Maverick Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours From Vegas

Maverick Helicopters is a Las Vegas-based aerial-tour company that operates tours to Grand Canyon West and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Not long ago I had the pleasure of flying them to Grand Canyon West from Las Vegas. This is a writeup on my experience:

Maverick is a high quality provider of helicopter tours. They pride themselves on quality and consumer support. I investigated them on a number of highly regarded travel forums. Customers unanimously praised their experience. Definitely a good sign.

Maverick has many excellent flights from which to choose, including canyon sunset flights and river-rafting adventures to glass walkway tickets and Valley of Fire flyovers. I reserved an all-inclusive trip called the Wind Dancer. It travels to the bottom of the canyon.

One thing that differentiates Maverick from the pack is the site of its terminal. It's conveniently found on the south end of the Las Vegas strip. Transport from hotel to the heliport takes minutes. Plus, due to its location, all Maverick tours include flying over The Strip.

The business's fleet of helicopters is made up completely of EcoStar 130 aircraft. The EcoStar's cabin is 25 % bigger than the average chopper's. The additional space results in theater-style seats and lots of leg-and-elbow room. Furthermore, it comes with a 180-degree wrap-around windshield and a Fenestron tail rotor that reduces noise. Passengers receive their own headsets. This lets you connect to the digital communication system and listen to a trip narration or chat with the pilot and the other passengers.

The trip over was amazing. The West Rim is a 45-minute flight from Maverick Helicopter's heliport. The flight plan goes directly above Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and the brand-new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. Helis fly at a lower elevation than planes so the bird's eye view you will enjoy of the Dam is incredible.

Our West Rim approach was spectacular. I could see the Grand Canyon glass walkway sparkling under the desert sun. The 4,000-foot descent takes you through 3 periods of geological time before coming to a landing. Maverick Helicopter's dirt helipad was near to the well-known Colorado River. It's humbling when you consider that this river single-handedly produced the Grand Canyon. I pulled out of my reverie and joined the rest of the group for a Champagne brunch.

Our pilot agreed to guide us around the base (we were also free to explore on our own). I chose to head out with him. I'm thankful I did. Otherwise I would have had my head caught in my guide book. Maverick also offers a chopper tour that lets you prolong a bottom landing with a water rafting trip along the Colorado River.

The return flight is terrific. We re-visited Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and then veered northward and strafed the Valley of Fire. This region is composed of bright orange sandstone. It's really a unique place and I've never quite seen anything like it. One passenger said it reminded him of Moab, Utah.

Our return took us above the Las Vegas Strip. This is another one of those Maverick perks. We hovered over the sky line. 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 great and definitely makes the ideal memento.

Pick Maverick Helicopters if you are searching for a premium Grand Canyon helicopter tour from Vegas. The client service is five-star. The aircraft are state-of-the-art. And the quality of the tour is peerless. Save money by reserving their tours on-line. I did and I know for certain that I nipped off 20 percent. A Vegas vacation is not complete without a West Rim helicopter tour. So do it in style. Do it with Maverick.

Mr. Plunket is a travel journalist who writes about all things Grand Canyon. He recommends readers check out this site for specials on Maverick helicopter tours to the canyon.