hold a licence.
Read more →Costs, hours and timescales explained honestly.
Read more →Frequently asked questions
There may be schools nearer to Worksop or Retford, and we would rather you checked. Visit a couple, ask about aircraft availability and instructor continuity, and choose on more than distance alone. Plenty of our students make the run down the A1 quite happily.
Training flights use the areas and routes appropriate to the exercise, and always within the rules and the airfield procedures. Navigation exercises take you well across the county and often beyond it.
Talk to us about hangarage and what is currently available. Several of our pilots have gone from training with us to owning and basing an aircraft here, and we can also help you find the right machine.
About once a week is the pattern that works for most people and commonly leads to a licence in around 12 to 18 months. Longer gaps mean re-covering ground you had already made.
Travelling from Nottinghamshire?
Wherever you are in the county, come and see the place first. Ring us and we will make sure someone is free to show you round properly.