A light single-engine turboprop aircraft on the apron at a small European airfield at golden hour, boarding steps down
    Chapter 02Aviation

    Cessna-class. Not Gulfstream theatre.

    Light aircraft, turboprops, helicopters. The plane that fits the trip — not the most expensive one. Pilot sourcing too, when that's what you actually need.

    Quote my routeMessage us on Telegram

    WHAT WE ARE

    We don't sell jets we couldn't afford.

    Most "private aviation" sites are theatre — Gulfstreams photographed at golden hour, hourly rates obscured. The flights our customers actually take are turboprops and light jets, because the maths works. We're the desk that does the maths honestly.

    THE FLEET, HONESTLY DESCRIBED

    Five aircraft classes.
    Each does one thing well.

    The trick isn't picking a fancy plane. It's matching the plane to the mission, then to the price.

    Light single

    Cessna 172 / Cirrus SR22

    2–3 pax

    ~600 nm

    Air-taxi hops, scenic flights, training-grade pilots — the most accessible way into the air.

    Cabin twin

    Cessna 421 / Beechcraft Baron

    4–6 pax

    ~1,000 nm

    UK domestic, short Europe. Pressurised, twin-engine reassurance.

    Turboprop

    Pilatus PC-12 / King Air 350

    6–8 pax

    ~1,800 nm

    The honest workhorse. Cabin you can stand up in. London to the Med, no fuel stop.

    Light jet

    Citation CJ3 / Phenom 300

    6–8 pax

    ~2,000 nm

    When speed matters and budget allows. Same range as a turboprop, much faster.

    Helicopter

    Agusta 109 / Bell 429

    4–6 pax

    ~350 nm

    City to country house. Goodwood. Henley. Heliport-to-heliport, no traffic.

    SAFETY, CONCRETELY

    The most bullshit-able
    line in aviation.

    "Safety is our priority" doesn't earn anyone's trust. So instead of saying it, here's what we actually check on your behalf.

    Operator certification

    Every operator we use is CAA (UK), EASA (EU), or FAA (US) part-135 / AOC certified. We can share the AOC reference with each quote.

    Pilot qualifications

    We work with operators whose captains meet ATPL minimums and have substantial hours on type. Licences and recent training records are available on request.

    Aircraft maintenance

    We expect operators to share recent inspection records and any open ADs. If logbooks aren't shareable, we don't use them.

    Insurance & indemnity

    Hull and liability insurance certificates verified before booking, at the levels appropriate for the aircraft and route.

    ROUTES WE KNOW WELL

    Patterns we run regularly.

    We'll quote anywhere. These are the routes where we have the best operator coverage and the fastest turnaround.

    London ↔ CornwallQuote on request
    London ↔ EdinburghQuote on request
    London ↔ GenevaQuote on request
    London ↔ NiceQuote on request
    London ↔ IbizaQuote on request
    London ↔ MallorcaQuote on request
    London ↔ Le TouquetQuote on request
    Geneva ↔ MadridQuote on request
    London (City) ↔ Goodwood (heli)Quote on request
    A light aircraft on the airstrip at La Mola, Formentera

    SHORT HOPS

    Lunch in Formentera. Skiing in Megève. The places airlines don’t fly to.

    Six fully-priced light-aircraft itineraries — beach lunches, mountain runways, three-Michelin day trips, the Hebridean Run. With an interactive picker to find the one that fits your weekend.

    Browse Short Hops →

    PRICING

    Affordable private flying

    Private aviation is more accessible than most people assume. Total cost depends on aircraft type, route, group size and season — we send a clear quote with everything broken out.

    Tell us your departure, destination, dates and number of passengers. We come back with shortlisted options and full costs (aircraft, landing, handling, repositioning).

    Our service fee: from £150 per search. No hidden charges. You only pay if you book.

    WHERE YOU LEAVE FROM

    The drive matters more than the handling fee.

    Handling varies by a few hundred to a couple of thousand pounds — 2 to 5 percent of a typical charter. An hour of extra driving on a Friday costs you more than that, and it never appears on the quote. Start from where you actually live.

    AirportSuitsHandlingWorth knowing
    Farnborough (FAB)Southwest London, Surrey, the M3/M4Highest handlingOne dedicated FBO, fastest turnarounds, most discreet
    Luton (LTN)North London, Herts, anything at odd hoursMost competitive24 hours, several competing FBOs
    Biggin Hill (BQH)South and east London, KentMidSix-minute helicopter shuttle to Battersea
    London City (LCY)The City, Canary WharfMid to highShort, steep runway — limits which aircraft can use it
    RAF Northolt (NHT)Northwest LondonMidCapped at 7,000 civil movements a year, allocated ahead
    Denham, Elstree, BlackbusheLight aircraft, anywhereTens of poundsWhere light aviation actually happens — no FBO, no handling

    The full comparison, including real journey times into town, is in which London airport to fly private from.

    COMMON QUESTIONS

    Asked enough times to put here.

    How much does it cost to charter a small aircraft in the UK?
    The range is very wide. A cost-shared seat through Wingly starts around £50 to £80 for a short flight. Chartering a single-engine Cessna or Piper outright runs £160 to £250 an hour. A turboprop is roughly £1,400 to £3,400 an hour and a light jet £2,200 to £3,600. A London to Nice sector on a midsize jet lands between £14,000 and £17,500 one way.
    Which London airport should I fly private from?
    Start from where you are actually leaving from rather than which airport sounds best. Handling fees vary by a few hundred to a couple of thousand pounds, which is 2 to 5 percent of a typical charter — an hour of extra driving costs you more. Farnborough for southwest London, Luton for north London and anything at an unsociable hour, Biggin Hill for the south and east, London City for the Docklands.
    What is an empty leg flight?
    A repositioning flight the operator has to fly anyway, sold at 50 to 75 percent off retail. A London to Nice sector that retails at €15,000 to €22,000 shows up as an empty leg at roughly €5,500 to €9,500. The conditions are the whole story: you take somebody else's date, time and airports, most appear only 24 to 72 hours out, and roughly one in fifteen is cancelled when the original client moves.
    Do you do large private jets?
    No, and deliberately. Our work is Cessna-class aircraft, turboprops and light jets, two to eight passengers, into airfields that airlines do not serve. If you need a Gulfstream to New York, a heavy-jet broker will serve you better than we will and we will say so.
    Is flight cost-sharing legal in the UK?
    Yes. A qualified private pilot flying a trip they were already making can offset direct costs with passengers, and the pilot cannot profit. The Civil Aviation Authority regulates it explicitly. It is a genuinely different product from commercial charter rather than a cheaper version of it — no cabin crew, VFR only, and it cancels for weather more readily.
    How far ahead do I need to book?
    Two or three days is usually enough on well-served routes. Short-runway destinations, summer Saturday slots at Biggin Hill, and anything needing a specific aircraft type want a week or two. Empty legs work the other way — they surface 24 to 72 hours out and reward being flexible.

    EVERYTHING WE KNOW

    Seventeen guides, priced properly.

    WHAT CLIENTS SAY

    "I use Sulu for everything now. Flights, restaurants, tickets. It's like having a brilliant PA who actually knows what they're doing."

    James R.

    Manchester

    Where to, and when?

    Send us the route and the day. We come back with shortlisted operators and a clear total cost.

    Message us on WhatsAppMessage us on Telegram

    Or email concierge@sulu.agency

    TelegramWhatsApp