# Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour - Opinions Wanted! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019 "2008-03-11T21:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/1 "2008-03-11T21:00:45Z")
I will be visiting Las Vegas in May and I’m \>\< this close to booking the All American Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour with the Grand Canyon Tour Company. Has anyone taken this tour with this company or one similar, and is the experience worth $300? For those of you who don’t have any personal experience with this tour, here is what I will get for the money. Would you do it? > [@](#): > > Enjoy a birds eye view of Mother Natures Grandest Masterpiece as you fly over and through the Grand Canyon. Along the way take in the Las Vegas Valley and check out the local landmarks. Next up is Hoover Dam. This man made wonder cannot be appreciated until you see it from the air. You will wonder how this dam can hold back Lake Mead, the largest man made lake in America. This deluxe flight is the maximum allowed by the FAA, NPS and the Hualapai Indian Tribe. > > Landing on the actual floor of the Grand Canyon has to be on everyone’s list. Doing it from Las Vegas; well let’s just say we want it done “Vegas Style.” Champagne (or other beverage choices) and a light snack await you. > > Your flight back will, also, provide you with many great aerial views including the world famous Las Vegas Strip Flight. Bring that camera or have it done on a DVD for you. > > Tour Highlights: > Complimentary hotel pick up and return (optional Limo Service) (I am getting the limo) > New Euro copter jet helicopter with all forward facing deluxe seating, more cabin room, better visibility and large custom windows > Optional New EC 130 (ECO STAR) service > All flights depart from Las Vegas McCarran Airport; just minutes away from your strip hotel > Deluxe air tour including Hoover Dam, Black Mountains (Watch for the old lava flows.), Grape Vine Mesa, Grand Wash Cliffs and Lake Mead before entering the Grand Canyon > A light snack and Champagne (other beverages are available) > As you near the canyon you will fly over the Black Mountains which are volcanic in origin and lava flows can be seen. > Return flight includes an exciting flight over the World Famous Las Vegas Strip. (not available with most companies) ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/2 "2008-03-11T21:04:46Z")
We did something similar and loved it. They fly you really close (well, it looks that way!) to the walls and the view is spectacular. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/3 "2008-03-11T22:31:08Z")
I went on one from the S rim, very cool, but he piloted like an old lady. I wanted to ‘shoot the Canyon.’ Well worth the money, even so. Not sure what the ones from Vegas are like. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/4 "2008-03-11T22:44:23Z")
we did this from Vegas years ago, and loved it. It took us to a very western part of the Canyon, on reservation land, a long ways from the NP. But it was magnificent to be down in the canyon, and stroll to the river’s edge and dangle my feet in the Colorado. A couple of our fellow passengers got rather queasy in the chopper. That was okay though, because they at least shut up and stopped asking our Japanese passenger where his wife was, via questions like “Your wifee no likee fly?” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/5 "2008-03-11T22:48:43Z")
We did this in a twin-prop plane when I was a kid. Amazing views - unforgettable, even to a 9 year old kid. ---
**Author:** ![Furry\_Mongoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Furry\_Mongoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furry_Mongoose)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/6 "2008-03-11T23:20:14Z")
I did it with [Maverick Helicopters](http://www.airstar.com/index.html) in September last year. I couldn’t recommend them enough - lovely smooth trip and the pilot was very friendly. I don’t know if it’s any help to you but we booked it from a little kiosk inside the same building as the Coca Cola/M&Ms World (by MGM Grand - can’t miss them) which gave us a much better price than was advertised on the website. So if you’re not too picky what day you go during your trip it may work out cheaper for you to book while you’re there? ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/7 "2008-03-12T00:59:13Z")
