A helicopter tour can be one of the most exciting things you would have ever done in your life. Most locations where helicopter tours are common offer breathtaking views and indescribable beauty.
However, the tour experience can vary greatly from one helicopter tour company to another, so it’s important to choose wisely. And the below are some tips that will help you do that.
Don’t Compromise on the Safety
Taking the safety lightly is never a wise thing to do, especially when it comes to something like a helicopter tour. While accidents aren’t very common, they do happen.
In fact, there are few to no helicopter tour companies out there that have been around since 5 years or more and haven’t had any accidents.
So how do you make sure you’re making a choice as safe as you can? First of all, look for the FAA Part 135 Air Carrier certification. This certification ensures that the company has higher safety standards, which increases the odds of having a safe tour.
You can then head over to the National Transportation Safety Board’s website and get more information about the accidents a particular helicopter tour company has been involved in. If you find if they were due to any kind of negligence or avoiding safety practices, avoid that company like the plague.
Similarly, be sure to check the “doing business as” column as many companies change their name after getting involved in accidents in order to hide their past safety issues.
The Seating Arrangement Matters
Most helicopter tour companies have helicopters with 6 seats. There are two seats at the front, and four at the back.
The problem with this is that the people sitting in the middle seats would have a slightly limited view compared to the ones sitting in the front or the back.
Some companies do allow booking a front or back seat by paying extra. Similarly, some companies also have helicopters with only four seats, although they are a bit difficult to find.
Prefer a Morning Time
The morning time is arguably the best time to go on a helicopter tour. The air is cooler in the morning, and there’s less noise.
The visibility is also much better during the morning than during other times of the day. Further, for people that have a problem of feeling airsick, the best bet would be to fly in the morning as it greatly lowers the odds of feeling airsick.
Pay Attention to the Safety Instructions
Again, as we mentioned, although accidents aren’t common during helicopter tours, they do happen. It’s important to be aware of all the important safety instructions so that in case you do end up in an accident, you know what exactly you should be doing to make it through as safely as you can.
There’s probably no helicopter tour company that doesn’t provide safety instructions, and you must also not hesitate asking any questions with regard to the safety instructions if you didn’t understand something.
