No Runway
Helicopter Landings Where There Is No Runway
A helicopter does not need a runway, it needs a cleared and approved area, so the list of places it can reach is longer than the list of airports.
Small islands, resorts and marinas that a fixed wing aircraft has to pass over sit inside that list, and the last leg by road or by ferry falls away with them.
Which surface we may actually use is a question about the place, not about the aircraft, and we confirm the landing point with the operator before you book rather than after.
Where an island has water but no cleared ground, a seaplane charter reaches it, and where it has a short field a small plane charter is often the better aircraft. The full island list sits on helicopter charter to the Bahamas and helicopter charter to the Florida Keys.
Ask About Landing Points
How It Works
How Helicopter Charter Works, from Enquiry to Landing
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01
Tell Us Your Route
Send the date, the departure area and the address or island you want to reach. Passenger count and luggage matter early, so we ask for both at the start.
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02
We Choose the Helicopter and the Pad
A flight planner confirms the aircraft, the landing sites at both ends, permission where a private pad is involved and customs on international legs. You receive options.
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03
Fly on Your Schedule
Meet the crew at the pad, load soft bags and depart. On the day we watch the weather and the site and your planner stays reachable until the final leg is complete.
Departure Points
Helicopter Departure Points in Miami
A helicopter can lift from a pad as easily as from a ramp, so the departure point follows your morning rather than the aircraft. These are the four we use in Miami. Select one to see exactly where it sits.
Watson Island Heliport
Watson Island, Miami
The pad on the bay between downtown and South Beach, a short boat ride from the marinas and from Fisher Island. This is the one that turns a yacht day into a flight without a drive in between.
Two miles from downtown and four from Miami Beach, so it is also the shortest ground leg for anyone staying on either side of the water.
Opa-locka Executive
Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, OPF
The executive field north west of the city, with private terminal handling and the room a longer charter needs.
It is also the airport where a flight returning from the Bahamas clears US customs, so an island day usually ends here.
Miami Executive
Miami Executive Airport, TMB, Kendall
Kendall-Tamiami in the south west of the county, the shortest ground leg for Coral Gables, Pinecrest and the south of Miami-Dade.
A general aviation field, so the walk from the car to the aircraft is short and nobody is waiting on a boarding call.
Miami International
Miami International Airport, MIA
A pickup rather than a base and the right one when the party lands at MIA on a commercial flight and the onward leg should start at the same airport.
No aircraft is stationed here, so this one is arranged per flight and confirmed with the operator before it is quoted.
Experiences
Helicopter Experiences from Miami to the Keys and the Bahamas
Destinations Reached
Destinations Reached by Helicopter Charter
Key West
The end of the chain and the strongest argument against the drive. A low scenic run over the bridges, the flats and the wrecks, then a landing close to Old Town. Popular as a one way flight with a slower return by road or boat. Key West helicopter charter
Key Largo and Ocean Reef
The shortest hop out of Miami and the most used Keys arrival. Club and marina access, the reef on the doorstep and onward legs deeper into the chain that take minutes rather than an afternoon. Key Largo helicopter charter
Islamorada and Marathon
Mid chain stops for lunch on the water, flats fishing and short hops that break up a longer itinerary. Landings are arranged at approved resort and airport sites rather than anywhere on the island. Florida Keys helicopter charter
Bimini
The closest Bahamian island to Florida and the easiest international day trip we operate. A short Gulf Stream crossing, a pad beside the marina and enough on the island to fill a day without a car. Bimini helicopter charter
Nassau and Paradise Island
A capital arrival close to the harbour, the resorts and the restaurants. Our busiest onward connection point in the Bahamas and the usual staging stop for legs continuing to the Out Islands. Nassau helicopter charter
Naples and the Gulf Coast
Across the state in one leg instead of most of a day on the road. Arrivals near the waterfront, the clubs and the golf resorts, with the Everglades and the shallows underneath on the way over. Naples helicopter charter
Palm Beach and Jupiter
The northern end of the coast, reached without the seasonal traffic. Used by owners moving between homes, guests joining a boat and anyone with an evening commitment on the island. Palm Beach helicopter charter
Exuma and the Out Islands
A chain of cays where a helicopter moves fastest, landing at private pads and resort sites beside the anchorages. Groups can be split across two stops on the same leg and boats met close to the tender. Exuma helicopter charter
In the Air
Flying Low with Glass on Every Side
A helicopter cabin is glass on every side and it flies low and slow, so the reef line, the flats and the bridges are the journey rather than something under a cloud layer.
There is no seat with a bad view and nothing to look past, which is why guests who have done the same crossing by boat tend to describe the flight as the part they remember.
The cabin is small and it carries your party and nobody else, so there is no aisle, no stranger on the other side of it and no departure time you did not choose.
CABIN LAYOUT AND SEAT COUNT TO CONFIRM WITH THE OPERATOR If the group is larger than one aircraft carries, a second machine or a small plane charter into the nearest field flies the same corridor.