Everybody is telling me to go for it. I think I’ll call them tomorrow! ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/8 "2008-03-12T01:07:58Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] I went on one from the S rim, very cool, but he piloted like an old lady. I wanted to ‘shoot the Canyon.’ Well worth the money, even so. Not sure what the ones from Vegas are like. [/QUOTE] If you want a wild helicopter ride through a canyon, head to Canon City, CO and take the Royal Gorge helicopter tour. The pilot was absolutely nuts. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m1Lz_64paDA/hqdefault.jpg "royal gorge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Lz_64paDA) Not something I’d want to do more than once, purely out of a risk management perspective, but you have to take some chances in life. Of course, the pilot does it every day - but he had some pretty nasty burn scars. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/9 "2008-03-12T03:29:44Z")
[QUOTE=Absolute] If you want a wild helicopter ride through a canyon, head to Canon City, CO and take the Royal Gorge helicopter tour. The pilot was absolutely nuts. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m1Lz_64paDA/hqdefault.jpg "royal gorge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Lz_64paDA) Not something I’d want to do more than once, purely out of a risk management perspective, but you have to take some chances in life. Of course, the pilot does it every day - but he had some pretty nasty burn scars. [/QUOTE] Oh, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![wouldn\_t\_you\_like\_to\_know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@wouldn\_t\_you\_like\_to\_know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wouldn_t_you_like_to_know)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/10 "2008-03-12T06:08:46Z")
my cousin and her husband (boyfriend at the time they got on the helicopter in Vegas, fiance when they got back to Vegas, and husband by the end of the evening) swear it was the best day of their lives. Not sure how much of it can be attributed to the helicopter ride. 😃 I don’t know which outfit they went with, but they took off from Vegas, landed somewhere in/near the Canyon, had drinks and snacks and then flew back to Vegas. It took the better part of a day, but they liked it. The photos look amazing. I can track down the company if you are interested. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/11 "2008-03-12T15:19:36Z")
Do. Not. Miss. This. Seriously. This was something I will never, ever forget. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/12 "2008-03-12T15:56:38Z")
I think the Grand Canyon is better without noisy tourist flights. It’s the only Grand Canyon there is, and for every person going for the ride, there must be 100 or 1000 on the ground who are there to soak up the place. Buzzing around in the sky takes something nice away from every one of their experiences. Save roller coasters and other thrills for amusement parks that are not built in such a magical place. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/13 "2008-03-12T17:34:02Z")
[QUOTE=Napier] I think the Grand Canyon is better without noisy tourist flights. It’s the only Grand Canyon there is, and for every person going for the ride, there must be 100 or 1000 on the ground who are there to soak up the place. Buzzing around in the sky takes something nice away from every one of their experiences. Save roller coasters and other thrills for amusement parks that are not built in such a magical place. [/QUOTE] Thanks for harshing my buzz, but the place that the helicopters fly in isn’t where other people are enjoying their serenity. It’s a different area of the canyon. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/14 "2008-03-12T19:53:57Z")
\>Thanks for harshing my buzz, but the place that the helicopters fly in isn’t where other people are enjoying their serenity. It’s a different area of the canyon. Well, sorry the new direction I took this wasn’t a fun one. In what parts of the Canyon would there have been no people trying to enjoy their serenity? A helicopter makes quite a lot of noise and is visible from miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/15 "2008-03-12T20:21:28Z")
[QUOTE=Napier] \>Thanks for harshing my buzz, but the place that the helicopters fly in isn’t where other people are enjoying their serenity. It’s a different area of the canyon. Well, sorry the new direction I took this wasn’t a fun one. In what parts of the Canyon would there have been no people trying to enjoy their serenity? A helicopter makes quite a lot of noise and is visible from miles away. [/QUOTE] It’s a big canyon. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/16 "2008-03-12T20:33:24Z")
[Map overview](http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/GRCAmap2.pdf) (pdf) The place where my tour will fly in is on the Hualapai Reservation. The North and South Rim, where most of the tourists are, looks to be quite far from there. According to the map, about 50 miles from the easternmost part of the reservation. I’m not worried about bothering anyone. The Hualapai know all about the tours…they have a fee to enter the reservation, so I think they are OK with it. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/17 "2008-03-12T20:33:50Z")
