Pennine Helicopters

2011 Round Up!

penninehelis — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:56:29 +0000

It’s been a busy year for us at Pennine Helicopters, so we thought we’d compile a quick list of what we’ve been up to over the past 12 months.

In February our LongRanger Helicopter G LEEZ played a part in a Suzuki promo video shoot. We suggested the dramatic local backdrop of Chew Valley above Greenfield would look a great location.The car had to be completely stripped to weigh less than 500 kgs so we were able to comfortably airlift it. The Engine, suspension, full steering rack, fuel tank, and even doors on one side were removed! Flying with the car was a delicate operation to say the least. We’re really proud of the end product though as the footage looks fantastic.

We were called to our first moorland fire of 2011 in March (very early!). Located on Grassington Moor in the Yorkshire Dales, the controlled burn by the game keepers got out of control and a heather fire the size of ten football pitches was well ablaze, on a valuable, well known Grouse moor. Within 30 minutes of G-LEEZ arriving with our revolutionary fire fighting bucket, it had been dampened down and a reccee flight with Fire Service personnel confirmed the fire no longer poised a danger.

We were called in to assist Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service with a large fire at Belmont. Fortunately we were able to prevent the fire from taking out an area of forest and although fire fighters had returned to the scene to monitor the situation, natural fire breaks contained the remaining fire.

We were featured on the BBC website as news of the Ovenden Fire above Halifax spread in May. The devastation to the area was horrendous; it was set alight by some local youngsters. It is so serious at that time of year for the newborn wildlife.

We flew student Daniel Roberts and his friends to Cansfield High Prom night, the lads had a fantastic time and had this to say : “Thank you for one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life, taking me to my prom in a helicopter was incredible everybody who was in it had the most amazing time and everybody watching could not believe what they were witnessing. The ride to the prom was an absolute pleasure, no problems what so ever, a pleasurable experience all round.”

We were delighted to be involved in Cheryl & Andy Banner’s wedding in too, the entire wedding was planned around the helicopter – contact was first made with us 18 months prior to the big day – the choice of church was governed by which site was best for the helicopter and everything was colour co-ordinated around G-LEEZ, even down to the colour of the car to take them from the church to the helicopter pick-up location and the brides bouquet!

We flew from The Grouse at Glossop in July, and had the pleasure of meeting up again with an original 617 Squadron Member, now in his 90th year, on our famous Dambuster’s Run. Joe was a Flight Engineer on one of the Lancaster planes. We first made contact some years ago when a flight was purchased by his friends in 2007 from the East Lancs. Railway, at Ramsbottom, where he used to work as a volunteer, to celebrate his 85th birthday. When he flew last time with us, he had never been over the Derwent Valley since the test flights prior to the 1943 raids and it was quite a poignant moment.

We were asked to help out (and make a short cameo appearance) in “Harold’s Going Stiff” which is an independent feature film written & directed by Keith Wright and produced by Richard Guy. Filmed entirely on location near Penistone, South Yorkshire, Harold’s Going Stiff is a unique take on the Zombie genre. Pennine Helicopters were approached to help with a particular scene which involved a zombie being chased across a field and shot at from their helicopter.

“The scene always gets a great reaction from audiences as the zombie is finally brought down in a bloody mess.” says Richard Guy, a producer from Frisson Film (www.frissonfilm.co.uk). He also added - “I was extremely impressed with Pennine Helicopter’s during filming. They’re experience of film crews allowed us to get the shots we required efficiently, safely and with a smile.”

We’re currently having a short break over the Christmas period, obviously the weather tends to be hit and miss at this time of year, and we would much prefer to give our passengers a pleasure flight instead of a terror flight!

In the meantime, you can still book with us for a Christmas present – why not treat someone to a flight with one of our gift packs? (www.penninehelis.co.uk/gift.php)

See all available options on our website at http://www.penninehelis.co.uk/

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at Pennine Helicopters. Here’s to 2012!

