Our senior helicopter broker, Edward Mayhew, remembers the highlights of the Air Charter Service Helipad at Cheltenham Festival, including an email from the Royals Family’s operations team.
Air Charter Service Helipad a resounding success at Cheltenham Races
As proud partners of the Jockey Club, we sponsored the helipad at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. Over the four-day event, our team at the Air Charter Service Helipad welcomed almost 350 helicopters and thousands of visitors, who enjoyed impeccable service and an exclusive route to and from the racecourse.
“This was the smoothest helipad experience I’ve been a part of,” says our senior helicopter broker, Edward Mayhew. “The Royal Family’s operations team even commended us on the level of professionalism at the Air Charter Service Helipad.”
What was the Air Charter Service Helipad experience for visitors?
“Guests arriving by helicopter were greeted by a member of our team,” explains Edward. "They were then escorted to the ACS Helipad terminal, where their race day tickets were scanned and they were given their departure details for after the event.
"Visitors were offered tea, coffee and snacks from the complimentary bar before heading to the exit, where a chauffeured Bentley was waiting to drive them to the racecourse – dropping them off right at the heart of the action between the Parade Ring and the Guinness Village. All in all, guests could reach the grandstand within 10 minutes of landing.
“When it was time to leave, guests were chauffeured back to the helipad and welcomed by one of our team. After a few minutes, their pilot would confirm the aircraft was ready to depart and we’d escort them to their helicopter.”
What was the highlight of the event?
“One of the best moments was seeing the Queen Consort flying in by helicopter,” says Edward. “It’s always special to come into close contact with royalty. But perhaps an even prouder moment came a few days later when the Royal Family’s operations team got in touch to commend us on the level of professionalism at our helipad.
“Ultimately, I’m just over the moon with how smoothly everything went and the feedback we received. Thanks to the team’s efforts at Cheltenham, we’ve already confirmed numerous helicopter charter bookings for events later in the year.”
What’s next for the ACS Helipad?
“Continuing our partnership with the Jockey Club, our next event is at Aintree for the Grand National from the 13th of April,” says Edward. “Once again, the team and I will be at the ACS Helipad to welcome guests as they arrive.
“After that, we look forward to operating at more summer events such as Royal Ascot, Glastonbury and Silverstone. It’s definitely an exciting year for our helicopter and private jet divisions!”
Whether you need a helicopter charter to any of these events or want to charter a private jet for your next getaway or business trip, contact one of our team today.