A HELICOPTER company which has flown top footballers and Formula One drivers to top destinations, is set to expand from its Welshpool base across to Majorca.

Whizzard Helicopters, owned by Jerry Lanchbury, has been operating from Welshpool for 14 years and now has a fleet of seven helicopters which he uses to teach people and conduct charter flights to various locations.

After increasing demand, he has now decided to branch out, and has decided the next destination is the Iberian Peninsula in Majorca, with ‘Balearic Helicopters.’

This will give the chance for clients to learn over in Spain in the winter, and conduct flights from Welshpool to Spain.

Pat Agnew, who works for the company, said: “The company has been expanding and everyone is very excited about this new venture.

“We have a good fleet at the moment and we have had success in the past, with pilots going on to other companies, and we have Paul Cakebread who works right next door to us with the Welsh Air Ambulance.

“We give training but we do charter flights and we have had famous people on board and have done work for TV in the past.”

Formula One legend Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikannon have flown to races in Whizzard copters and they have also flown Liverpool and England star Michael Owen to race meets.

As well as this they have been involved in numerous TV programmes with people such as Tim Robinson, and they were involved in the filming of TV series Sherlock.

Along with offering training, alongside their new foreign venture they have rewards at the end of training for pilots.

She added: “We have had pilots going into various different roles, and at the end of their training we offer work for them as we are short of pilots.”