Pennine Helicopters & Weddings

penninehelis — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:53:20 +0000

We had an amazing email yesterday with photos from a couple, Cheryl & Andy Banner who we did a wedding for way back in June this year.

The wedding was planned around the helicopter – contact was first made with us 18 months prior to the big day – the choice of church was governed by which site was best for the helicopter and everything was colour co-ordinated around G-LEEZ, even down to the colour of the car to take them from the church to the helicopter pick-up location and the brides bouquet!

Pennine Helicopters and………Zombies?

penninehelis — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:35:07 +0000

We were recently asked to help out (and make a short cameo appearance) in “Harold’s Going Stiff” which is an independent feature film written & directed by Keith Wright and produced by Richard Guy.

Filmed entirely on location near Penistone, South Yorkshire, Harold’s Going Stiff is a unique take on the Zombie genre. It will be screened next month at Sheffield’s biggest horror film festival, Celluloid Screams at the Showroom Cinema. (http://www.celluloidscreams.co.uk/)

Pennine Helicopters were approached to help with a particular scene which involved a zombie being chased across a field and shot at from their helicopter.

“The scene always gets a great reaction from audiences as the zombie is finally brought down in a bloody mess.” says Richard Guy, a producer from Frisson Film (www.frissonfilm.co.uk). He also added -
“I was extremely impressed with Pennine Helicopter’s during filming. They’re experience of film crews allowed us to get the shots we required efficiently, safely and with a smile.”

Here’s a short trailer for the film

You can find the Facebook Page for the film and the actual screening of the Premier in Sheffield here

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111112105662769

http://www.facebook.com/stiffmovie

Enjoy!

Return of Billy the Boar!

penninehelis — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:26:55 +0000

As we mentioned last week, Billy the Boar, pet pig of The Grouse in Glossop had previously escaped!

Billy was spotted last Friday 26^th August by the local Gamekeeper, Fred Mitchinson, near the golf course at the bottom of the Snake Road. A phone call to Arthur, landlord at the Grouse, resulted in a bucket tempting him home for a relatively short walk, compared to his treks of the last week!! Needless to say he had lost a fair bit of weight but is now home at the Animal Zoo, back with his friends. Thanks to all who looked for ‘Billy the Boar’.

Missing Pig!

penninehelis — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:18:22 +0000

We flew from the Grouse at Glossop last Sunday and pilot Chris and the passengers were asked to keep an eye out for the pubs pet pig (which is actually a wild boar) who disappeared from their animal farm at the pub, the week before. A sighting had been made on the adjacent Kinder Scout and Snake Summit last week.

Billy is still proving to be illusive but can rest assured he is not going to end up as sausages but a pub pet. The National Trust plus fencing contractors working on the Kinder fence line are keeping a look out.

Have you seen Billy? Any info would be much appreciated!

Special Occasion Flights

penninehelis — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:48:32 +0000

Why not arrange a flight for a date and time to suit your individual requirements?
Flights of 15, 20 and 30 minutes duration available
Up to 6 passengers per flight
Ideal for special occasions – the helicopter arrives unannounced, a member of uniformed staff enters the pub and surprises the unsuspecting awaiting passengers with news of the flight to be whisked away and return to the pub for a culinary delight in a relaxing atmosphere.

A perfect way to:

Celebrate a family occasion
Propose with a difference
Hold a unique children’s party
Entertain an important client
Arrange a small business meeting or office party ‘nonpareil’!

Available from:

The Ram’s Head, Saddleworth – a super 400 year old country pub (reputedly haunted) offering fine food, wine, real ale, log fires and ‘The Pantry’ a delightful, tempting food sales outlet. 01457 874802.
The Nont Sarah Hotel at Scammonden. 01484 842848.
The Huntsman at Holmfirth. 01484 850205.
The Pennine Manor, Huddersfield 01484 642368.

(please see our LOCATIONS information for further details)

Prices shown below include VAT, insurance and a flight certificate for all passengers

15 min exclusive Flight		£715.00
20 min exclusive Flight		£955.00
30 min exclusive Flight		£1,235.00

Ring Now To Book!

