America from above: What better way to see North America's greatest and grandest sights than soaring through the air in a rotary-winged chopper? Here are four of our favorite heli-tours operating in Canada and the US.
Maverick Helicopters
Maverick Helicopters: Las Vegas-based Maverick Helicopters has a huge fleet of 47 Airbus Helicopter EC130s and H130s, was a launch customer for the machine, and worked with Airbus on design enhancements to create what's become the world's preferred sightseeing helicopter.
Maverick Helicopters
Maverick Helicopters: Maverick's Grand Canyon heli-tour is "two and a half hours of pure experience," says Bryan Kroten, the company's vice president of marketing.
Maverick Helicopters
The grand tour: Maverick's Grand Canyon tour heads first to Lake Las Vegas and Lake Mead, before taking in the Hoover Dam, the Mojave Desert and finally the Canyon itself.
Maverick Helicopters
Niagara Helicopters: The thunderous sound of thousands of cubic meters of water plunging over Niagara Falls every second draws millions of visitors to the Falls and the surrounding region annually.
Mike Reyno
Border territory: The Falls straddle the Canada-United States border along the Niagara River between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and last year, close to 100,000 people experienced an aerial tour of the Falls with Niagara Helicopters.
Mike Reyno
Fleet of H130s: In operation for over 50 years, Niagara Helicopters operates a fleet of four Airbus Helicopter H130s. These state-of-the-art machines were designed with heli-tours in mind, with air-conditioning and vibration control, and for enhanced safety on the ground, a fully-enclosed tail rotor called a "fenestron."
Mike Reyno
Window seats: "The best part is the seating," says Pierce. "There are three seats in front with the pilot, four in the back that are raised stadium-style, and the views out of the huge windows are incredible."
Mike Reyno
Blackcomb Helicopters: It's about a two-hour scenic drive to Whistler Village along the aptly named Sea to Sky Highway, from Vancouver's multi-award-winning YVR airport. Whistler is home to the world-renowned Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, the focal point of the area's year-round outdoor adventures.
Blackcomb Helicopters
Coast Mountains: Just up the road from the Village is the Whistler Heliport, where Blackcomb Helicopters takes guests on heli-tours over the region's Coast Mountains.
Blackcomb Helicopters
Blackcomb Helicopters: Whistler-based Blackcomb Helicopters' most popular tour is the BC Experience, which includes a flight over the ski area and, weather permitting, a landing on a 12,000-year-old glacier on Rainbow Mountain.
Blackcomb Helicopters
Champagne on ice: "We've even flown 300 people to the top of a back-country glacier for a spectacular champagne cocktail party," says Jordy Norris, sales and marketing for Blackcomb Helicopters. "And last year, we flew more than 20 wedding parties to the glacier for an unforgettable ceremony and photos!"
Blackcomb Helicopters
GoHelico: GoHelico is based at Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), and provides tours over the 400-year-old UNESCO World Heritage city and region.
GoHelico
Québec in under 30 minutes: "The most popular tour is 'Québec, its rivers, its landscapes,' which is a 25-minute flight," says Stéphanie Huot, general manager, GoHelico.
GoHelico
Knowledgeable pilots: The pilots love to share their knowledge of the region during a flight, while passengers get photos of the grand Château Frontenac hotel, the Plains of Abraham, and Québec's walled Old City.
GoHelico
Pilot for a Day: And for those would-be aviators who are itching to get their hands on the controls, GoHelico offers a Pilot for a Day intro to flying a helicopter.
