Aeromega Aviation, in partnership with Osprey Aviation, has based an AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopter at Southampton Airport. The aircraft, painted in generic UK police colours, will be contracted for police work, as well as camera and media missions, and ferrying Osprey Aviation's FBO customers to their final destination.

There has not been a helicopter based at Southampton for at least ten years, according to David Whitlaw, operations and handling manager at Osprey. "We are attempting to get a visual marker at the FBO so that we can take off directly from Osprey. It is a case of educating the airport authorities about what it means to have a helicopter. At the moment we have to wheel the aircraft onto the runway.

"We are particularly excited about the potential of this venture. The flexibility and dexterity of the Squirrel will allow clients direct access to any destinations with a moderate sized landing sight, and the flight time to Battersea is just 25 minutes," Whitlaw continued. "With its capacity for up to five passengers, the aircraft will naturally knit with the requirements of many of our private/corporate fixed wing visitors."

Aeromega's Bell LongRanger helicopter is also an occasional visitor to Osprey. Said Steve Isaac, operations director: "The LongRanger is a very stable helicopter, which makes it ideal for photography work. Ours is in optimum working order, the blades are exactly aligned. We kept the paint work discreet; corporate clients don't want to have the charterer's name splashed all over their helicopter."