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Helicopter lift vs crane calculator

Short answer: the comparison is rarely about the lift itself — it is about everything a crane needs before it can lift. Enter your own crane or access figures (mobilisation and dismantling days, access works, closures, quoted cost) and the cost of a day of delay, and this tool shows the days a helicopter option would save and what those days are worth to you. Every currency figure is yours; nothing is invented here.

A crane is usually the right answer, and a broker who says otherwise is selling. A helicopter becomes the rational choice in a narrow set of cases: no road to the point, a crane that cannot reach or stand, an access road that costs more than the lift, a closure window too short to build access, or downtime so expensive that days dominate everything else. This tool tests which case you are in.

Mission inputs

This comparison uses only the figures you entered. SkyMatch publishes no crane prices and no helicopter lift prices here — operators quote the flying, your contractors quote the ground. Treat the output as a framing of your own numbers.

Calendar days the air option would save

10.0 days

Crane route 14.0 days end to end against 4.0 days for the air option, on your figures.

Crane route — total days

14.0 days

Mobilisation 4, access works 6, closures 2, lifting 2.

Air route — total days

4.0 days

Preparation and approvals 3, lifting 1.

Value of the days saved

Not entered

Add a cost per day of delay to see this.

Ground solution cost you hold

Not entered

Your own quote — SkyMatch publishes no crane prices.

Budget the air option is measured against

Add both figures

Enter the quoted ground cost and a cost per day of delay.

Access works avoided

6 days of road/platform works

Temporary roads and platforms often cost more than the lift itself.

  • No delay cost entered, so the comparison is in days only. The decision usually turns on what a day is worth — production, penalties, idle crews and extended site costs.

Preliminary estimate for planning purposes only — not a confirmed price, availability or booking. Final routing, operational feasibility and pricing must be confirmed by the selected licensed operator.

Worked examples: inputs, planning estimate and request

Each example runs this calculator's own formula on the inputs shown. The results are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices, aircraft and timing are confirmed only after our team reviews the request and checks with licensed third-party operators, subject to availability.

Example 1 · Typical request

Crane or access solution — quoted cost
0 € / your currency
Crane mobilisation and dismantling
4 days
Access works — road, platform, ground reinforcement
6 days
Closures, permits or possessions needed
2 days
Actual lifting days with the crane
2 days
Expected helicopter lift days
1 days
Helicopter-side preparation — approvals, rigging, site prep
3 days
Cost of one day of delay or downtime
0 € / your currency

Calendar days the air option would save

10.0 days

  • Crane route — total days: 14.0 days
  • Air route — total days: 4.0 days
  • Value of the days saved: Not entered
  • Ground solution cost you hold: Not entered
Sample request text sent for human review

Method comparison (buyer's own figures): crane/access route 14.0 days total (mobilisation 4, access works 6, closures 2, lifting 2). Air route 4.0 days (preparation 3, lifting 1). Days difference 10.0, no delay cost supplied.

Example 2 · Smaller request

Crane or access solution — quoted cost
0 € / your currency
Crane mobilisation and dismantling
2 days
Access works — road, platform, ground reinforcement
4 days
Closures, permits or possessions needed
1 days
Actual lifting days with the crane
1 days
Expected helicopter lift days
0.5 days
Helicopter-side preparation — approvals, rigging, site prep
2 days
Cost of one day of delay or downtime
0 € / your currency

Calendar days the air option would save

5.5 days

  • Crane route — total days: 8.0 days
  • Air route — total days: 2.5 days
  • Value of the days saved: Not entered
  • Ground solution cost you hold: Not entered
Sample request text sent for human review

Method comparison (buyer's own figures): crane/access route 8.0 days total (mobilisation 2, access works 4, closures 1, lifting 1). Air route 2.5 days (preparation 2, lifting 0.5). Days difference 5.5, no delay cost supplied.

Example 3 · Larger request

Crane or access solution — quoted cost
0 € / your currency
Crane mobilisation and dismantling
6 days
Access works — road, platform, ground reinforcement
10 days
Closures, permits or possessions needed
3 days
Actual lifting days with the crane
3 days
Expected helicopter lift days
1.5 days
Helicopter-side preparation — approvals, rigging, site prep
5 days
Cost of one day of delay or downtime
0 € / your currency

Calendar days the air option would save

15.5 days

  • Crane route — total days: 22.0 days
  • Air route — total days: 6.5 days
  • Value of the days saved: Not entered
  • Ground solution cost you hold: Not entered
Sample request text sent for human review

Method comparison (buyer's own figures): crane/access route 22.0 days total (mobilisation 6, access works 10, closures 3, lifting 3). Air route 6.5 days (preparation 5, lifting 1.5). Days difference 15.5, no delay cost supplied.

Turn this estimate into a mission request

The figures above are a planning frame, not an offer. Send the mission and SkyMatch reviews it, researches operators holding the relevant approvals and comes back with current options. Your inputs are carried across — nothing needs retyping.

Request current operator optionsCheck mission feasibility

See how a request becomes a confirmed flight — review, operator options, written confirmation.

