Helicopter hire for PROM guide
Impress your school friends by entering prom in a helicopter; its an event that is sure not to be forgotten by the passengers or the people watching on the school grounds.
Hiring a helicopter for prom will involve landing on school grounds so you'll need permission by school head, plus local authorities. You'll need to source a helicopter charter company locally as to save money, but they're sure to sort out most of the detail for you as it would be out of your control.
Make it a day to remember for your daughter, son or perhaps pooling your resources so a group of school chums can take a helicopter to prom.
Its a little tricky to organize but I've done my best to help you get started with this useful helicopter hire for prom guide.
On your part as the payee, you'll need to get a feel of the school grounds just so you know there is an area suited for landing a helicopter.
Final say won't be up to you but this way you'll know the area is accessible to a helicopter for landing in a remote, safe area.
What you'll need to do first thing is ask the head if you can begin the process of ordering a helicopter, if he or she gives the all clear, its time to hire a helicopter.
Only source a helicopter charter company locally as it works out much cheaper.
You will want to hire a Robinson R44 helicopter for prom at its the cheapest helicopter to run, so most companies have in there fleet.
Its a 4-seater helicopter including the pilot, but larger choppers with a higher passenger capacity can be hired if you need it.
Expected prices to pay would be in the region of $1,500 to $2,000 at most.
I can guarantee most operators will charge much less; in the region of $400 to $500 per hour minimum, so do go elsewhere as to avoid unnecessary high costs.
Know your school layout
Finish high school with a bang and not a disappointment when you finally realise hiring a helicopter for prom is not a possibility after all.
On your part for the pupil who is considering entering school in a helicopter, you'll only be able to do so if the school grounds allow it.
What I mean is you need a hefty amount of land that is safe to land a helicopter with no obstructions, yet isolated to allow the heli ride to go ahead.
You'll still need permission of the school head, then local authorities; but it is a safe place to land a helicopter that matters most.
Recent incident in the US involved a prom date landing on school grounds that hit power cables overhead - that happened because arrangements were changed last minute to the original landing plans.
If you're the school pupil, parent or person paying for the helicopter hire for prom, then begin with a check of the grounds.
You could do the simple thing by viewing the area where a helicopter can land on the school field or parking area, via Google Maps.
You'll then need to get onto the school as to make a visit where you and the school head can checkout the area physically, perhaps taking a picture.
Once you've verified a helicopter landing spot - safe for the evening of the prom - you can begin arrangements with a helicopter charter company.
School HEAD permission
No way will a helicopter for use with a prom be allowed to go ahead without the consent of the school head.
It can go one of two ways; the head is bit of a stick in the mud and will outright reject your request, or...
Hopefully the head will be interested in the suggestion and is willing to work with parents, pupils and helicopter operator.
On the school heads part, he or she will need to keep in touch directly with the operator until all arrangements have been finalised.
Failing to get exclusive permission from the school head will put an end to the helicopter hire, even before it gets off the ground.
Helicopter charter companies will need permission off the head and local authorities, so there's no cutting corners as all in the know people must be on board.
If you know the head won't be willing you can always get onto the helicopter operator first, to see if they can ease the mind of the head.
Remember, anything that goes wrong will be on the hands of the head teacher.
Final say by local authority
So you've found the local helicopter company to charter a ride to prom well the head as given you consent.
What happens now is the head will need to go away and receive permission from the local authority.
School grounds are in ownership of the local council or often owned privately; so the land owners or council need to agree to a helicopter landing.
It most cases, and the head as given consent; the local authority will allow it to go ahead.
Having said that, they will contact the helicopter company who you've selected to fly your daughter or son to prom.
It could also be the helicopter charter company making all the arrangements with the people in the know, in the council - as they will have prior experience in this department.
Rest assured, with the heli company and school head giving the all clear, the local authority will not reject such a request.
If there is an inkling of doubt on part of the school head or charter company; then perhaps you will have difficulty convincing the council.
Ordering a helicopter locally
Let's assume you're a parent - rather than the school pupil - who is in the stage of hiring a helicopter for school prom.
On your part you will need to seek out a local helicopter charter company who're willing to meet your needs - well most demands can be met.
To do that you'll need to find a helicopter hire company who are local.
That means they will need to be located in an airfield or heliport that is within your county or state - possibly less than 30 to 50 miles away.
Reason for that is you'll end up paying for those extra miles as the helicopter flies in from its headquarters to the school prom - and back home again.
You'll be charged per hour with a minimum one hour must be met; so most of that time would be wasted in the air transfer stage.
So you'll need the helicopter close by so there's little time spent in the air, and more time getting to the prom.
Left over time can see the helicopter in waiting for photograph opportunities by parents.
Costs associated with hiring a helicopter for prom varies, but it can be as little has $400, as I'll explain in finer detail next.
