Morning drop-offs in central London

[Southern Cross]

On a regular basis, a helicopter lands on the roof of a building adjacent to Ely Place in EC1 / 4 (?), central London, seemingly to drop someone off, then immediately takes off again. Was wondering whether anyone knows who manages to get so convenient a commute into town...?:D

Thanks

[ppheli]

I guess you're referring to a silver and burgundy stripey Twin Squirrel at a building just off Holborn Circus? Well, it's one of those interesting companies that likes remaining anonymous (try finding a name on their building) but their proximity to Hatton Garden may be a giveaway.....

[Helo]

The helicopter flies in Nicky Oppenheimer of DeBeers. Here's one person's take on how the DeBeers Cartel has manipulated the diamond market for the last century or so ...

The helicopter landing on the roof of a building in Charterhouse Street, on the edge of the City of London, every morning ejects a man in a suit, Nicky Oppenheimer, soon to be chairman of the De Beers empire that his grandfather, Sir Ernest, built into an international company and a global cartel. From the roof he descends to his hushed, wood-panelled offices, to preside over an operation of which the Soviets would have been proud.

Every five weeks, his men meet in this building to sell to diamond brokers the precious stones that De Beers has gathered from the world’s diamond mines. Here the visitor finds no free-for-all scramble. This is an exquisitely controlled, polite operation. Each broker has already placed his orders for the stones on behalf of his clients, the cutters and polishers. The men from De Beers meet for an entire day to discuss who should get what.

Not to discuss the price: this they have already fixed, based on their reading of the market "and on our intelligence". This time, the decision is about which stones to give out—big ones, small ones, clear ones, pink ones—and in what combination. The result is parcelled up secretly into little brown boxes, sealed with tape, and handed out to the brokers when they fly into London. A broker inspects his box, and can reject it altogether; but he cannot start quibbling about the selection he has got.

Welcome to the mad world of De Beers, where James Bond meets the Wild West and manages to turn the raw, lawless frontier world of diamond digging and dealing into the most smoothly manipulated business in the world—"all", as Lord Randolph Churchill famously observed when he visited the South African diamond mines in the 1890s, "for the vanity of woman" (and, today, of man). It is not merely gems that De Beers is selling, but symbols, myths, magic. As a worldwide dealer in enchanting illusions, Disney has nothing on De Beers: for the preciousness of the diamond is not a fact but a triumph of modern marketing.

... Now you know!!!!

Helo

[FlyingForFun]

As a non-helo guy, I was just wondering what the legal/ATC implications of this flight are. I know about the helo routes through London, but I presume they'd still need permission from Thames/London??? Just curious!

Thanks!

FFF
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[Flying Lawyer]

FFF
All non-IFR helicopter flights in the Zone are subject to Special VFR clearance, usually from Heathrow west of the Battersea Heliport and Thames Radar east of the Heliport. (Clearance from Heathrow Director if Heathrow Radar/Thames Radar are not operational.)
If keeping to the heli routes, the clearance is usually "Standard Operating Altitudes" which gradually increases to 2000' east of Vauxhall Bridge.
Twin-engine helicopters are not restricted to the Heli Routes and the clearance will be "not above .......... feet."
The Heathrow and Thames controllers are very professional and usually friendly and helpful provided you know what you're doing/comply with the clearance, which is fair given their high workload.

The usual low flying rules for helicopters still apply and remain the pilot's responsibility.

There's more to it, but I hope this is enough to answer your question.

Tudor Owen

(Let me know if you want to 'FlyForFun' down the heli routes some time - fantastic views of London, and you can even fly across LHR at 800'!!)

[FlyingForFun]

Thanks Tudor, yes that's pretty much what I thought would happen, but you've filled in some details.

I might have to take you up on the offer of a flight! Where do you fly from? I've only been in a helicoptor twice, and both times were superb... I'd love to fly over London. I could even offer you a return flight in the Europa if you like - but, sadly, not across London.

Cheers,

FFF
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[Flying Lawyer]

FFF
It varies.
Gazelle from MW Helicopters at Stapleford.
JetRanger from HeliAir Denham or Biggin Hill Helicopters.
You're welcome to e-mail me.
Tudor Owen

[AlanM]

Flying Lawyer, you said:

Twin-engine helicopters are not restricted to the Heli Routes and the clearance will be "not above .......... feet."
Correct, but only in CTR West or CTR East. CTR West is west of the line from Denham to Brooklands, and CTR East is eat of the lines from BNN 143 - EGLW - Due South. Here twins can fly off the routes. (Hence departing EGLW Brent or due South LEVEL at 1500 as all flights in the segment of 020 - 140 degress based on EGLL must be level at 1500')

In CTR Central (the bit between!) they must fly on the routes unless of course they are on a LL Ops approved Non Standard Flight "Whiskey" number!

Crossing LL is hard work and you need to know the rules but is very rewarding. Managed to get a pic of an AFR 737 flareing below us!

Otherwise all spot on - and us overworked underpaid staff on 119.9 and 132.7 are always available as ballast on trips on the routes!!!

Cheers