What actually moves this number

  • Access works. A temporary road, platform or ground reinforcement is often the largest single cost on the crane side.
  • Closures and possessions. A road, rail or public-space closure has its own calendar, independent of both crane and helicopter.
  • What a day is worth. On a stopped production line or a penalty-bearing programme, days dominate every other number.
  • Crane reach and standing position. If the crane cannot stand where it must, no price comparison is needed.
  • Helicopter-side lead time. Authority approvals and exclusion zones take calendar time that belongs in the comparison.
  • Reinstatement. Access works usually have to be removed and the ground restored — that cost is frequently left out.

What this tool does not decide

  • Whether any aircraft with the required hook capability is genuinely available in your window — that is capacity, not arithmetic.
  • Whether the operator's performance charts support the lift at your elevation, temperature and hover height.
  • Whether the authority, the site owner and the road, rail or building owner approve the flight profile and the exclusion zone.
  • Whether the rigging, slings and lift points are certified and correctly specified for the load.
  • The binding price. Operators quote lift programmes; these tools size the mission first.
  • Which method is correct for your project. Engineers, the principal contractor and the site owner decide that; this tool only frames your figures.

SkyMatch Group is an independent helicopter charter broker and a human-reviewed mission platform. It does not operate aircraft. Every flight is performed by an independent licensed operator, and every introduction is approved by SkyMatch before it happens.

For procurement & project buyers

Justifying helicopter lift against a crane in a business case

The comparison a procurement team has to defend is rarely aircraft against crane in isolation — it is total access cost: road building or reinforcement, crane mobilisation and assembly, permits, ground disruption and lost production time against a short, precise aerial placement. The comparison above frames those inputs. It does not rule either method feasible; the performing operator, the site owner and the authority decide that.

Scope of work lines you can reuse

  • Comparison of an aerial external-load placement against a ground-crane method for the same defined loads.
  • Access cost of the ground method stated separately: temporary roads, hardstanding, crane mobilisation, assembly and de-rig.
  • Disruption cost stated separately: closures, lost production, restricted site working.
  • Aerial method scoped as short, high-precision placement cycles from a named staging area.
  • Method selection remains subject to operator performance data, site-owner approval and authority permissions.

Supplier qualification checklist

  • Air operator certificate held by the performing operator, with the external-load / aerial-work privilege listed on it.
  • Evidence of the specific approval for the work: human external cargo, long-line, or over-populated-area operations where applicable.
  • Insurance certificate showing hull and third-party liability limits, and whether your site and your client are covered as additional insureds.
  • Pilot experience stated against this class of work (external load hours), not general flight hours.
  • Mass and balance plus HOGE performance data for the actual aircraft at the site's elevation and expected temperature.
  • Site-specific risk assessment, method statement and load-rigging plan before mobilisation.
  • Named point of contact for the flight days and the escalation route if weather stops the programme.

Paste-ready RFQ specification

Request current operator options
HELICOPTER MISSION — REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (draft specification)

1. SCOPE OF WORK
   - Comparison of an aerial external-load placement against a ground-crane method for the same defined loads.
   - Access cost of the ground method stated separately: temporary roads, hardstanding, crane mobilisation, assembly and de-rig.
   - Disruption cost stated separately: closures, lost production, restricted site working.
   - Aerial method scoped as short, high-precision placement cycles from a named staging area.
   - Method selection remains subject to operator performance data, site-owner approval and authority permissions.

2. TECHNICAL DATA (from the buyer's own planning inputs)
   Method comparison (buyer's own figures): crane/access route 14.0 days total (mobilisation 4, access works 6, closures 2, lifting 2). Air route 4.0 days (preparation 3, lifting 1). Days difference 10.0, no delay cost supplied.

3. SUPPLIER QUALIFICATION & DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
   - Air operator certificate held by the performing operator, with the external-load / aerial-work privilege listed on it.
   - Evidence of the specific approval for the work: human external cargo, long-line, or over-populated-area operations where applicable.
   - Insurance certificate showing hull and third-party liability limits, and whether your site and your client are covered as additional insureds.
   - Pilot experience stated against this class of work (external load hours), not general flight hours.
   - Mass and balance plus HOGE performance data for the actual aircraft at the site's elevation and expected temperature.
   - Site-specific risk assessment, method statement and load-rigging plan before mobilisation.
   - Named point of contact for the flight days and the escalation route if weather stops the programme.

4. COMMERCIAL BASIS
   - Quoted per flight hour and/or per lift cycle, positioning stated separately.
   - Standby, weather-hold and cancellation terms stated in writing.
   - Validity period and currency stated by the operator.

5. NOTES
   - Figures above are indicative planning inputs, not an offer and not a feasibility ruling.
   - Subject to SkyMatch human review, operator approval, aircraft availability, weather,
     safety requirements, landing permissions and local regulations.

Indicative planning text only. It is not a quotation and does not confirm availability, permits or feasibility; the performing operator and the relevant authorities decide those.

Procurement questions, answered

When is a helicopter lift the better procurement decision?