See Routes and TimesHelicopter Charter Miami: Planning a Private Charter Across Florida and the Bahamas
A helicopter changes the shape of a Florida itinerary because the arrival point is an address rather than a terminal.
A morning departure from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach can put a small group at a club in Key Largo, on the waterfront in Naples or beside the marina in Bimini without a long drive at either end.
That is the whole argument for the aircraft and it is why our helicopter charter desk treats the landing site as part of the route plan.
Most enquiries begin with a destination rather than an aircraft. If the plan is a day out, day trips, a scenic flight or a sunset flight is usually the right frame.
If the plan is a stay, we look at Key West, Islamorada, Nassau and Palm Beach first, then work backwards to the departure pad that saves the most ground time.
Where a helicopter is not the best answer we say so and offer seaplane, small plane or private jet alternatives instead.
Landing sites are the part clients rarely see. Airports and private terminals are straightforward, while resort pads, private property and yacht decks need permission, an assessment of noise and obstacles and in some cases the operator's own approval. We confirm both ends before the day and brief an alternative.
International legs add paperwork: our team files the Bahamas arrival, confirms the port of entry and sends travel documents and baggage guidance in advance.
Soft bags matter on a helicopter and we will tell you early if the load plan needs adjusting. The weather and delays policy sets out how visibility, wind and site conditions are assessed.
On the ground we can add chauffeur services, meet and greet, catering, yacht transfers and dock pickup, so the flight is one part of a single arrangement.
Groups travelling together can use or several linked legs and clients flying regularly move to a corporate account. To begin, send the date and the two ends of the trip to the charter desk or and a flight planner will reply with options.
Questions
Helicopter Charter Questions, Answered
Where can a helicopter land in South Florida and the Bahamas?
Landing sites include airports and private terminals, hotel and resort pads, approved private property and, where the vessel and the operator permit it, a yacht deck. Every site needs permission and noise rules, obstacles and local restrictions decide what is possible on the day. Our flight planners confirm the exact pad before departure, brief an alternative and tell you clearly when a request cannot be approved. Where a pad is not available, we use the nearest suitable site and arrange ground transport for the last few minutes.
Do I need a passport for a helicopter charter to the Bahamas?
Yes. The Bahamas is an international crossing, so every passenger needs a valid passport and any visa their nationality requires and children need their own documents. We file the inbound and outbound paperwork, confirm the port of entry and send a document checklist once the booking is confirmed.
Guidance by nationality is set out on our travel documents page and the charter desk reviews your party before the day so nothing is discovered at the pad.
How much luggage can I bring on a helicopter charter?
Helicopters are weight and volume sensitive, so luggage is planned rather than assumed. Soft bags load far better than hard cases and the usable allowance depends on the aircraft, the passenger count, the fuel required and the conditions on the day.
We agree your allowance before the flight and will tell you early if the plan needs adjusting. Golf clubs, dive gear and pushchairs can usually be carried when they are declared at booking.
What happens if weather stops a helicopter flight?
Helicopter operations depend on visibility, cloud base and wind as well as the state of the landing site, so a departure can move even on a bright day.
We watch the forecast from the day before, contact you as soon as a change looks likely and offer a revised time, an alternative site or a different aircraft.
Where a trip cannot be flown safely it is rescheduled or refunded according to the terms of your charter agreement. Safety decisions rest with the operator and the pilot in command.
Can a helicopter charter be booked for the same day?
Often yes for Florida legs and sometimes for the Bahamas, but an international crossing needs customs notification and a confirmed port of entry and a private pad needs permission, which both set a practical limit on how late a booking can be made.
Aircraft availability in season is the other constraint. The fastest route is to send the date, the two ends of the trip and your passenger count to the charter desk and a flight planner will tell you within the hour what is possible.
Can I bring a pet on a helicopter charter?
Yes, pets travel in the cabin with you. The one thing we ask is that you tell us at the enquiry, with the type of animal and its weight, so the seating and the load plan are right from the start.
Charter Desk
Request a Helicopter Charter Quote from Miami
Send us the date and the two ends of your trip. A flight planner replies with routing, aircraft options and the arrival plan.
- 24/7 support
- Fast response
- No obligation
Explore
Every Route, Aircraft and Departure Point
Helicopter from Other Points
Miami by Other Aircraft
Seaplane Routes from Miami
Small Plane Routes from Miami
Regions and Destinations
- All destinations we fly to
- The Bahamas
- The Florida Keys
- Private Jets to the Bahamas
- Private Jets to the Florida Keys
- Seaplane to the Bahamas
- Seaplane to the Florida Keys
- Small Plane to the Bahamas
- Small Plane to the Florida Keys
- Cargo to the Bahamas
- Cargo to the Florida Keys
- Island Logistics to the Bahamas
- Island Logistics to the Florida Keys
