Maverick Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours

Maverick Helicopters is a Las Vegas-based aerial-tour company that runs excursions to the West Rim and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I recently had the pleasure of flying them to Grand Canyon West from Las Vegas. Here is a review of my trip:Maverick Helicopters is a premium provider of heli tours. They pride themselves on quality and client service. I examined them on a couple of highly regarded travel forums. Customers unanimously praised their experience. Definitely a good sign.Maverick has a lot of terrific trips from which to choose, ranging from canyon sunset flights and river-rafting adventures to glass observation deck tickets and Valley of Fire flyovers. I reserved an all-inclusive excursion called the Wind Dancer. It flies to the base of the canyon.One thing that sets apart Maverick from the pack is the site of its terminal. It’s ideally found on the south end of the Las Vegas strip. Transport from hotel to the heliport takes minutes. Plus, by virtue of its location, all Maverick flights include flying over The Strip.The business’s fleet of helicopters is made up entirely of EcoStar 130 aircraft. The EcoStar’s cabin is 25 % larger than the typical chopper’s. The additional space translates into theater-style seating and plenty of leg-and-elbow room. It also sports a 180-degree wraparound windshield and a Fenestron tail rotor that reduces sound. Passengers receive their own headsets. This enables you to plug in to the digital communication system and tune in to a trip narration or chat with the pilot and the other guests.The trip over was amazing. The West Rim is a 45-minute flight from Maverick Helicopter’s heliport. The flight plan goes directly over Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and the brand new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. Choppers fly at a lower altitude than airplanes so the bird’s eye view you get of the Dam is magnificent.Our West Rim approach was spectacular. I saw the Grand Canyon glass walkway gleaming beneath the desert sun. The 4,000-foot descent takes you through 3 cycles of geological time before coming to a landing. Maverick Helicopter’s dirt helipad was near the legendary Colorado River. It’s humbling when you consider that this river single-handedly made the Grand Canyon. I got out of my reverie and joined up with the rest of the group for a Champagne brunch.Our pilot agreed to guide us about the base (we were also able to explore on our own). I chose to go out with him. I’m glad I did. If not I would have had my head buried in my guidebook. Maverick also provides a chopper trip that lets you prolong a bottom landing with a smooth-water rafting trip down the Colorado.The flight back is fantastic. We re-visited Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and then deviated northward and strafed the Valley of Fire. This region is made up of vibrant orange sandstone. It is a unique place and I’ve never quite seen anything like it. One traveler said it reminded him of Moab, UT.Our return took us over the Las Vegas Strip. This is one more of those Maverick benefits. We hovered above the skyline. To my left, I saw the Planet Hollywood, Paris, MGM Grand, the Wynn, and more. On the ground, I opted to purchase my tour on DVD. The product quality is superb and makes the perfect souvenir.Pick Maverick Helicopters if you are looking for a high quality Grand Canyon helicopter tour from Vegas. The customer service is 5-star. The aircraft are state-of-the-art. And the quality of the flight is peerless. Cut costs by reserving their tours on-line. I did and I know for certain that I nipped off 20%. A visit to Las Vegas is not complete without a West Rim helicopter tour. So do it in style. Do it with Maverick Helicopters.