Top-Rated aerial company offers affordable excursions over the strip and to grand canyon…
Of all the bucket-list things to do in and around Las Vegas, two of the most popular are helicopter rides and trips to the Grand Canyon. 5-Star Helicopter Tours offers both with reasonable prices, professional service and plenty of options.
Regular readers might remember my amazing sunset dinner within the Grand Canyon, courtesy of Serenity Helicopters. I also penned a piece for Las Vegas Magazine on Grand Canyon West and their amazing Skywalk, which you can access here. Nighttime aerial trips over the Strip are one of those popular activities that has eluded this writer…until this week. And I’m glad that I chose 5 Star Helicopters as my tour guide for this particular adventure.
A note from this tour provider: This is not a private flight. The aircraft seats six (6) passengers plus the Pilot. Social distancing is not practiced during your 15 minute flight. Face masks must be worn at all times.
5 Star Helicopters has two locations to serve its guests. Those heading for the Grand Canyon depart from their air terminal in Boulder City. Strip-view excursions take off from a heliport in North Las Vegas, just around the corner from West Wind Las Vegas Drive-In Theater, my favorite hangout since the pandemic.
The north location has the advantage of a longer flight time (approximately fifteen minutes) than those companies located at or near McCarran International Airport. You’ll approach the Strip from beyond downtown, taking in a sneak peak of Fremont Street before heading over Palms Casino and the Rio. I was surprised at the number of rooftop pools that Rio offers in its Sky Villas. It’s a vantage point that I’d never encountered in my endless passenger flights into and from the city.
Our Pilot, Jimmy, gave us an excellent look at Allegiant Stadium. Then he looped around the Mandalay Bay/Delano resorts and gave us our first bird’s-eye view of the entire Strip. If you can recall Captain Kirk’s dramatic flight towards a dry-docked Starship Enterprise in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, then perhaps you can appreciate the emotional scope of this moment.
The aircraft used by 5 Star Helicopters offer excellent panoramic views to the left, right and forward. The cabins are climate-controlled, and all six passenger seats face forward. During the ride, you’ll be wearing sanitized headsets that drown out noise and allow you to clearly hear the narration provided by your pilot/guide.
Captain Jimmy pointed out landmarks like the Luxor beam, T-Mobile Arena, High Roller Observation Wheel and more. We took a path over the east side of the Strip, nestled between Wynn/Encore and the massive Westgate Resort before a close flyby of The Strat (aka Stratosphere) and its famed Skypod.
Finally, we followed the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard into Downtown and Fremont Street Experience. This was my first opportunity to get a close-up aerial view of brand-new Circa Hotel Casino. The highly-anticipated Stadium Swim was brightly lit, and appeared ready to welcome guests when the resort opens its doors for the first time on October 28th.
From there we headed back to the North Las Vegas base of operations, once again skirting West Wind Drive-in. The entire flight was smooth, comfortable and secure. You should be aware that 5 Star Helicopters boasts a stellar record for safety. You can read about their protocols, equipment and view a safety video by clicking here.
As mentioned above, there are a variety of services, prices levels, excursions and add-0ns to choose from. These include dinner packages, private flights and other thrilling adventures like zip lines and exotic track driving. Being that I reside in Las Vegas, I chose to drive to the heliport, which saves you money. Tourists can opt for a luxurious passenger service to and from their hotel.
Like most airborne activities, you’ll be expected to weigh in before departure, sign a waiver and watch a pre-flight safety instruction video. After doing so, you can sip a flute of bubbly or a bottle of water, included with your ticket, before heading outside.
Be aware that you’re allowed to take your own photos and videos during the trip, but flash must be disabled and all devices must be set in “airplane” mode. A professional photographer is present to take photos on the ground prior to your adventure, and they will be waiting for you when you return. They’re housed in a gorgeously-emblazoned 3D book.
5 Star Helicopters offers unique ways to make your special event unforgettable. You can get married in the air, on the floor of the Grand Canyon and even at the Valley of Fire. A low-cost option allows you to tie the knot over the Las Vegas Strip after sunset, and the fleet is available for charters and groups. Whatever you dream, 5 Star Helicopters can make it a reality.
To see the latest specials available through the official 5 Star Helicopters website, click here. The excursion described above is currently priced at $89.99 per person as of this writing (10/22/20), available via this link at Viator.com.
VEGAS UNFILTERED BLOG by Sam Novak 