anyone with any experience good or bad with the different helicopter tours out of the south rim GC? So far papillion looks the best value with a 45 minute trip for $159. Of course safety and experience and trip quality would outweigh price.

Personally, I would look into a small plane rather than a heli. I have done this twice. First thing in the morning is the best. The planes go out much further. Totally awesome. We used Scenic Airlines for their schedule & safety record (ntsb.gov). Have fun!

Of course safety and experience and trip quality would outweigh price.

All have to travel the same limited corridor because of noise restrictions so quality is similar.

All of them have poor safety records, with a fatal crash record much higher than the fixed wing flights, which still have weak safety records (I can remember off-hand at least half a dozen crashes the past 20 years), though it's been 3-4 years since the last fatal crash (I think that one began outside Vegas).

Bill

The safest way to see the canyon from a bird's eye view is to go to the IMAX theater in Tuscayan and see the movie. The theater is in an extremely unattractive commercial strip, but I highly recommend going to the IMAX theater anyway.

After that, take the shuttle bus along the western rim -- cars are no longer allowed there at all -- and get off and on as the bus makes it way toward Hermits Rest.

People don't realize how risky those flights are. Thank you, Bill H, for pointing this out.

Jane

Don't want to be TOO alarmist about the safety records ... the flights have a worse safety record than commercial flights but it's not like a chopper crashes every week.

Here are some hard facts ...

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=17078

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho...s/4848307.html (2001 chopper crash kills 6)

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...55C0A960948260 (this was 20 years ago ... after this mid-air chopper-plane collision the FAA reduced the # of flights and made them fly at fixed altitudes in fixed corridors)

Bill

None of the aerial tours of the Grand Canyon actually go over the South Rim (thank goodness). They actually go over the West Rim, not the park. They are annoying enough as it is. I'd save my money and spend more time in the park walking along the rim trail and enjoying the peace and quiet. If you want a tour- I agree with the IMAX in Tusayan. Save about $150 each.

Sorry AG3046, I respectfully disagree:

http://www.scenic.com/grand_canyon_t...agles_view.htm

None of the aerial tours of the Grand Canyon actually go over the South Rim (thank goodness). They actually go over the West Rim, not the park.

This is true for the flights out of the Las Vegas area, but the flights out of Tusayan (Grand Canyon airport near the main visitor area) do indeed fly over the south rim to the north rim. If you're ever at the north rim drive the dirt road out to Point Sublime and every few minutes a chopper will fly to you and then back.

Bill

Ah, so those were the noisy flights that disturbed our peace at the GC.

We took a flight out of Vegas and it was wonderful. I suggest a short flight because there are no facilities and your flight will not be enjoyable if you miscalculate your bathroom needs. our flight was about 1.5 hours and it was expensive and worth it.
If you take a helicopter in the hot summer, they are hot inside, even with A/C.
The rate of crashes is miniscule.