01457 820152 01457 877833
Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 2.00pm

Pennine Helicopters Ltd
Oakdene Farm
Saddleworth
Greater Manchester
OL3 5LU

Click here to email

Blues Experience

penninehelis — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 18:17:49 +0000

The ideal flight for any true Manchester City fan!
Fly from CITY AIRPORT MANCHESTER (BARTON) to make an unforgettable journey over Manchester’s newest football stadium, home to Manchester City since August 2003.
Enjoy a flight of approximately 20 minutes, reaching a height of 1500 feet, to obtain a fantastic aerial view of ‘Eastlands’, Salford Quays and some of Manchester’s other major landmarks.
Bring a camera to commemorate the event!
Available on selected weekends throughout the year. Please see our list of DATES AND VENUES for forthcoming dates. Unfortunately, due to air traffic restrictions, this tour is not available whilst matches are in progress.

33 mile flight
(approx 20 minutes)

£ 155.00

This price is per person, to include VAT, Insurance and a Flight Certificate.

Please give us a call if you require any further information or to book.

Ring now to book!

01457 820152 01457 877833
Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 2.00pm

Pennine Helicopters Ltd
Oakdene Farm
Saddleworth
Greater Manchester
OL3 5LU

Click here to email

Monthly Photo Competition

penninehelis — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:40:56 +0000

Here’s the latest entry for our monthly photo competition. Its a fantastic shot and you can clearly see Chris and Charlotte in action inside too!

Don’t forget, if you’ve got any photos of your flights with us or of G-LEEZ – send them in and you could be in with a chance of winning a flight. Our email address is helicopters@penninehelis.co.uk

Fire Fighting Info

penninehelis — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:52:55 +0000

We get a lot of questions about our fire fighting jobs, so we thought we should post this informative article – I think we’ve covered just about everything!

AERIAL FIRE FIGHTING SERVICE

Pennine are located in the heart of a vast open moorland area and have an excellent reputation for offering a quick response in dealing with moorland / forest fires, utilising a unique ‘Kestrel’ bucket, in association with the company’s Bell LongRanger helicopter. This bucket is used extensively on the Continent, however we own and operate the only one in this country.

The implementation of the Crow Act, granting the public much wider access to moorland areas, greatly increases the risk of fires in these areas, both accidental and deliberate, and Pennine are ideally situated to assist with the additional demands this places on the Fire Service. Pennine are also able to provide a full back-up service, including:

Experienced ground crew
Ground support LandRover 110
Ancillary lifting equipment
Two mobile fuel bowsers
110 High Capacity Land Rover Pick-Up
Ground to air radios
Satellite telephone communication
Kestrel Bucket
Bambi bucket
Portable dam
‘Pennine Pump’

1) WHY USE A HELICOPTER?

· Quick response – always essential in fire fighting situations

· Aerial reconnaissance to assess the situation, enabling the most effective deployment of resources

· Rapid transfer of staff to otherwise inaccessible locations, both reducing the risk of fatigue and injury caused by walking, and enabling fire fighting from the ground to commence more quickly

· Delivery of equipment, e.g. pumps, mobile dams, which would otherwise not be transportable to remote locations

· Supplying water to and water bombing the immediate source of fire

· Ability to ferry food and water to staff for sustenance on longer jobs

· Targeted and effective fire management, either to assist ground staff in containing the fire rapidly, or to address areas considered too hazardous for staff on the ground to tackle.

2) TYPE OF HELICOPTER

Our Bell LongRanger helicopter (one of only five of its type in this country) is comfortably capable of lifting 550kg. The power and manoeuvrability of the machine makes it a very fast and efficient helicopter for fire fighting work. As a six passenger helicopter, it is useful for ferrying firemen, gamekeepers, staff, etc. onto the moor to inaccessible places where the fire has arisen and for returning them to base at the end of a hard-working day!

