Be very wary of the Monkey Island in Bray (if you are brave enough to make the approach.) They charge £50 per hour for parking. Ouch.

It is just another means of transport and any one that wants me to spend money has to offer value.

Manoir aux Quat'Saisons charges £25 inclusive of the landing and take off (I asked today)

They couldn't give me any information about whether they provide any safety crew, security, escort to the building etc., but did say their movements are limited due to the nearby village. I guess you get nothing.

Even £25 is irritating when you are going to pay big bucks in the hotel anyway: I was going to head over there with some friends, but I've been before and there seem to be plenty of alternative hotels which allow you to land free whose lunches I can try before getting round to going back to the Manoir or any other pay-per-landing site.

I dare say they won't miss me or the 3 minutes flying time they would bill me to land, but it's the only way I can make the point!

BW

I agree with bladewashout and rotorboater.
I'm not prepared, as a point of principle, to pay more than a nominal amount if it's simply for landing on a lawn, provided I'm using and paying the hotel for other services. I don't consider it any different from parking a car in the hotel car park, and don't expect to be charged for that. (Although some City centre hotels around the world do.)
Disappointed to learn Le Manoir charges, even though a modest amount compared with some other country house hotels. I've only flown there once, about 10 years ago, and they didn't charge a landing fee then.

A few years ago, I rang the Heythrop Park Hotel near Chipping Norton to enquire about landing there.And the 'event' at the hotel that weekend?
The 2004 British Open Helicopter Championships!
So much for the hotel's explanation for their rip-off landing fee. :rolleyes:


I didn't fly for other reasons but, in the meantime, had found out that I could use nearby Enstone airfield. Landing fee £7.

FL

F L excellent story ( priceless ! ) no pun intended .

Their excuse sounds a bit Irish as us Dubliners would say.

.




So even if I win untold millions of ££££, and even if I give lots of it away, I want to decide myself who I give it to. And greedy money-grabbing hotel owners don't come anywhere in my list. So however rich we are or aren't, let's boycott these places that think they can charge extortionate landing fees just becasue helicopter owners are - possibly - super-rich.

I have never, and will not pay a landing fee for a hotel. I'd rather drive and stay at a different hotel, being a cheapskate.
There are plenty of places will let you land for nothing. All I have ever needed to do to find a free one is check on Pprune. Fantastic.
When I do phone up to be told there is a landing fee I tell them "No thanks - and you have just lost my business for ever". They may not care but it makes a point.

.

• No more vulgar boasting about how rich you are, your various expensive toys etc etc etc.
• No more responses to that issue.

This could be a useful thread to which we can add names for future reference.


Heliport

Ok,
:yuk:Marriot, Preston. £60
:yuk:Last Drop, Bolton £50 last time I asked
:ok:Guys Thatched Hamlet, Bilsborrow FREE
:ok:Swan, Newby bridge FREE
:ok:Old Stone Trough, Earby FREE
:ok:Inn at Whitewell, FREE
:ok:Stables LLanwnda FREE
:ok:Devonshire Arms, Bolton Abbey FREE
:ok:Fayrer Garden, Windermere FREE
:ok:Springfield House, Pilling FREE
:ok:Gibbon Bridge, Chipping FREE but not been for years so not sure now.
I'll keep adding them as I think of them.
I haven't been to them all recently so check for fee when getting PP.

Manoir
 

FL and BW, I visited Le Manoir 1 month ago and was advised that their site was not available (for reasons they seemed reluctant to divulge). The alternative presented to me was a farmer's field a taxi ride away - I think the farmer was the one trying to make a profit.

I chose not to pay - if you do it just encourages them to try it on with the next person.

So if we all feel the same about these ripoff sites, who does actually pay what the hotels request?:confused:

SB

landing site wisbech
 

Asked a landowner to use her stubble field for a charter and she wanted £300 and no Hotel!!!

Lake Vyrnwy hotel in Wales doesnt charge for landing and has the worlds most impressive burgers on sale in their bar at a very reasonable price...



Pad is interesting to get on to...but thankfully they have just replaced the camoflage green windsock for a dayglow orange one:ok:

With carefull parking you could get 4 whirlychoppers on the pad...

Cowley Manor Hotel near Gloucester is free.

Some freebies in my neck of the woods

Callow Hall, Ashbourne
Isaak Walton, Dovedale
Shottle Hall nr Belper
Cavendish Hotel, Baslow
Barnsdale Lodge by Rutland Water

Bovey Castle on Dartmoor
 

Great spot, never been charged (mind you, you wouldn't land there unless going to eat, golf or stay over) - send a car upto meet you - very civilised and friendly

Lythe Hill Hotel, Surrey, Near Haslemere, happy to let a local resident who uses them occasionally to be picked up on their helipad and dropped off later in the day, no charge, not even using the hotel that day!



BW

Chaps,

It really gets on my nerves when someone tries to charge a landing fee for parking on a patch of grass. Here's a couple that are free (usually if you are using the facilities ; something as simple as a quick lunch will do)


DeVere Carden Park, Chester - Free
Holt Lodge, Holt, near Chester - Free
Rookery Hall, Nantwich - Free
Pear Tree Hotel, nr Droitwich - Free
Marriot Hanbury Manor, Hertfordshire - Free

Its not just hotels that rip us off, just been into Barton and as a helicopter under 1200Kg it is £19.52 inc vat, my weight fixed wing is £12.99, a Jet ranger is looking at £31.77 against the same weight plank of £21.38.

The really annoying thing is we don't even use their short bumpy waterlogged muddy bit of grass either!






