Helicopter Transfer Burbank to Long Beach

The hop between Burbank and Long Beach covers a mere 26 nautical miles, a distance across the sprawl of greater Los Angeles that is best flown by helicopter. A machine such as the Airbus H130 is ideally matched to the task, its smooth turbine engine and generous glazing offering passengers an unhurried view over the freeways, hills and coastline of Southern California. Rising from Burbank in the San Fernando Valley, the aircraft crosses the basin towards the harbour, sparing travellers the notorious congestion of the region’s motorways, which can turn the same journey by road into an hour or more. The flight itself takes only around a quarter of an hour from lift-off to touchdown. Departures are arranged from Hollywood Burbank Airport, a favoured gateway for those bound to and from the studios and neighbourhoods of the northern basin. Arrival is at Long Beach Airport, a handsome field with a preserved streamline-moderne terminal, set close to the waterfront, the marina and the convention district. Long Beach offers its visitors the historic liner Queen Mary, a lively downtown and ready access to the harbour and the beaches of Orange County beyond. Brief as it is, the route captures the essential appeal of the helicopter in a city defined by its traffic, turning a tedious drive into a swift and scenic passage. It suits business travellers moving between meetings, event-goers bound for the waterfront and anyone for whom time in Los Angeles is at a premium. For those who prefer to rise above the gridlock, the crossing between Burbank and Long Beach is as practical as it is memorable.