Good morning Grand Canyon travelers. We see you’re getting ready for Spring Break and so are we. Grand Canyon Helicopter tours are proving to be a popular option for many families visiting the Grand Canyon, and this post should really be prefaced as a “question of the week” as we’ve been asked it so often over the last few days:
“Which type of helicopter should you choose for your Grand Canyon helicopter tour: the Eco-Star EC130, or the Bell Jet Ranger?”
Here’s the good news: you won’t go wrong either way. A Grand Canyon air tour is a great experience – and
the best value Grand Canyon tour bar none – no matter how you choose to fly! The Bell Jet Ranger is one of the original workhorses of the helicopter world. Originally designed as a military helicopter, several modified models were successful in the civilian world, and went on to international acclaim in a variety of fields. In fact even though the brand name doesn’t ring a bell (pardon the pun), in all likelihood you’ve seen the Bell helicopter in your own community. They’ve been in use as a sightseeing helicopter practically since “the beginning.”
Papillon Helicopters, the company GrandCanyon.com works with, uses Bell Jet Ranger helicopters that seat 5 or 6 people depending on passenger weights. One passenger can be seated next to the pilot, and one passenger may be seated between two other passengers in the rear row of seats. The Bell also has one row of two seats which face away from the pilot (backward). However, these are both window seats and placement here in no way detracts from the quality of your experience. Trust us on this, we’ve all logged hundreds of hours as passengers in all manner of Grand Canyon air tour craft.
The Eco-Star EC130, made by American Eurocopter, came on the scene in the late 1990’s. In fact, it was expressly built for sightseeing, having been designed in close cooperation with air tour operators. A variation on the Aerospatiale helicopter (which is also used for Grand Canyon air tours), the Eco-Star features larger windows than the Bell, and larger seats, all of which face forward. The Eco-Star also has a 23% larger cabin, and a bigger payload, so depending on individual passenger weights, 6-7 people can fly on them. The better view and more comfortable seats notwithstanding, the biggest difference between the Bell and the Eco-Star is not visible to the naked eye: with its “fenestron” tail rotor design, the Eco-Star offers a far quieter ride than the Bell. In fact, the Eco-Star’s noise output falls well below National Park Service imposed standards for quiet aircraft, which makes it the “greener” choice for Grand Canyon air tour passengers. The slogan ought to be “if you want to go green, fly red!”
Papillon’s subsidiary, Grand Canyon Helicopters, flies Eco-Star EC130’s out of both their Las Vegas/Boulder City and Grand Canyon South Rim bases. If there are any disadvantages at all to the Eco-Star is that 2 or 3 passengers will not have a window seat. However, since the Eco-Star’s seats all face forward, and the rear row of seats is raised up “stadium style,” even those seated in the middle seats have reported no problems seeing out. And there’s the issue of the price: since it is larger, with a more complicated design, the Eco-Star is more expensive. Eco-Star service for 30- or 50-minute South Rim overflights runs $20 more per person than the Bell.
The really killer deals on the Eco-Star upgrades are available right now in Las Vegas: right now, you can upgrade your Las Vegas Grand Canyon tour to the bottom of the canyon to the Eco-Star helicopter for just $10 more per person. No, really, that’s it, just $10 itty bitty tiny dollars more for a better view, a more comfortable seat, a quieter ride and the knowledge that you’re doing your part to keep the air above the Grand Canyon clean! Talk about an offer you can’t refuse, huh?
But again, we can’t stress enough that air tours are one of the funnest, most economical Grand Canyon tours out there, whether you choose an airplane, or a helicopter. Got more questions? Ask us!
‘til next time, have a “grand” day! – GrandCanyon.com
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