Helicopter prom hire prices
Helicopter hire for prom prices are similar to hiring a helicopter for a wedding, chartering a flight to the races, or a festival, for example.
Costs expected to pay with a minimum of one hour being met is $1,500, with an upward cost of $2,000 a possibility.
Trick too that is hiring a helicopter known as a Robinson R44. Its a single engine, pistol powered model that seats 3-passengers, plus the pilot.
If you're charting a Robinson R44 then don't be fouled into thinking it will cost a fortune.
In reality, as you're hiring for a local event with the minimum one hour more than enough, it should cost much less.
So don't be afraid to ask for a price of around $300 to $400 - that is a fair price as the Robinson R44 is one of the cheapest helicopters to operate per hour.
If saving the pennies is not a problem then after the Robinson R44, the 4-seater passenger Bell Jet Ranger is a popular helicopter to use for prom.
In which case the price can still be under a thousand dollars but really it should be approximately $700 to $800 per hour.
Company will sort it all out
As you'll be someone who is not in the know in terms of helicopters or its regulations, thankfully its not you who will be sorting most of this out.
Instead, its over to the helicopter charter company who will need all the details off you; as they go away to sort it all out.
If you've approached them not knowing what to do next, they should be in a position to do the following:
- Contact the head first thing to receive permission to land a helicopter
- Local authorities will be contacted where permission again will need to be granted
- Source a suitable helicopter landing spot on the school grounds
- Suggest the helicopter type needed based on how many passengers it will carry
Helicopter charter companies time needed to make these arrangements should not come at any cost to you.
In fact, if it turns out they're not granted permission or the school grounds don't have a safe location to land - then you'll part ways with no money exchanged.
Costs will need to be paid up front and will only cover the one hour; if time is added on over the original one hour agreement, it will be invoiced to you.
Don't expect the idea of hiring a helicopter for prom is something that will go ahead, guaranteed.
Remember there's always the possibility of it not being made possible on safety grounds; and more so if the weather is sure to cancel the forthcoming helicopter ride.
Boarding or exit procedure
Helicopter ride to prom is not a simple case of boarding at the airfield then exiting once you've landed on the school grounds.
In fact, lots of prep work will need to go into this event on part of the pupils who will be taken to prom in the helicopter.
Its nothing to worry about, its just a bit of practice or run-through for the day, so will need to be rehearsed.
What that will entail is a safety talk about conducting yourself around the helicopter.
If the pilot is basically transferring them to the school grounds; its possible he or she will not exit the helicopter, so its over to the pupils to exit on there own.
In which case you'll be trained to exit the helicopter only when the rotor blades have come to a complete stop.
You'll then be trained to open and then close the doors securely so the pilot can take off.
Remember, the girls will be wearing dresses and quite possibly high heels; so climbing on board the helicopter well exiting via its landing gear is a little tricky in such attire.
Its little easier for the boys but its not to say there shoes will not have slippery soles.
Ultimate Entrance to Prom
Now you can land on the evening of the prom without so much as a blip on day; so you'll be taking to the school prom well gracefully exiting the chopper.
Those taking the helicopter to prom won't be doing it secretly either; as parents and other pupils will be lining up for your arrival.
Be sure to be as graceful as you can when exiting the chopping as its a time when the flashes of the parents camera's will be going off.
What will be the ultimate entrance to prom is sure to go without a hitch providing the weather stays clear.
If this is being arranged secretly then its sure a fantastic way to surprise other attendee's at the prom.
But it is possible people will be in the know as parts of the grounds will be possibly roped off for the helicopter to land safely.
Proms are a once in a lifetime event, so make it a once in a lifetime helicopter ride to school by renting an attractive helicopter, not a ugly model.
Summary
Before you set out to hire a helicopter for prom you'll first need to do a little research in regards to your child's school grounds.
Quick glance on Google Maps should give you an ideal layout; where you'll be looking for a large, spacious open ground.
It won't be up to you if this area is suitable for a helicopter or not, it would be up to the operator to decide where it can and cannot land.
However, this is just to give you an idea if the school grounds allows for a helicopter to land; where a open field, or on a rare occasion an isolated section of the parking area would be.
You can then go about hiring a helicopter for your son's or daughters prom entrance, by contacting the head or, or allow the helicopter operator to work it out with the correct authorities on your behalf.
When it comes to hiring a helicopter for prom, do so as locally as possible as a chopper that has a longer distance to travel will cost more.
Minimum one hour helicopter hire usually so you will not want to, or really need to hire the chopper longer than this.
Costs to pay could exceed $1,500, but a cheap to run 4-seater Robinson R44 is all you'll need to bring them to the school prom in style.
All that is needed by your child is a little run-through on the day of the prom.
That will entail a safety briefing, including how to board and exit the helicopter. That will be only when the engines are off, and the rotor blades have come to a complete halt.
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