We are a ‘Public Transport’ category of company, having our own ‘Air Operators Licence’ and as such are legally allowed to transport passengers on fire fighting operations. Helicopter companies merely operating under an ‘Aerial Work Licence’ are not allowed to carry any passengers, even press FOC, for media coverage. The helicopter operates with one hour’s fuel on board plus a reserve of half an hour.

3) THE KESTREL BUCKET

The major difference between the Kestrel bucket we operate and conventional buckets is the control we have over the water. A helicopter is a very expensive piece of equipment to hire and charges by the hour. With fire fighting the bulk of the time is taken up collecting water and returning to the fire, with only a small percentage of the time actually spent discharging water. If the water is not discharged 100% effectively then the whole of the time spent on that one cycle is wasted.

The Kestrel bucket is able to make each cycle 100% effective by controlling and interrupting the flow of water at will, unlike a conventional bucket which, once the flow of water has started, cannot be controlled and more importantly cannot be stopped if the water misses the target, or to conserve water for other areas.

It works extremely successfully on heather fires, where the intensity of the heat makes it difficult to tackle the fire from the ground and on peat fires, where the force of dumping a load of water in one amount often causes small cinders to spread, resulting in subsidiary fires.

Technical Details:

> 500 litre capacity

> Controlled spray discharge 20 x 200 metres in 20 – 120 seconds (adjustable)

> Rapid dump discharge 25 x 35 metres in 3 seconds

> Filling is by dunking in lake, river, portable dam, or by hose from hydrant/tanker

> The unit will also disperse other liquids and powders

The Kestrel further maximises its efficiency when releasing a controlled spray of water which, unlike a constant stream, is diffused and therefore converts more readily to steam – one of the most effective agents to starve a fire of oxygen and rapidly extinguish the blaze. Clearly it can be seen that whilst the Kestrel is a very much more sophisticated and expensive piece of equipment than conventional buckets, its effectiveness is infinitely superior, resulting in a lower hire charge for the helicopter and very much less fire damage to the environment.

4) GROUND SUPPORT

We provide a ground support fuel unit, comprised of a 110 Land Rover towing one of our two specialist aviation fuel bowsers, capable of holding 2200 litres of fuel, with a 30m hose. The bowser ensures the integrity of the fuel and enables the overall weight to be kept low, therefore giving the helicopter plenty of spare power.

H1 Category fire and rescue equipment, to cover public transport work, is housed in the Land Rover together with emergency spill kits. Ground crew with ground to air radios are provided together with additional radios for your staff, if required, to liaise direct with the pilot. Satellite telephone communication is also available for ‘blackspot’ locations.

5) CALL OUT

To activate our system, a telephone call to our office is required from an authorised member of your staff, or if out of hours, our duty officer may be contacted on our 24 hour emergency service line. If you are not a regular client we would usually require an order confirmation to be faxed through and signed to accept liability for payment. At this stage too, detailed information is required on the location of the fire.

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a fire we realise how important it is to you to extinguish it as quickly as possible and to this end we will endeavour to get to your fire as soon as possible, eg. at daybreak, if your call is during the night.

Head Office >> General Enquiries >> (01457) 820152

Head Office >> Pleasure Flights >> (01457) 877833

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Priority/Immediate Response >> Office Hours >> (01457) 874774

Duty Officer (land line) >> Out of Hours >> (01457) 874774

Duty Officer (mobile) >> Out of Hours >> (07887) 947945

Duty Pilot (mobile) >> Out of Hours >> (07966) 406173

6) PREPARATION BY PHL

The location of the fire is plotted on an O.S.

map in our office, (we have a full library of

maps for the whole country), and from this

a suitable water pick-up point is selected.

This site is chosen for the size of the

reservoir / lake, a good access road for our

ground support vehicle, a flat area for the

helicopter to land for refuelling with no

overhead wires / telephone cables etc. The

ground crew then set out for the pick-up

point, with a police escort if necessary.