\>It’s a big canyon. But not nearly big enough, apparently. It isn’t hard to find a great many references describing how noisy tourist flights detract from the Grand Canyon (I post only a few below). All of the citations below describe real problems and real objections. Many people, apparently, have become motivated to fight against the problem of Canyon helecopter and airplane tours. I find it especially significant that they have devoted this kind of time and money and legal challenge and effort to the anti-helicopter side of the controversy, when only the pro-helicopter side stands to make any money in this. [http://audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite0707.html](http://audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite0707.html) > **[Our Work](https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/our-work)** > > The Grand Canyon Trust is grounded in this place, working tirelessly since 1985 to protect the air, water, and wildlife of its slickrock canyons, fragile deserts, and forested mesas. [http://overflights.faa.gov/apps/GetFile.CFM?File\_ID=150](http://overflights.faa.gov/apps/GetFile.CFM?File_ID=150) > **[GrndCanyonAssessment-Fnl.pdf](https://www.udall.gov/pdf/GrndCanyonAssessment-Fnl.pdf)** > > 15.84 KB [http://www.gcrg.org/bqr/5-4/skywars.html](http://www.gcrg.org/bqr/5-4/skywars.html) [http://www.grandcanyontreks.org/newspa1.htm](http://www.grandcanyontreks.org/newspa1.htm) [http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article\_id=4678](http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=4678) [http://www.igougo.com/travelcontent/journal.aspx?journalID=68265](http://www.igougo.com/travelcontent/journal.aspx?journalID=68265) > **[49 U.S. Code § 40128 - Overflights of national parks](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/40128)** [http://www.nonoise.org/lawlib/proposed/fedleg/natpark/gcttest.htm](http://www.nonoise.org/lawlib/proposed/fedleg/natpark/gcttest.htm) > **[Turning the Volume Down at the Grand Canyon](https://www.npr.org/2005/08/22/4810240/turning-the-volume-down-at-the-grand-canyon)** > > Congress has ordered a return of natural quiet at the Grand Canyon, but that's a tough mandate. Air tour operators have long resisted restrictions. With both sides finally working together, the challenge is to measure quiet. [http://www.springerlink.com/content/q701h4g2h6vk525x/](http://www.springerlink.com/content/q701h4g2h6vk525x/) ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/18 "2008-03-12T20:49:52Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] A couple of our fellow passengers got rather queasy in the chopper. That was okay though, because they at least shut up and stopped asking our Japanese passenger where his wife was, via questions like “Your wifee no likee fly?” :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Please pardon the hijack, but did you have doors on your helicopter? Because those particular passengers might have gotten the kind of shove that would have allowed them to view the canyon from WAY up close. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/19 "2008-03-12T21:32:15Z")
[QUOTE=Napier] \>It’s a big canyon. But not nearly big enough, apparently. It isn’t hard to find a great many references describing how noisy tourist flights detract from the Grand Canyon (I post only a few below). All of the citations below describe real problems and real objections. Many people, apparently, have become motivated to fight against the problem of Canyon helecopter and airplane tours. I find it especially significant that they have devoted this kind of time and money and legal challenge and effort to the anti-helicopter side of the controversy, when only the pro-helicopter side stands to make any money in this. [/QUOTE] So, is the solution to ban helicopters entirely? Probably not. Surely a compromise needs to be reached. If you accept that they should allow some helicopters, then there’s no reason to harass someone for wanting to take a ride on one of them. The mere fact that some people care enough about the issue to complain about it doesn’t mean that they are automatically right, or that we have to automatically give them all they ask for. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019/20 "2008-03-12T22:28:30Z")
\>If you accept that they should allow some helicopters, then there’s no reason to harass someone for wanting to take a ride on one of them. But if someone posts on an internet forum requesting opinions about whether he should go for such a ride, that’s certainly a reason to post my opinion that he shouldn’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-canyon-helicopter-tour-opinions-wanted/441019.md?page=2)