Maverick Helicopter Tours - Grand Canyon, AZ

If you're heading to the Grand Canyon and are looking for a way to add a little excitement to your visit, Maverick Helicopter Tours located at the Grand Canyon National Airport is a thrilling option for the whole family.

Maverick Helicopter Tours allow you to add another dimension to your stay at the Grand Canyon whether you're an adrenaline junky looking for something more thrilling than hiking, or if mobility issues are keeping you from experiencing the Grand Canyon the way you had hoped. During my visit, a bum leg kept me from walking more than a few feet at a time, so a helicopter tour was the perfect solution.

Maverick's fleet of ECO-Star EC-130 helicopters are sleek, with windows that wrap around the cockpit for amazing, unobstructed views. When my youngest daughter asked the pilot if he'd rather fly around the Grand Canyon or go skydiving into it (which isn't allowed, by the way), his answer was, "I'd rather fly this thing knowing I have three million dollars' worth of technology below my feet, praising the helicopter's safe record. The helicopter's enclosed fan tail deadens noise by 50%, which helps passengers view the canyon with fewer disturbances.

There are two packages that can be bought through Maverick Helicopter Tours. The first package, the Canyon Spirit Helicopter Tour is about 45-50 minutes long and costs $225 per person. The Canyon Dancer Helicopter Tour, the one we went on, is 25-30 minutes, and was priced at $165. I didn't feel short changed with the Canyon Dancer tour. As much as I love flying, I was a tiny bit woozy, so a half-hour was perfect; although my 6-year-old wanted to go again.

During both tours, the pilot guides you through the Grand Canyon and tells everyone onboard about the history of the canyon during the flight. In-flight, you pass over formations named after Chinese philosophers, a large area that looks like a dragon, and a smaller one that looks just like Kermit the Frog. You also fly over the Colorado River and the pine forest on the South Rim of the canyon.

The entire trip is videotaped. A camera in the cockpit faces the passengers and another one records what the helicopter is flying over. Audio is included, so you can hear the pilot's commentary as well as questions and gasps from the passengers. The DVD is available at the end of the tour for $59.99, and the picture taken with the pilot before the trip is available for $29.95.

Other than the thrill of flying over the Grand Canyon itself, the best part for me was being able to tour the canyon in a way that made me feel my disability wasn't an issue. The flight was perfectly comfortable and they were able to stow my cane in the back of the helicopter.

The Maverick Helicopter tour is an experience me and my family will never forget, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a more intimate and exciting look at the Grand Canyon.