Isles of Scilly helicopter service expands fleet
A company which runs a helicopter passenger service between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland is expanding its fleet to meet increased demand.
Penzance Helicopters runs up to 11 daily flights between the islands and Penzance, taking up to 10 people per crossing.
The company said the addition of another helicopter would increase its fleet to three aircraft and allow up to 17 crossings per day.
David Page, Penzance Heliport base manager, said passenger numbers had increased by 30% since helicopter operators Starspeed took over running the service in 2022.
"The addition of a third aircraft will make a significant investment in the resilience, reliability and extra flights to the islands which is obviously what we need," Mr Page told BBC Radio Cornwall.
He added: "Initially we'll lease it [the aircraft] for a long-term period with the aim, eventually, to purchase it like we've done with the other two.
"The two we're running at the moment ranged between about £15m and £20m."
Mr Page said the business had connected with the community and held classes for schools and invited the local Women's Institute group for a tour.
"It's an ambition of mine to really connect with our neighbours and the community and we have worked hard as a team to do that over the past three years," he said.
Penzance Helicopters expect to receive their new aircraft in August and have it in operation for summer 2026.
More news stories for Cornwall
Listen to the latest news for Cornwall
Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.
Two-million pound heliport approved
Penzance-Scilly helicopters axed
Penzance Helicopters
Starspeed
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Which word does Illinois, other states struggle to spell?
Which word does Illinois, other states struggle to spell? Show Caption Hide Caption Chippewa Local speller Zach Yeager prepares for national bee Zach Yeager, a student at Chippewa Junior/Senior High School in Doylestown, is busy preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Oddly, "misspell," a not-particularly easy word to spell, is not on a recently released list of words Americans most often misspell. But as the Scripps National Spelling Bee gets underway, a study by an online tool for Scrabble players and others who play word games, finds that Americans have a hard time spelling a host of other words. Using Google Trends search data from the start of the year through May 19 for "How do you spell ..." and "How to spell ...," analysts found that we definitely can't spell "definitely." We can't separate our impulse to misspell "separate" from search engine inquiries. And we somehow find it necessary to Google the spelling of "necessary." Those are the top three hard-to-spell words, respectively, according to WordUnscrambler's analysis. You won't believe what else is on the list. Or maybe you will. What does a Google analysis reveal about spelling miscues? At least two words with the challenging i-e combination made the list of most-misspelled words: "believe," which came in at No. 4, and "neighbor," at No. 7. There were 33,500 searches for "definitely," 30,000 for "separate" and 29,000 for "necessary." "Through" seems to be a troublesome word, with 28,000 searches. But maybe we can also take some solace in a polarized nation in some other words on the list: We may be complimenting one another a lot, because "gorgeous" is No. 6 on the list. And we obviously care about our "neighbors," even if that e-i-or-i-e thing gives us fits. Google took root with a misspelling Google's own origin story includes a misspelling: Creators Sergei Brin and Larry Page originally called their search engine Backrub. But Page had a better idea (it might have been hard to think of a worse one): googol, or a "1" followed by 100 zeroes, or, if you're into exponents, 10 to the 100th power. Page misspelled it, and Google, the search engine, was born. The search engine's ubiquity, though, has made "google" a verb as well as a proper noun. And that popularity comes in large part because of its utility in helping us find some of our "favorite" (No. 9 on the list of most misspelled words) things. The things we search for most may be some of the things we misspell most often: "business" is No. 8 on the list and "restaurant" is No. 10 for misspelled searches. What do people in your state misspell the most? Alabama, Kansas, New York and Wisconsin all want to be "different," while Arkansans just want a good "quesadilla." Colorado, home to six U.S. military bases, seems to search "sergeant" a lot, and Delaware, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming are all looking for someone or something that's "beautiful." Californians and Washingtonians (of the state variety) are looking for "appreciation," and people in Montana and New Mexico want to "appreciate" whatever it is that they appreciate. Contrary to their prickly reputations, New Jerseyans like to say "Congratulations," as do the folks in Illinois. Floridians like to "compliment" people. And in Arizona, Kentucky, South Carolina and Virginia, they're just looking for, well, "people." Maine is concerned with "pneumonia," and who can blame them? In Alaska, they can't stop thinking about "tomorrow," and in Connecticut, they're apparently on a strict "schedule." North Carolinians are keeping a "secret," while they're merely "protective" in New Hampshire (and in Texas, where the spelling of "protect" is searched most often). They're evidently