The UK’s Elite Helicopters has taken over Stephenson Aviation, adding a second base and a training school to its portfolio. Elite has been unable to launch its own training services after residents near its White Waltham base objected to the increased helicopter noise.\r

Glen Curtis, managing director of Elite, said: “We were approached towards the end of February by Martin Luke of Stephenson Aviation, who said that he was looking for a reliable and proactive operator to take over both the training and the AOC facility within the Stephenson Aviation complex.

“We were obviously extremely interested from the outset as it gave us a natural addition to our already successful AOC operations, but more than that it gave us the opportunity to take on a helicopter training school, which we have been looking for since the inception of the company but unfortunately something that we are unable to undertake at White Waltham due to public resistance,” he added.

Said Sharon Douglas, operations director: “We have wanted to have training for a long while, it’s a year round facility that knits in nicely with the charter side. It’s another add-on to the business.”

Elite will continue to operate major events previously undertaken by Stephenson, such as the Festival of Speed and the Revival Meeting held at Goodwood.

The Training school, with its fleet of Robinson R22 and R44s and Enstroms, will look toward expansion, according to Curtis. There are four JetRangers available at Goodwood under management and a LongRanger to be added in a few weeks.

Stephenson Aviation’s staff will remain largely unchanged.