That moment when a helicopter lifts off is a sweet sensory overload, with turbine engines screaming and the main rotor beating the air into submission just a few feet above your head.
But coddled in a good set of noise-canceling headphones or cocooned in a super-soundproofed cabin, you can experience the wonder of rotary-winged flight while marveling at the spectacular views unique to heli-sightseeing.
Here’s four of our favorite North American heli-tours.
“The most popular tour is ‘Québec, its river, its landscapes,’ which is a 25-minute flight,” says Stéphanie Huot, general manager, GoHelico.
“We do operate year-round — summer is the busiest season, our fall foliage flights are spectacular, and our passengers can even experience our famous winter Carnaval de Québec from the air!”
Audio guides are available in many languages, and GoHelico’s pilots are English- and French-speaking.