Trip Reports Forum | My 30th Birthday Helicopter flight from Redhill

Hi, for my 30th Birthday present on 5th September i went on a London Sightseeing Helicopter from Redhill near Gatwick, all around London which was really cool! I went on G-ORKY, a red and yellow AS 350 Squirrel which was a lovelly helicopter which can seat 5 people at a time including the pilot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967807311/sizes/z/in/set-72157624778060295/

Its my first time in a Helicopter and i have always wanted to experience being in one, its so close to Gatwick that the planes bank around after takeoff, in this instance using easterly operations.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967810589/sizes/z/in/set-72157624778060295/

(For some reason, Flickr has gone weird, any reason why is it due to security issues? anyway pressing on using only the links iam afraid.)

My family went with me and i went into a room with 3 other passengers for the briefing which is simular to the safety briefing you get before you takeoff in a passenger plane and then Rick, our pilot for the day introduced himself and we got into G-ORKY yippee!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967850487/in/set-72157624778060295/

Rick let me sit in the front as it was my Birthday which was very nice of him. I did a video of the takeoff here and you can hear Rick communicating with Redhill Tower.



I had my Canon 1000D with 70-300mm Lens and Fuji S2000HD with me and found out that using my Fuji was better due to the Canon getting blurry, there was not much room to interchange lenses so kept it at that, plus it keeps the Canon insides clean if you dont change lenses.

Gatwick just after we took off.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967816031/in/set-72157624778060295/

Then we headed over Reigate and over Surrey towards the Heathrow control zone where we requested to cross so we could get to the rover Thames.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968462852/in/set-72157624778060295/

I was really enoying the flight and didnt always take photos all the time because i wanted to enjoy the experience thats good isnt it.

We reach London and the Thames.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968465858/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968466796/in/set-72157624778060295/

London certainly looks beautiful from the air and even better by Helicopter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967860495/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968471348/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967864539/in/set-72157624778060295/

The most important bits of London yippee!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968475250/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967868743/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968477948/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968479450/in/set-72157624778060295/

Short video i made, note i didnt use Foxy due to not having much room but that didnt matter because i was having such a great time.



Coming up to Canary Wharf and Milennium Dome (i still call it that, better name for it) and London City Airport and Isle of Dogs area.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967872675/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967876717/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968485938/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967824867/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968433652/in/set-72157624778060295/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967826687/in/set-72157624778060295/

Then we turned south again over Greenwich and started to head back to Redhill again and i had a nice long chat with Rick about how he looks out for other aircraft, then we see a Virgin 747 just leaving Gatwick heading for us! He has us on TCAS Rick said so he decenced a bit to let him pass over us very safely. I took some photos of the 747 but they were waaaay too blurry, dont think Canon and long lenses are suitable for photography from the air lol!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967881991/in/set-72157624778060295/

We pass over a busy railway station, i forgot which one Rick said it was.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967891743/in/set-72157624778060295/

Me enjoying the flight, i could make a really cool Helicopter pilot, or scare many people lol!!!!!

My Snoopy, rarely seen in YouTube videos because hes so special i leave him at home, being given to me when i was only 30 minutes old!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968502112/in/set-72157624778060295/

Interesting clouds.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968506930/in/set-72157624778060295/

Heading back to Redhill Airfield.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4967910361/in/set-72157624778060295/

We passed over quite a few golf courses.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968440472/in/set-72157624778060295/

Theres Redhill, i didnt know it had an 08L and 08R and Heli runway, i do now lol!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968444068/in/set-72157624778060295/

Heres the landing video, stopped just before landing due to having to get out quick.



It was a very quick turnaround after we landed, soon as we got off, another 4 people got off and Rick didnt even turn the rotor off lol! must be a busy day taking lots of people around London and back.

Here is Rick and GORKY taking back to the air after 5 minutes on the ground.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/4968531972/in/set-72157624778060295/

All photos here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21967655@N08/sets/72157624778060295/with/4968531972/

Hope you all enjoyed that, feel free to comment, i had a really great time and had a wonderful 30th Birthday and i feel great.

Looks like you had an awesome time. Love the arial shots of London. Always try to get some when on approach to LHR (but usually can't due to the weather). Thought about doing one of those short flights from Barton near Manchester too, would be awesome to get some arial shots of the places I grew up i.e. Leigh.