Heli Air is now fully operational at the most recent of its seven bases, at Gloucestershire airport.

The company is Europe's largest Robinson helicopter distributor and operations at Gloucester are expected to expand to include a five-seat R66 and a Bell 206 JetRanger in the near future, followed by additional R22s and a Bell LongRanger.

The Gloucester base will be home to Heli Air's new flight instructor academy. Captain Mike Buckland, a specialist in training commercial pilots to become helicopter flight instructors will be the base manager. He has extensive knowledge of piloting, flight instruction and pilot skills testing and examinations as well as public transport capabilities, and will be responsible for all Heli Air activities at the base, including its ongoing development.

Brian Kane, head of sales and marketing, says: "The company has been expanding continuously over the past two years and when the opportunity arose to secure a newly built facility adjacent to the control tower, we were quick to seize it. Gloucestershire airport is very centrally located, close to the M5 and the A40 roads, and has a large helicopter presence already."