Introduction

Helicopter operations at London Stansted Airport are daily occurrences and as with fixed wing aircraft operations, they conform to many operating restrictions, industry codes of best practice and legislation relating to their safe operation. London Stansted Airport is a 24-hour operation and as such, helicopters can operate at any time, and they depart and arrive using the runway.

Most helicopters operating at London Stansted Airport operate under ‘Visual Flight Rules’ and do not fly the Noise Preferential Routes (NPRs) when departing as commercial jet aircraft do. Similarly, helicopters do not arrive in the usual patterns seen with commercial jet aircraft. The pilot navigates using “visual” ground-based features such as roads and rivers which are clearly identifiable from the air. These visual features will not be as visible at night and so many helicopters are now equipped with satellite navigation
equipment which includes a database of all navigation features, including these ground-based features.

The government has set restrictions on the numbers and types of aircraft that can operate throughout the night, these restrictions also apply to helicopters. More information can be found on the ‘Night Flights’ page.

Minimum operating heights for helicopters

Helicopters operate in accordance with the low flying rules contained within The Rules of the Air Regulations 2007 – these state that except with the written permission of the Civil Aviation Authority, an aircraft flying over a congested area of a city, town or settlement shall not fly below a height of 1000ft above the highest fixed obstacle within a horizontal radius of 600 metres of the aircraft.
There are exemptions to the low flying rules when departing or landing at an aerodrome, they include Police and Air Ambulance helicopters which have special dispensation to operate safely at lower levels and may also hover for extended periods. Military helicopters (and aircraft) are not governed by these civil regulations.

Maximum operating heights for helicopters

The maximum height that helicopters can operate in controlled airspace around the airport is 2000ft. There is a safety requirement for helicopters and other light aircraft to remain a safe vertical and lateral distance away from other aircraft at all times.