When ground access is the expensive part: no road to the placement point, terrain or environmental constraints, a crane that cannot be assembled where it is needed, or a short shutdown window where speed of placement is worth more than the flight itself.

When does a crane remain the right answer?

For sustained lifting programmes on a site where a crane can be made to work. Helicopters excel at short, precise, hard-to-reach placements, not at extended repetitive construction lifting.

What should the business case include beyond the lift itself?

Access works, permits and notifications, ground crew and rigging, disruption and lost production, insurance, and the contingency each method carries — weather for the aerial method, assembly and access risk for the crane.

Can these figures go straight into a client proposal?

Use them as the planning frame and label them as indicative. They are not a quotation. Submit the mission for human review to obtain written operator options before anything is presented commercially.

Frequently asked questions

Is a helicopter lift cheaper than a crane?

Usually not, on the lift alone. It becomes competitive when the crane needs access that does not exist, cannot stand or reach where required, needs a closure that cannot be obtained, or when each day of delay carries a cost that dwarfs both options. This tool tests those conditions on your own numbers instead of asserting an answer.

Why do you not publish helicopter lift prices?

Because an honest number does not exist without the mission. Lift pricing depends on class and availability, positioning, programme length, rigging and ground support, standby, approvals and site conditions. Operators quote it; we structure the brief so the quotes are comparable.

When do you tell a buyer not to fly?

When the figures do not support it. If the ground method is not slower and access is not the constraint, a helicopter lift is the wrong recommendation, and saying so is the point of being an independent broker rather than an operator.

Can a helicopter lift replace a crane on a live site?

Sometimes for placement, rarely for sustained construction. Helicopters excel at short, precise, high-value placements into positions ground plant cannot reach. Extended lifting programmes normally still want a crane where one can be made to work.

Why does the tool not tell me which helicopter can lift my load?

Because no honest tool can. Hook capability on the day depends on the specific airframe and its configuration, fuel state, hover height, wind, temperature, site elevation and the operator's performance charts. The class ranges shown here are indicative manufacturer figures for planning conversations; the operator's flight manual is the only authority.

Why is there no price on this page?

External-load and aerial-crane work is priced differently from passenger charter — by lift programme, positioning, rigging crew, ground support and standby, not by seat. Publishing a number here would be a guess. These tools size the mission so operators can quote it properly, and the comparison tool works only with figures you already hold.

Who approves flying a load over a site, road or building?

The relevant civil aviation authority and, depending on the country, local authorities, the site or building owner and the road or rail operator. Approvals, exclusion zones, closures and public-safety conditions are set by them, not by SkyMatch or by this calculator.

Does this calculator book a lift?

No. It is a planning tool. SkyMatch Group is an independent helicopter broker and a human-reviewed mission platform: the lift brief is reviewed by a person, operators holding the relevant external-load approvals are researched, and an introduction happens only once SkyMatch approves it. The performing operator confirms aircraft, performance and feasibility.

Markets this calculator is built for

The same inputs, applied to the industrial regions where these missions actually run.

Construction heavy-lift helicopterLifting into sites a crane cannot reach.Manufacturing equipment liftPlant, chillers and machinery onto live sites.Remote infrastructure supportSlope, rockfall, remote construction and repair.Telecom tower constructionTower sections and equipment by air.Power & utility missionsLines, pylons and corridor work.Industrial downtime charterWhen the line is stopped and hours cost money.

Related planning tools

Lift capability calculatorWhat hook capability the load really needs.Lift day calculatorHow many lifts fit in one working day.Payload & equipment calculatorPeople plus tools against real payload.Remote tower feasibilityTower-site access planning.Helicopter external load & aerial craneHow hook and long-line work is actually structured.Special missions hubLift, survey, powerline, offshore and medical.

Using an AI assistant, or buying through procurement?

SkyMatch is an independent broker: it reviews each helicopter charter request and passes it to licensed operators. SkyMatch does not own or operate aircraft. Availability, permits, landing permission, weather, route feasibility and the final price are confirmed by the operator for each request, in writing, before you commit. Estimates on this site support research only.

AI & procurement: how SkyMatch worksSubmit Flight Request

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How long is a helicopter ride? Times by distance

Straight-line air-time estimates at a typical cruise of about 150 mph. Add start-up, taxi and any routing around restricted airspace; the licensed operator confirms the real time for each flight. Price on request.

How long is a 2-mile helicopter ride?

About 1 minute of flying time for 2 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 5-mile helicopter ride?

About 2 minutes of flying time for 5 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 10-mile helicopter ride?

About 4 minutes of flying time for 10 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 15-mile helicopter ride?

About 6 minutes of flying time for 15 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 20-mile helicopter ride?

About 8 minutes of flying time for 20 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 25-mile helicopter ride?

About 10 minutes of flying time for 25 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 30-mile helicopter ride?

About 12 minutes of flying time for 30 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 50-mile helicopter ride?

About 20 minutes of flying time for 50 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.

How long is a 100-mile helicopter ride?

About 40 minutes of flying time for 100 miles in a straight line, before start-up and landing. Weather, routing and the aircraft type can change this, so the licensed operator confirms the time once you request a quote.