Many helicopter landing sites, such as private estates, hotels and racecourses, only accept landings in daylight, and single-engine helicopters are normally flown by day. Pick your date, where you leave from and where you land: the calculator gives the latest take-off that still lands before sunset, the earliest after sunrise and the flight time. It is free to use.
Choose a date and two places to see the result.
A planning aid. Sunrise and sunset are calculated for the exact place and date and shown in UK local time. The pilot, the operator and the landing site always have the final say.
How the calculator works
Pick the date, where you are flying from and where you are landing. The calculator works out sunrise and sunset at both places, estimates the flight time from the distance (or uses the time from your quote), and gives you the earliest and latest take-off that keep the landing in daylight. Add a planned take-off time and it tells you straight away whether that time works.
A worked example
On Wednesday 28 October 2026 the sun sets at 16:46 at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. The flight from London Heliport at Battersea is about 64 miles, or roughly 29 minutes, so with a 15-minute margin the latest take-off is 16:02.
Sunset in London, and the latest take-off by month
The table shows sunrise and sunset at London Heliport, Battersea on the 1st and 15th of each month in 2027, with the latest take-off for a 30-minute and a one-hour flight if you want to land 15 minutes before sunset. The pattern repeats each year to within a minute or two. For anywhere other than London, use the calculator above.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Latest take-off, 30-minute flight | Latest take-off, 1-hour flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | 08:06 | 16:02 | 15:17 | 14:47 |
| 15 January | 08:00 | 16:21 | 15:36 | 15:06 |
| 1 February | 07:39 | 16:49 | 16:04 | 15:34 |
| 15 February | 07:15 | 17:15 | 16:30 | 16:00 |
| 1 March | 06:46 | 17:40 | 16:55 | 16:25 |
| 15 March | 06:15 | 18:04 | 17:19 | 16:49 |
| 1 April | 06:36 | 19:33 | 18:48 | 18:18 |
| 15 April | 06:05 | 19:56 | 19:11 | 18:41 |
| 1 May | 05:33 | 20:23 | 19:38 | 19:08 |
| 15 May | 05:09 | 20:45 | 20:00 | 19:30 |
| 1 June | 04:49 | 21:08 | 20:23 | 19:53 |
| 15 June | 04:43 | 21:19 | 20:34 | 20:04 |
| 1 July | 04:48 | 21:21 | 20:36 | 20:06 |
| 15 July | 05:01 | 21:12 | 20:27 | 19:57 |
| 1 August | 05:25 | 20:50 | 20:05 | 19:35 |
| 15 August | 05:46 | 20:24 | 19:39 | 19:09 |
| 1 September | 06:13 | 19:48 | 19:03 | 18:33 |
| 15 September | 06:36 | 19:17 | 18:32 | 18:02 |
| 1 October | 07:01 | 18:40 | 17:55 | 17:25 |
| 15 October | 07:24 | 18:09 | 17:24 | 16:54 |
| 1 November | 06:54 | 16:35 | 15:50 | 15:20 |
| 15 November | 07:18 | 16:12 | 15:27 | 14:57 |
| 1 December | 07:44 | 15:56 | 15:11 | 14:41 |
| 15 December | 08:00 | 15:52 | 15:07 | 14:37 |
UK local time (GMT in winter, BST in summer). Method: NOAA solar position equations; margin 15 minutes before sunset.
Daylight landing questions
What does a daylight landing mean for a helicopter flight?
It means touching down before sunset, and after sunrise, at the landing site. Many private landing sites, hotels, estates and event grounds only accept landings in daylight, and single-engine helicopters are normally flown by day. This calculator takes sunset at the landing site, subtracts the safety margin you choose and the flight time, and gives you the latest take-off.
How is the flight time worked out?
From the straight-line distance between the two places at 150 mph, plus 3 minutes for start-up and approach. It is an estimate: your quote gives the real time, and you can type that into the flight time box. Wind, routing and air traffic control all move it by a few minutes.
Which sunset time does the calculator use?
Sunrise and sunset for the exact latitude and longitude on the date you pick, using the sunrise equations published by the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory. Times are shown in UK local time, so the clock change in March and October is already allowed for.
Can a helicopter fly after dark?
Some twin-engine helicopters and crews are approved for night flying, but most private landing sites do not accept landings after dark, and single-engine helicopters are normally flown by day only. If your plans run past sunset, ask us: we check the aircraft, the crew and the site before we quote.
How accurate is it?
Sunrise and sunset are accurate to about a minute. Trees, hills and weather can make it darker earlier at a particular site, which is why a 15-minute margin is the default. Treat the result as a planning aid and confirm the cut-off with your operator.
Why do the winter times matter so much?
In December the sun sets in London at about 15:55, so a 30-minute flight has to leave by about 15:10. A late lunch or an evening event can make a helicopter impossible even though the same trip is easy in June, which is why we check the daylight before we quote.
Where can a helicopter land after dark?
Some airfields can handle it. Oaksey Park Airfield in the Cotswolds, for example, says it has two illuminated helipads and portable landing lights, with out-of-hours handling charged by the hour outside its winter hours of 09:00 to 17:00. Private estates and hotels usually do not allow landings after dark. Ask us and we check the site, the aircraft and the crew before we quote.
Planning a helicopter flight?
We arrange helicopter charter from London Heliport at Battersea, Biggin Hill, Farnborough and private landing sites across the UK, and we check daylight, the landing site and the aircraft before we quote. See helicopter hire, helicopter flight times from London, private helicopter landing sites and helicopter hire to Soho Farmhouse, or ask for a quote or call +44 (0)20 7781 8094, 24 hours a day.