Helicopter tours have come a long way since the days of the five-minute ride in a Bell 47 at the county fair. More affluent tourists, combined with greater competition for their money, has led to huge growth in this segment of the helicopter industry. It’s hard to think of a major tourist attraction around the world that does not have a nearby helicopter service offering the ultimate tour to the well-heeled tourist. From the vistas of the Grand Canyon to the glaciers of Alaska there is no shortage of adventurous tourists or enterprising helicopter operators ready to serve them.
Many of today’s most successful heli-tour companies operate to a level of professionalism that can only be described as amazing. Visitors to places like Las Vegas or Hawaii are encouraged to think of a helicopter tour as the potential highlight of their vacation, worth every dollar, and worthy of the top position on their list of “must do” activities. The tour companies almost always exceed the expectations of their customers – the tours are simply spectacular.
A visitor to a company like Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Papillion Grand Canyon Helicopters or Temsco (Alaska) Helicopters will enjoy a program that is slickly packaged, but completely dependant on the professionalism and personality of the pilot. A pilot flying tours at one of these industry-leading companies has a full support crew who meet and brief the passengers. Each tourist is discretely weighed and a seat assigned in the helicopter so that the total load is distributed evenly.
Loaders swap each group politely and efficiently, but with the minimum of time on the ground. Before take-off the pilot is handed a note with the names, nationalities, and seat locations of his or her new passengers. With the efficiency of a racecar pit stop the aircraft is in and out in seconds and another group begins an unforgettable experience. On their return to the heliport the passengers will be given the opportunity to purchase a DVD of their flight, filmed by numerous cameras inside and outside the helicopter and automatically edited. Add in a few souvenir items and many tourists will gladly spend hundreds of dollars on the full package.
Sightseeing tours vary considerably in duration, style, and complexity. For many helicopter pilots they offer the first chance to fly a multi-passenger turbine-engined helicopter. 15-30 minute repetitive tours are not particularly challenging, but it does take time to get comfortable with the dual role of piloting and guiding. There is generally little or no time to divert from the script or the standard flight route. Longer and more complex tours can require a considerable knowledge of local history, geography, nature, folklore, and other items of interest to tourists. The pilot’s personality can make a huge difference, both to the enjoyment of the passengers and the size of the tips they leave behind.
Tour pilots can make excellent salaries and tips. $75,000/year is not uncommon in the best locations. Another benefit is that you get to live in a great place, such as Hawaii, San Francisco, The Seychelles, or Alaska. The downside can be summed-up in one word – repetition. After a few years of making the same circuits of the island, delivering the same script of fascinating facts and in-offensive humor, and answering the five most commonly asked questions, tour flying can become intolerably boring. As a result tour pilots tend to fall into two categories – those who are just doing it as a way to build hours quickly while having fun in some exotic location, and those who genuinely enjoy interacting with the passengers and the opportunity to educate visitors on the wonders of their favorite place on earth.
