A Pad For Your Country Pad....

According to a recently article in the Times online , houses with a place to land your helicopter is the "new must have" for the country house owner, whether its fnctioning Helipad or simply a tennis court.

The boom in helicopter travel has opened up the western tip of Cornwall, north Wales, the Lake District, even Scotland and the Channel Islands, as well as the Cotswolds, to the wealthy, forcing up prices for grand country houses.Some estate agents believe that a functioning Helipad with daily take off and flight clearance can add over £250,000 to the price of a property.

Civil Aviation Authority figures show that the number of helicopters registered in the UK has risen by nearly 30% in the past five years, from 1,021 helicopters to 1,314. Heli Air, the UK’s largest helicopter distributor, sold 30 helicopters in 2002, and last year sold 70.

If you were toying with the idea of commuting from your country home with your own helicopter then here is what you need:

1. Private Pilot’s Licence (Helicopters), which takes a minimum of 45 hours’ flying (but more usually about 70) for which you should set aside £11,000-£16,000.

2. Helicopter . The world’s most popular helicopter is the four-seat Robinson R44, which has a range of about 375 miles and costs just over £150,000 if bought new.

3. Set aside around £4,500 a year for Maintenance

4.Insurance probably another £5,000.

5 .Fuel is currently almost £6 a gallon — on average an R44 uses about 16 gallons an hour.