2021: The Year of the Staycation – A British Getaway
As the Minsters of the UK announce the gradual easing of the lockdown restrictions and it appears these are being eased before international ones, now is the time to plan and look forward to a getaway in a country that is blessed with fantastic places to stay, whether coastal or countryside.
Whilst we normally set our sights on places further afield, the British Isles has a tremendous offering of incredible locations catering for everyone’s pleasure. Luxury hotels and cottages are spread across the British Isles, just waiting to be discovered. From Lands End to John O’Groats and beyond, there is no shortage of places to visit.
There are many picturesque locations generally away from built up areas and major transport links. This can make driving to them a lengthy and tiring experience; especially if you are planning on a trip to other end of the country. Travelling from London to the border of Scotland will take you at least seven hours.
There are substantial benefits for travelling by helicopter for a staycation as it will vastly reduce your journey time. It is possible for a helicopter to land in secluded, remote locations. Many high-end hotels have their own helipads for guests to arrive and depart from. Whether it be for a long weekend or a weeklong escape, flying by helicopter allows you to spend more time enjoying your trip and less time travelling. Enjoy a glass of champagne, and have the best seat to see the magnificent views of the scenery below.
The media have noticeably reported that staycations across the UK are on the increase and are popular for 2021. Consequently, many are booking now as part of the pleasure provided by a holiday is the anticipation and something to look forward to.
For a little inspiration, here are a few of Britain’s finest destinations:
The Gleneagles Hotel – Auchterarder, Perthshire
Bovey Castle – Newton Abbot, Devon
Stapleford Park – Stapleford, Leicestershire
Armathwaite Hall – Bassenthwaite, Cumbria
The Torridon - Wester Ross - North Scotland
The H155 Joins the Fleet
A new aircraft joins the GB Helicopters fleet, the Airbus H155. This luxury aircraft is one of the most technologically advanced helicopters in the world. It will serve our VIP charter clients and is based out of Stansted Airport.
The Gold Standard
The H155 is the epitome of luxury helicopter travel. With a level of comfort and refinement that you'd find in a private jet, it caters primarily to the VVIPs. It can carry up to six passengers in full leather seats, in one of the most spacious cabins available in its class. This, combined with its interior soundproofing and shrouded Fenestron tail rotor, provides one of the quietest, smoothest and most comfortable rides possible.
It also boasts one of the largest cargo holds for helicopters of this size. Allowing you to carry that much more with you, making it ideal for airport transfers or getaways to anywhere in the country and northern Europe.
It has a cruising speed of 155KTS and a range of over 400NM, making it the fastest and longest range helicopter in our fleet.
Safety Built In
Designed and built with enhanced safety in mind, the twin-engine H155 features an all glass cockpit, advanced avionics and autopilot assist the pilots in their job of keeping you safe. This makes the helicopter IFR capable, meaning it can fly safely and comfortably at night and in adverse weather conditions.
London Based
With its home at Stansted Airport, it is ideally located for people flying into and out of London for business or pleasure. Within minutes of taking off, it can be over central London and land at London Heliport moments later. This makes the H155 perfect for picking up important guests from London's airports and bringing them to you in style.
Helicopter Business Travel
It isn’t every day that your commute makes it to the papers for positive reasons.
Most Monday morning commutes are mundane, frustrating and tiresome according to the latest TUC study. Statistics state there are over three million commuters who travel over two hours each day within the UK; so its no wonder that it's not always a pleasant experience.
But, unlike everyone else, one of our passengers managed to capture some amazing shots of England’s capital as it loomed in fog. Beautiful, stunning images which even made it to The Telegraph, The Times and The Sun.
The fog caused further commute delays on the ground but above the clouds our clients were able to get across the UK quickly and efficiently. Staying relaxed and focused for the day of meetings ahead, they also managed to absorb the scenic surroundings, encapsulating just one of the beauties of business travel via helicopter.
Although The Shard and other high-rise buildings were captured peaking out through low lingering fog is not an everyday sight, a calm comforting environment, and beautifully scenery remains one of the many benefits of utilising helicopters for executive business travel.
Business helicopter charters are fully flexible and work around your schedule and needs.
Allowing you to maximise your time in the office or at a meeting. It also allows you to visit multiple sites in one day, cover large distances in limited timeframes, and avoid the heavily congestive roads and rail during the peak commute times.
Many of our business charter clients choose to do the London commute from Manchester or surrounding areas. Taking merely 1 hour. Our twin-engine helicopters can also support the added convenience of taking you door to door* so there are no airports, waiting lounges or other unnecessary distractions on your journey.
The privacy allows you to relax, in the comfort of the luxury leather interior or utilise the time for reviewing your meeting notes and business planning.
If you are interested in how business helicopter charters could benefit you and your business, contact our operations team at 0800 030 4105 or email us at ops@gbconcierge.co.uk.
* Minimum of 30m2 clear space for landing.