practicing their "crochet" skills in Ohio, but practicing "patience" in Oklahoma. No one should be running with "scissors" in Pennsylvania. But folks everywhere, including in Tennessee, should eat their "broccoli" to stay strong. Some states contributed to the top words on the list, including "definitely" (Idaho and Utah), "necessary" (Georgia), "through" (Iowa and Louisiana) and "business" (Oregon). In Indiana, they're wondering what's being "taught," while Nevadans are concerned with "school." Maryland is searching for "character," and Minnesota wants to be "successful." In Michigan, they're starting from "scratch" but feeling the heat in Missouri, where the "temperature" gets warm. Rhode Islanders are curious about what's been "cancelled" and in North Dakota, it's all about the "daughter" (because "son" is pretty easy to spell). It's hard not to envy the people of Hawaii, though, who are thinking about the next "luau." And what's up with you, Vermont? You just want to know how to spell "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Don't we all? Do you want to share a slice of Americana with USA TODAY? Contact Phaedra Trethan by email at ptrethan@ on X (formerly Twitter) @wordsbyphaedra, on BlueSky @byphaedra, or on Threads @by_phaedra
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Yahoo
Britain's largest seawater lido marks 90 years
Swimmers have dived in to mark the 90th anniversary of a "special" Cornish seaside lido. A celebration event was held on Saturday at Penzance's Jubilee Pool, which first opened its gates in May 1935 as part of King George V's Silver Jubilee. During the event, people were encouraged to wear vintage swimwear at the pool - which is Britain's largest seawater lido - and a group of 90 partygoers jumped into the water all at once to mark the occasion. Nicola Murdoch, the pool's chief executive, said it was an honour to be able to celebrate the milestone at the site on Battery Road. Ms Murdoch said it was a special day at the pool, with other activities at the party including surfing and water polo demonstrations and live music. She added she was glad the early morning rain had disappeared in time for the main event, but felt even a bit of wet weather would not have dampened the atmosphere. "It's just an honour to be here on a big day in the pool's history," Ms Murdoch said. Ms Murdoch said the pool had had to evolve throughout its existence in order to stay open and had been "extremely hard hit" by the weather and elements at various points. More news stories for Cornwall Listen to the latest news for Cornwall She said the team which runs the pool had always looked for new things to add to the site, including becoming a licensed wedding venue, but the lido was still a special place for many people. "It's got so much history and so many stories woven into here," Ms Murdoch said. "It's beautiful and stunning." Two of the swimmers who took part in the festivities were mother and daughter duo Lesley and Tamsyn Nowman, who regularly use the lido. They said the pool was a significant place for their family as Lesley's mother had visited the site the day after it opened in 1935. Tamsyn added: "It's such a lovely event to bring all the community together and to celebrate such a special place that we're really lucky to have on our doorstep." Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Sunshine brings in the bookings at open-air pool UK's 'first geothermal lido' opens in Cornwall Rising costs forces winter closure of heated lido Jubilee Pool
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Yahoo
APS cancels last day at Ellis, IJ over 'potential safety concern' to students
May 30—Due to what was termed as a "potential safety concern," at Ellis Middle School, the Austin Public Schools District has made the decision to cancel the last day of school for both Ellis Middle School and IJ Holton Intermediate School. In a letter to district parents, Superintendent Dr. Joey Page made the announcement earlier this morning. "Due to the timing of this report and our need to fully assess the situation, we have made the decision to cancel the last day of school for Ellis Middle School students," Page explained in the letter. "Additionall, IJ Holton, due to its close proximity to Ellis, will also be closed to students." Citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Page said he was unable to go into details regarding the situation saying only that the district was working with law enforcement to investigate the threat's nature and that it is "taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our community." "All threats of violence — even those made in jest — are taken seriously and may result in student discipline, including possible expulsion and involvement of law enforcement," Page's letter said. Austin Police Chief David McKichan confirmed that the district had reached out to the Austin Police Department, which continues to look into the threats. "Austin Public Schools received information about a potential safety concern involving students at Ellis Middle School. They did contact us to investigate, and that investigation is ongoing," McKichan said in a statement. "We do have two School Resource Officers (SRO) assigned to the school district. One of those is dedicated to the Ellis/IJH joint campus and is assigned this case. The other SRO, and any of our other staff, would of course assist as needed." The letter ended with Page urging parents or their students that if they hear of any threats to call 911 to report it.
