On The Fly With Maverick Helicopters

Your Best Canyon Companion

 “Is this your first helicopter ride?,” asked Chris Spircu, a pilot with Maverick Helicopters in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Yes,” I replied. “Mine too,” he deadpanned, offering up the first of many jokes to keep customers happy and relaxed. I was joining six other people for a three-hour helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and other landmarks, culminating in an exciting fly-by of the kaleidoscope of lights on the Las Vegas strip at twilight.

I remembered how Gilligan’s three-hour tour turned out, but I was confident that this trip would be different, especially since Chris didn’t look like a first-timer in a helicopter.

After receiving a quick safety briefing (including learning about the “reusable” air sick bags) and getting strapped in, I wondered what the ride would be like.

Would it be loud? Rough? Exciting? Would I be scared looking down through a window that doubles as a door?

The answer came quickly as Chris executed a smooth takeoff from McCarran Airport and we began listening to an awesome soundtrack of music on our headphones. The panoramic view of Las Vegas and the surrounding desert as we left town was spectacular and my fear of heights never kicked in.

Traveling at approximately 110 knots, we flew past Lake Las Vegas, active gold mines, hardened lava flows, and other interesting sights. One landmark was the Valley of Fire State Park, a popular venue to film movies because of the amazing 600-million-year-old rock formations. Another hotspot was the “wedding rock,” a giant boulder surrounded by fantastic scenery that is the site of many weddings.

The theme from the movie “2001” filled our ears as we entered the Grand Canyon about 45 minutes into our trip. Chris announced that if you drove from Las Vegas to that same point it would take 3-5 hours on a circuitous route. I was glad we were flying!

After a breathtaking flight just above the Colorado River at the base of the canyon, surrounded by mighty rock walls, we landed in a small clearing high above the river with several other Maverick helicopters and their passengers. Canyon walls still towered above us, and the evening sun provided exquisite lighting.

Chris set up snacks and champagne on a nearby picnic table and we relaxed and learned some interesting facts about the canyon. It is 277 “river miles” long and up to 6,000 feet deep.

Much of the Grand Canyon is owned by the Hualupai Indians, who lived there long before American settlers found it. They even owned the landing spot where we sat. The tribe has earned millions of dollars from helicopter landing fees, one of its biggest sources of income.

Chris pointed out many caves along the rock walls of the canyon where many Indians used to live. Some contain human remains more than 3,000 years old. Today only about 2,000 tribe members remain; they live in Peach Spring, a town about 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon.

As we prepared to leave, Chris announced we were low on fuel and challenged the passengers to help find a gas station. We weren’t much help, but our helicopter joined the others at a giant gas tank in the middle of the desert where each was fueled to capacity – about 173 gallons of jet fuel each.

We then saw a spectacular sunset as we flew back to Las Vegas, including flying over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

The lights of Las Vegas soon loomed ahead, and we ended our trip with a close-up fly-by of the Las Vegas strip – a colorful sight indeed! The lively crooning of Elvis Presley singing “Viva Las Vegas” filled our ears.

Three hours after we started, we landed back at McCarran airport, where everyone had an opportunity to buy a video of the entire trip, recorded on a camera mounted at the front of the helicopter.

This tour was an amazing trip that far exceeded anything a Las Vegas show could ever offer.

Written by; Al Rickert