Helicopters that landed in a finca in Colonia Sant Jordi, Mallorca

The helicopters had come from Switzerland. | Cati Amores

Andrew EdeSes Salines26/08/2023 13:06
TW
3

It has been established that the four helicopters that landed at a finca in Colonia Sant Jordi on August 10 were from a Swiss helicopter pilot school. The people on the helicopters were not tourists.

Marc Buades, instructor pilot at The Helicopter Centre based at the Son Bonet aerodrome, says that there were twelve students and instructors. "It was a helicopter school that had been touring Europe with the twelve students, aged between 20 and 50, so that they could get flight hours and more experience. They went from Switzerland to France, then to Portugal and southern Spain. From there they travelled to Ibiza before coming to Mallorca. Following all the fuss, they flew to Son Bonet the next day. They then left for Montpellier before returning to Basel."

Related news
Helicopter taking off from a finca in Colonia Sant Jordi, Mallorca

Investigation to be launched into helicopters that landed in Colonia Sant Jordi

Buades, who has contacts at this helicopter school and advised the group about the flight plan, explains that the permits for the four helicopters were in order, including the flight plan authorised by Enaire, the state navigation company. "Everything was in order and the owner of the finca had given his permission for the helicopters to land." With regard to complaints about the noise, he accepts that the approach and landing of the four helicopters until their engines were turned off lasted about ten minutes.

As to suggestions that there was a champagne party, Buades refutes this. "The finca is a holiday rental property. A barbecue was organised, as had also been the case in Ibiza. There was no party and the students and instructors stayed at the property and another one close by."

The owner of the finca has apologised to neighbours about the noise and stresses that it was an "exceptional event".