Cabair Helicopters approach 30th Anniversary - flying the flag Cabair Helicopters operate with the efficiency and professionalism that you would reasonably expect to see in a company which has been established for thirty years. They retain a unique customer-friendliness more often associated with a family firm – something very important to the Cabair ethos. Very soon they will be celebrating a landmark anniversary, and the Team can look back on a distinguished record of service to the industry and its many clients from all over the globe. Cabair Helicopters commenced serving the City of London in 1978 and began to provide executive charter services using Bell Jet Rangers. Today it commands a fleet which includes: 4 x AS 355 Twin Squirrels (3 x IFR & 1 x VFR) 1 x AS 350 Single Squirrel 2 x EC 120 Colibri (1 x floated & 1 x non floated) 1 x B206 Jet Ranger 2 x R44 Clipper II (both are floated) Based mainly at Elstree Aerodrome in North London, charter services have been the main stay throughout Cabair Helicopter’s existence, and rarely a day goes by when one of their helicopters isn’t flying from London on a vital business trip within the UK or further afield. Most business clients book blocks of flight time in advance to ensure a more cost-effective first class private charter service. Transporting owners and trainers to the calendar’s busiest horse racing events at Cheltenham, Ascot, Goodwood and Epsom create some hectic periods upon which Cabair’s enthusiastic staff thrive. There is always a distinct buzz in the air when one of the major events gets underway, such as the British Grand Prix at Silverstone or the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch – especially when we have the likes of a Brit such as Lewis Hamilton in contention! Cabair Helicopters has expanded its range of services both locally and nationwide. Sight-seeing trips over the capital are flown every weekend throughout the year. Regular Medevac flights provide the opportunity for the aircraft to take on a more serious and important roll providing a vital service to the community. Other services include aerial filming or film location reconnaissance, and more recently, Cabair Helicopters have become the UK’s soul provider of under-slung advertising. You may well have seen one of their helicopters heaving a huge and impressive flag around the skies of London at a major event or show. Over 250 hours a year are flown carrying these advertising flags, and they are justifiably proud to have been awarded the contract for flying these flags all over the UK. Says Chief Helicopter Pilot Rod Wood: “Wherever we go the flag always generates a good deal of interest from ATC, the airfields we use as launch sites, other aviators, crews of the commercial airliners, and the public in general. Feedback from advertisers is always positive, and it is proving to be a task that Cabair helicopters has pleasure undertaking, and as always, we ensure safety comes first – as it does with all our other varied operations.” With the thirtieth birthday imminent, Director Simon Cooper is rightly proud of his staff and fleet: “Cabair Helicopters has always had a steady loyal backbone of charter customers, and we hope that this will be the way for many more years to come. Besides the wide range of services which we offer and continue to expand on, we are very much operating as an FBO, concentrating on fleet management in particular. Our fleet has always been a good balance of new and pre-owned, all carefully chosen specifically to ensure cost effectiveness, durability, and taking into account important factors such as fuel consumption. Our fleet management services aim to ensure we and our owners get the best out of the aircraft at all times.”