By now, most of us have figured out the rhythm behind taking an airplane ride. Overpay for tickets, get to the airport three hours early, wait in line, wait in another line, sprint to your gate only to wait in yet another line. Board, fly, land.
But for many, flying in a helicopter is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As such, very few actually have any sense of what flying in a helicopter feels like, let alone how to prepare for a helicopter trip. Killgore Adventures is excited to begin offering helicopter tours! It’s a new addition to our line up of Hells Canyon Adventures.
We want you to enjoy your helicopter tour, so we’ve outlined a few things you should prepare for.
When it comes to flying in a plane, most people keep it casual and comfy. But flying in a helicopter requires a different outfit. Helicopters do not have pressurized cabins, so one of the first things you’ll notice is that it gets much colder much faster as you ascend. As such, you’ll want to dress in long layers. Depending on what time of year you travel, you might consider bringing a warm jacket, beanie, and gloves. If you’re planning on taking photos in flight, consider dressing in darker colors so they do not reflect off the windows.
You’ll want to make sure that whatever you wear fits close to your body. Anything flowy, like scarves or dresses, can blow in the air currents caused by the rotors. Avoid things like flip flops, purses, and other things that can get caught on parts of the helicopter.
It’s in your best interest to bring as little as you can on your flight. You’ll be allowed to bring things like your camera or phone, but you’ll be advised to leave other personal items in your car before your flight. This is to ensure that you don’t lose anything during the flight, but it’s also to minimize the amount of weight in the helicopter. Extra weight in the cabin can affect the handling of the helicopter and affect fuel efficiency.
Don’t worry, we’ll outfit you with all of the safety gear you’ll need like safety belts and noise-canceling headphones.
This might sound like grade school again, but the seating arrangement in a helicopter is very important. Your pilot will seat you in a specific spot so that the helicopter is balanced properly. Don’t worry if you don’t get to sit right next to your friend, you’ll both be too distracted by the breathtaking views of Hells Canyon to notice the seating arrangement.
In a previous blog post, we covered ways you can manage motion sickness while on a jet boat tour and many of those tips apply to helicopter rides as well. We suggest sitting in the front of the helicopter and taking motion sickness medicine before the flight.
That said, the turbulence you feel while on a helicopter ride is much different from flying on a plane. In fact, you likely won’t feel any turbulence at all. This means you can enjoy every minute of your flight!
And that’s it! The only thing left to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the views. We think that a helicopter ride is one of the most unique experiences you can have! Get a new perspective on the beauty of Idaho and book your helicopter tour with Killgore Adventures today!