7) PREPARATION BY YOURSELF

A member of your staff is sent to the pick-up point to unlock any access gates and if necessary meet our ground crew to advise of any priority areas. Our ground crew brief any persons working near or around the helicopter on the code of safety to be observed. We do have our own document entitled ‘Helicopter Safety for Aerial Fire Fighting Operations’. We are happy to organise Training Days or Evening Sessions for personnel.

It is essential that when the helicopter is on the ground with rotors running that no member of your staff approaches the helicopter without first being given the OK (thumbs up) by the pilot or having been authorised by our ground crew.

8) ARRIVAL OF UNIT

The helicopter will rendezvous with the ground crew at the pick-up point, usually with the fire fighting bucket underslung. Any priority messages can be passed to the pilot by radio. Usually at this stage a senior officer in the Fire Service / gamekeeper would embark the helicopter for a reconnaissance flight over the fire, to assess the situation, followed by transfer of personnel and equipment to the area, if required. Aerial application of water would then begin.

9) TACKLING THE FIRE

The helicopter, having picked up water, moves to the fire and tracking along the advancing front of the fire, sprays the area with water. This takes out the immediate heat of the fire. A beater on the ground is well placed here to beat out any small fires left once the helicopter has drenched the area with water. This process is repeated until the fire is extinguished.

10) ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT

We have available the ‘Pennine Pump’ (UK Patent Application No 0319369.5). This is a self-contained unit which features a 220 litre water tank, powered by a petrol engine, together with hoses / lance, equipped with fire beaters. It also has a compartment for other equipment such as breathing apparatus, first aid kit and refreshments etc.

The unit is suitable for airlifting, together with personnel, to the source of the fire for an immediate attack, or for using the lance application on deep seated fires, to inject water directly into the peat. The pump is designed to be refilled by the client or the Fire Service, with the assistance of our ground crew and then flown to whichever location is required.

In addition to the Kestrel Bucket described earlier in this document we also operate a 455 litre Bambi Bucket for filling portable reservoirs located out on the fire site. We also offer a large portable dam, for filling by the Fire Service, to facilitate an on-site water source to work with our buckets, together with a vast array of certified lifting equipment – nets, bags, slings etc to fly out pumps etc.

11) CHARGES

The hourly rate for the helicopter is £950.00 inclusive of fuel. The daily rate / part of, for the Kestrel Bucket is £450.00. The Bambi Bucket is FOC. The daily rate / part of, for the ground support fuel unit with crew and ancillary lifting equipment is £450.00. The daily rate / part of, rate for the ‘Pennine Pump’ is £400.00 per unit. All prices quoted are plus VAT.

For Business and Pleasure….We can help….

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks

penninehelis — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:30:50 +0000

The perfect gift for a keen walker, a fell runner, a railway enthusiast or a lover of the Yorkshire Dales, this is what the trip involves:-

The flight takes place from The Craven Arms, Giggleswick, Settle to make an unforgettable tour of approximately 30 minutes offering you spectacular views of the Yorkshire Dales.

The journey covers the Yorkshire Three Peaks, namely Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough and passengers also obtain an unrivalled panorama of the famous Ribblehead Viaduct and it’s magnificent 24 arches, together with spectacular views of Malham / Malham Tarn.

The helicopter normally reaches a height of 1500 feet, offering views of some of the Dales’ favourite beauty spots including the famous limestone areas surrounding Ingleton, Clapham and Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Don’t forget your camera on the day to record your very special flight!

Available on selected weekends throughout the year. Please see our list of DATES AND VENUES for forthcoming dates.

45 mile flight
(approx 30 minutes)

£ 205.00

This price is per person, and is inclusive of VAT, Insurance and a souvenir Flight Certificate.

Please give us a call if you require any further information or to book for a specific date.

01457 820152 01457 877833
Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 2.00pm

Pennine Helicopters Ltd
Oakdene Farm
Saddleworth
Greater Manchester
OL3 5LU

Click here to email