I agree. Never understood why many airfields charge helicopters more than fixed-wings of the same weight.
Not even sure weight should come into it at all for helicopters.
But let's keep this as our hotel landing fees thread.
You could always start a rip-off airfields thread. :)
Heliport

Forte Post house in Newcastle under Lyme (just by the M6) has a nice big field attached and was free the last time I was in there (along with JetRanger). Good to see the Swan at Newby Bridge is still free - I think Roland Bardsley bought the place a few years ago. Last time I looked his company was running an A109. Beautiful hotel and location

Bravo73;

You are very right about the Monkey Island site. Not for the faint hearted, in fact when I went two years ago and did a full ground survey we decided as a company that it was not suitable for Public Transport and dropped it completely.

The duty manager couldn't get his mind around the fact that painting an H on a tiny piece of grass did not a heli-pad make.

Just up the road at Bray Cricket Club is a good site, £50 but they really look after you. I was sitting there for four hours on Salsa Night and had a great time (too many lady dancers hardly any blokes:E)

At the other extreme I took a familly to Millfield school a few months ago. Called the school to arrange the day before and spoke to the foreman of works to be told "As it's a normal term day and we're not expecting anyone else I'm afraid I've got no fire cover or GPU, will that be ok for you?"

Nearly had to tear up my medical from the shock.

VH

Trunkwell Hotel. Near Reading.

No landing fee.

HUGE field to land in (great for novice flyers). Nice restaurant, or a good quality pub lunch just 2 min walk (same owners), Very friendly, even sent a man out into the field to wave his hands so we could find it!

Give them a call before hand, they need notice. The field is sometimes used for events etc.

St Andrews bay Hotel in Fife landed a few times no charges yet;excellent site and usually provide trasport to clubhouse if required and on a couple of occaisions a champagne reception brought to the aircraft! and still no charge.My wifes friends were well impressed I had to decline sadly !.Going in tomorrow wx permitting will advise of any changes.
R

Oh, and....

Priory Bay Hotel on the Isle of Wight charges £50. They waive the £50 if you spend £50 in the restaurant/bar.
They have a 'posh' restuarant and also do bar meals. Land on the golf course outside. Pretty big landing site. Private hotel beach too.

The Three Acres Inn situated at the base of Emly moor transmiter is easy to find ??? and has a three acre field to land in? no fee good food and a stuning local area to fly around

be aware of a certain hotel next door to belfast city airport!
after trying to decide whether or not it was more economical to land at EGAC and just drive round the corner, passengers decided they wanted the prestige approach to 'arrive in style'
called the night before and was told by a friendly receptionist that landing fee was "two fifty", when i replied "ok, pounds sterling?" the reply was "yes sir". only after looking at the bill 5 days later was it clear that the fee was in fact two HUNDRED and fifty pounds sterling! sneaky :mad:
i did think that £2.50 was a rather odd fee but surely £250.00 is taking the michael. it never crossed my mind, most hotels previously visited are welcoming and charge no fee to patrons.
could have landed at belfast, rented a car, eaten out and had money left to put some fuel in the tanks!:}





Doesn't the rip-off hotel next door to Belfast City airport have a name?
Heliport

Guys

I've deleted links to hotel websites. Please don't post any more.

Mods aren't supposed to allow any direct links. I'm not as efficient as I should be at enforcing that rule, but it was beginning to get out of hand in this thread.


Heliport

If you're up on the north east coast, just south of Teesside and on North Yorkshire border, there's The Arches Hotel at Brotton, near Saltburn By The Sea.

Not a restaurant, a straight forward family hotel, also the home of Chris Birkbeck Rally School.

No charge for helicopters, large field at the rear with just a row of telegraph poles to consider across the western boundary. Chris says they get helicopters doing aerial work / filming stopping over. Call first as the hotel does weddings and functions etc.

Can I just remind folks of this friendly little helipad?

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...+site+petition

:E

Heliport
There is only one with a landing site but its called the Culloden Hotel and is owned by the Hastings Group who also own the aforementioned Slieve Donard.
Biz

Flew into the Selsdon Park Hotel years ago, near Purley. No charge for landing and they sent a couple of staff down to carry our bags.

Helipad at Barnsley House Hotel
 

Barnsley House Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire has a Helipad and there are no landing fees or charges.

The owner has a PPLH and welcomes visiting helicopters.

They're having a laf....
 

Loseley Park nr Guildford, £500 to pop in for tea........

Swan Hotel
 

Swan Hotel, Newby Bridge (Windermere), Cumbria
Good sized helipad, comfy hotel, very nice decor, good food, reasonably priced, highly recommended. Details in Pooleys etc. NO LANDING FEE. 01539 531681

JJ

I know a bloke who owns a nice little cottage near Shrewsbury. He makes a great Bacon and Egg sandwich using freshly laid eggs. You have to make your own drink though.

He's got a great field that you can land your heli in too.
No landing fee as he's just passed his PPL (H) and likes heli's!
;)

Restaurant with H request recommendation
 

Can anyone recommend a restaurant with H?

30 mins radius from Denham or Wycombe that accepts R44's

Thanks:ok:

Try The French Horn at Sonning-on-Thames. Excellent food - (and wine selection for your guests).

Thanks, it's my wife's birthday sounds ideal. I'll investigate.

Thanks

:ok:

A look at their website shows a google earth pic with an H in a field about 100yards or so away.
Try sticking .co.uk on the end of thefrenchhorn and see what you get!

Perfect
 

Just done that excellent.

emailed them just now

Thanks for all your help

Le Manoir aux Quatre Saisons in Great Milton:

"Helicopters by prior arrangement (a nominal landing fee is charged for use of this service)."