Helicopter Hangarage
Helicopter hangarage at HQ Aviation is covered storage for your helicopter in our shared hangar at Denham Aerodrome, with the people who look after Robinsons for a living in the same building. Denham sits on the north west edge of London, around 30 minutes from the centre by car, with the M25 less than two miles away.
The practical place to keep a helicopter near London
Denham (EGLD) sits in the Colne Valley on the border of Buckinghamshire and Greater London. The M25 is less than two miles east and the M40 corridor runs from the same junction, so for owners who live or work in London and the Home Counties there are very few places that combine road access this good with genuinely good flying.
It is also still a proper aerodrome rather than an airport. You walk out to your helicopter without security queues. Parking by the hangar is free. Owners know one another and the cafe does a decent breakfast.
We have looked after Robinson helicopters here for decades, so the ground crew moving your aircraft know how to tow a Robinson, how to secure the blades and how to work around other helicopters without incident. That matters more than it sounds until you have watched it done badly.
Three things the British weather charges you for
Some fixed wing owners are content on the apron under a cover. For a helicopter, and for a Robinson in particular, outdoor parking is a false economy. Robinson themselves recommend indoor storage, and their guidance notes that exposure accelerates component wear and produces findings at inspection that would not otherwise appear.
Corrosion
The UK climate keeps moisture in the air almost constantly. An aircraft parked outside runs through a daily cycle of condensation and drying, which accelerates corrosion in exactly the places that are hardest to inspect and most expensive to put right.
Blade erosion
Main and tail rotor blades left in wind driven rain, grit and debris suffer leading edge erosion. That degrades aerodynamic performance and brings forward the replacement of a set of blades, which is a substantial bill and an entirely avoidable one.
UV crazing
Robinson canopies use large polycarbonate panels. Sustained ultraviolet exposure crazes them, a network of fine cracks that spreads across the surface and reduces clarity. It is not cosmetic. A crazed screen impairs visibility and has to be replaced.
The twelve year overhaul settles the argument
Every Robinson faces a major overhaul at twelve years, or at a set number of flight hours, whichever comes first. It is the single most expensive event in the aircraft's life, and it is where the condition of the airframe stops being an opinion and starts being an invoice.
£80k to £120k
A well maintained R44 that has been hangared. Engineers consistently report minimal corrosion on airframe and control components, preserved surface treatments, and rotor components in markedly better condition.
£150k and up
The same aircraft after years outside. Hidden corrosion in structural areas, degraded seals and bushings, blade erosion past limits, and parts that have to be condemned rather than reconditioned.
10 to 15% lower
Underwriters price the difference. Some go further and require hangarage as a condition of cover, which means outdoor parking is not merely unwise, it can invalidate the policy. Check your wording.
The full argument, with the numbers worked through, is in our guide to hangaring a helicopter at Denham.
Space, handling, and engineering in one place
One shared hangar. Your helicopter sits inside alongside the others rather than in a private bay, and our crew position it. Tell us when you are flying and it is out and ready when you arrive.
Ground handling that knows Robinsons. Your helicopter is moved by people who do it every day, and it can be fuelled and washed on the helipad ready for your departure rather than waiting for you to arrive.
Watched, and fuelled where it stands. The hangar is monitored by CCTV, and both Avgas and Jet A1 are on site, so a turnaround does not send you somewhere else first.
Maintenance in the same building. Our CAA Part-145 organisation is on site, and we are a Robinson Authorised Service Centre. A scheduled inspection does not start with a ferry flight, and anything noticed during handling gets looked at rather than logged for later.
Storage is only worth having if the aircraft is ready when you are. That is the point of keeping it here.
Check the clearance before you commit
Floor area is the easy part. Height is what catches owners out, and door height is not the number that matters. Measure at the point the aircraft will actually stand, allow for lighting rigs, beams and fire suppression, and leave at least six inches above the mast for safe towing.
| Model | Rotor span | Height to mast |
|---|---|---|
| R22 | 25 ft 2 in (7.67 m) | 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
| R44 | 33 ft 0 in (10.06 m) | 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) |
| R66 | 33 ft 0 in (10.06 m) | 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) |
Before you ask
Where is your hangarage?
At Denham Aerodrome (EGLD), Hangar Road, Denham, UB9 5DF, on the north west edge of London and around 30 minutes from central London by car. The M25 is less than two miles east and the M40 runs to the Midlands from the same junction. Parking by the hangar is free.
Do you take aircraft other than Robinsons?
Talk to us. Robinsons are what we know best, and our engineering, tooling and ground handling are built around them, but the right answer depends on the aircraft and the space available at the time. Call us and we will tell you honestly.
Is it a shared hangar?
Yes. It is one hangar, and your helicopter sits inside it alongside other aircraft rather than in a private bay. Our ground crew position and move the aircraft, so on occasion another machine has to come out to reach yours. Tell us when you plan to fly and it will be ready and out front, which is the point of the arrangement.
Will hangarage reduce my insurance premium?
Usually, yes. Underwriters know that hangared aircraft suffer fewer weather claims, less corrosion and lower rates of theft, and it is not unusual for a hangared helicopter to attract a premium ten to fifteen per cent lower than the same aircraft stored outside. Check your own policy wording, because some insurers require hangarage as a condition of cover rather than simply rewarding it.
Is the hangar secure, and can I fuel there?
The hangar is monitored by CCTV, and both Avgas and Jet A1 are available on site, so a turnaround does not mean going elsewhere for fuel.
Does hangaring with you mean you maintain the aircraft too?
It does not have to. Hangarage and maintenance are separate arrangements. The advantage is that our CAA Part-145 organisation is in the same building, so a scheduled inspection or a snag does not begin with a ferry flight, and anything found during handling can be looked at immediately.
What does hangarage cost?
It depends on the aircraft, so we quote rather than publish a price. Get in touch with the model and how often you fly, and we will give you a straight figure.
Tell us about your helicopter
Send us the model and how you fly it and we will come back with availability and a price. If you would rather see the place first, say so and we will show you round.
Prefer to talk? +44 1895 833373.