Veritair
Encyclopedia
Veritair Aviation Limited is a helicopter charter company based at Cardiff Heliport
, in Cardiff
, Wales
. It operates year round charter and contract helicopter services throughout United Kingdom
and Europe
. Veritair Aviation has major contracts with the BBC
for digital calibration of television masts throughout the UK and further afield, QinetiQ
for recovering MOD
targets offshore and provides a British Transport Police
helicopter to patrol and secure railway lines throughout the UK.
Veritair Aviation was created following a management buyout in 2008 of Veritair from British International Helicopters
led by Captain Julian Verity. Veritair Aviation holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Air Operator Certificate, which permits it to carry passengers for public air transportation.
Veritair operates both single and twin-engine helicopters and now occupies the new £4m Cardiff Heliport
opened in 2000 by HRH Prince of Wales
in Cardiff Bay
. Veritair’s progress has seen its ownership change hands several times over the past 27 years but its name, management and Welsh identity has remained throughout.
Previous owners include significant world-class helicopter operators including CHC Helicopter Corporation and more recently British International Helicopters
(whose roots go back to British Airways Helicopters).
Cardiff Heliport
Cardiff Heliport is a heliport located in Tremorfa, Cardiff, Wales, approximately 2 miles from the city centre.The heliport is owned by Cardiff Council, but Veritair Ltd have a long term lease on the facility...
, in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It operates year round charter and contract helicopter services throughout United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Veritair Aviation has major contracts with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
for digital calibration of television masts throughout the UK and further afield, QinetiQ
QinetiQ
Qinetiq is a British global defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former UK government agency, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency , when it was split up in June 2001...
for recovering MOD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
targets offshore and provides a British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
helicopter to patrol and secure railway lines throughout the UK.
Veritair Aviation was created following a management buyout in 2008 of Veritair from British International Helicopters
British International Helicopters
British International Helicopter Services Limited is an airline based at Penzance heliport, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, with headquarters located at Sherborne, Dorset. It operates seasonal and year round domestic scheduled services to the Isles of Scilly. Its main base is Penzance...
led by Captain Julian Verity. Veritair Aviation holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Air Operator Certificate, which permits it to carry passengers for public air transportation.
History
Veritair was founded by Julian Verity, its present Managing Director, in 1982 based at Cardiff Wales Airport operating a solitary Bell Jetranger helicopter. TV and Broadcasters were and remain major users of the company’s services both home and abroad. The company quickly expanded with 2 Bell helicopters and in 1985 moved “downtown” into the first Cardiff Heliport, opened by Jim Callahan MP. Branching into both police, BBC and MOD work in the 1990s saw the Company grow and diversify.Veritair operates both single and twin-engine helicopters and now occupies the new £4m Cardiff Heliport
Cardiff Heliport
Cardiff Heliport is a heliport located in Tremorfa, Cardiff, Wales, approximately 2 miles from the city centre.The heliport is owned by Cardiff Council, but Veritair Ltd have a long term lease on the facility...
opened in 2000 by HRH Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
in Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
. Veritair’s progress has seen its ownership change hands several times over the past 27 years but its name, management and Welsh identity has remained throughout.
Previous owners include significant world-class helicopter operators including CHC Helicopter Corporation and more recently British International Helicopters
British International Helicopters
British International Helicopter Services Limited is an airline based at Penzance heliport, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, with headquarters located at Sherborne, Dorset. It operates seasonal and year round domestic scheduled services to the Isles of Scilly. Its main base is Penzance...
(whose roots go back to British Airways Helicopters).
Fleet
The Veritair Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft:- 1 x MBB BK117C1
- 1 x Aerospatiale AS355N Twin SquirrelEurocopter AS355The Eurocopter AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine light helicopter originally manufactured by Aérospatiale...
- 1 x MBB Bo 105Db4Bölkow Bo 105The MBB Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose utility helicopter developed by Bölkow of Stuttgart, Germany. Production began under Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm , which became a part of Eurocopter in 1991...