17 March 2020
Charter flights in all weathers operated by single-engine turbine aircraft will soon start in the UK.
The CAA has awarded the UK’s first Single Engine Turbine (SET-IMC) Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to charter provider Heli Air, which will operate flights under the title EscapeTime.
Heli Air and EscapeTime are both part of British European Aviation (BEA), the UK Piper agent based at Wycombe Air Park.
EscapeTime will be flying the first Piper PA-46 M600 in the UK, the latest in the turbine Piper M-Class range.
“At last, business users can enjoy the true benefits of private air charter at a reasonable cost without a reduction in comfort, quality or safety,” said EscapeTime’s Sean Brown.
“Escapetime’s aircraft can take four or five passengers in luxury from London Wycombe Air Park to Paris, on their own time schedule, in under 1 hour, for as little as £599 each.
“The service cuts out hours of waiting at major airports and is offered to hundreds of destinations around the UK and Europe.”
The Piper PA-46 M600 is capable of full IFR operations flying at 28,000ft with a max speed of 275kt.
The launch of the SET-IMC operations is a major change for General Aviation and coincides with the launch of the CAA’s ‘Fly Legal’ campaign.
The Heli Air team has been working with the CAA for three years on the safety and quality standards required for AOC operations.
