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Air Atlanta Helicopters
Categories: Education Specialty Schools Flight Instruction Hotels & Travel Tours Flight Instruction, Tours
1951 Airport RdSte 116
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 458-7771
4 reviews for Air Atlanta Helicopters
4 reviews in English
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Review from Daniel B.
4/27/2011 8 photos
I never thought about flying around Atlanta in a helicopter until I received a special Air Atlanta Helicopters tour as a gift. While the trip was short, it was a whole lot of fun and I got to see the city from angles I've never seen before. It was very cool.
The entire trip lasted about 10-15 minutes. It was basically a loop starting from downtown to Buckhead and back. We were originally slated to go further downtown and check out Turner Field, but there was a Braves game going on, so we weren't allowed to fly near the stadium. The tour started at the W Atlanta Downtown. The W hotel has a small helipad on the 28th floor. We checked in at the lobby and security personnel escorted us up to the 27th floor and then up some stairs to the helipad.
On the helipad, there are great views of downtown and Midtown Atlanta. The helicopter was tiny. It had room for just four people. The pilot sat in the front-right of the helicopter. There really wasn't much to it. As soon as we stepped on the helipad, the pilot and security guard opened the doors for us and we hopped in, put on our headsets, and off we went. There was no pre-flight introduction/preparation, safety demonstration, or anything. This kind of surprised me because I've had to sit through safety videos and put on a life vest before I've boarded helicopters in the past for similar tours. Those tours were bigger and over water though.
Our pilot's name was Marshall and he was great. He pointed out every neighborhood and landmark we passed over. We pretty much saw all the main sites. We followed the interstates and Peachtree north into Buckhead. Along the way, we saw Georgia Tech, the Midtown skyline, and Piedmont Park. Piedmont Park looks so different from above. We circled around the Buckhead skyline near Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square and headed back. The tour was scheduled during sunset, so the views were beautiful and amazing.
The pilot asked me where I lived and when I told him, he flew a circle around my building! I asked him many questions throughout the flight including his shortest flights. His shortest flight was a matter of feet. The people he was air taxiing were headed to a party inside the same hangar they were leaving out of. Another one of his short flights was for P. Diddy's son's 16th birthday. The pilot flew P. Diddy's son to the Velvet Room. Along the way, I spotted another helicopter in the sky and asked the pilot who those people were. He said it was the Atlanta police patrolling and checking for speeders.
We flew at an altitude of 650 feet. IIRC, the pilot told us that the helicopter can fly for about 3 hours on one tank of fuel. That's good enough to go about 400 miles (I could be remembering this wrong, but I believe that's what he told me.)
In the end, it was a great little trip and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun activity to do in Atlanta. If the weather is not optimal, Air Atlanta will call you to reschedule.Listed in: Atlanta Activities
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Review from Yuna P.
New York, NY
10/2/2007
For my 300th day anniversary with my boyfriend, I wanted to do something special and exciting. My boyfriend happens to be a fan of anything fast - from cars to aircraft. So I decided to take him out for a helicopter ride!
I called for a reservation a day before our anniversary because I am a big procrastinator. I didn't know whether any time would be available, but thankfully it was. Next day, we drove over to Peachtree-DeKalb Airport. As soon as we got there, our pilot greeted us. He was so funny and friendly! Then he took us to our helicopter, allowed us to take some pictures. He explained a few things about the helicopter and said there is nothing to worry about. Once we were in the air, he told us to put the headphones on because of the unbearable noise. Then whoop! Off we went. He explained everything as we flew over them and he kept talking to us - which totally made me feel comfortable.
This is such a recommended event for anybody! The pilot doesn't fly too high - so even if you have a fear of heights, this won't be too bad. The company also have classes where you can learn to fly your own aircraft, if you are interested in learning. -
Review from Luan N.
Columbus, OH
8/3/2008 3 photos
Whenever I had friends come visit me Atlanta, this was usually part of the itinerary. I had a flight over part of Buckhead for $40 per person. The pilot was very friendly and would point out different buildings such as Elton John's penthouse etc. There are more expensive packages that fly through downtown and stone mountain. But, if you just want to exp being in a helicopter, there are very affordable tours.
Both times I went, the staff was very personable. -
Review from mike h.
Las Vegas, NV
4/4/2010
I took the discovery flight with instructor Scott Eslinger. This was a great experience to say the least.
The helicopter was a newer model with gps. I have a fixed wing license with 100 hours and this was my first time in a helicopter. Scott was excellent at pointing out the similarities and differences from what I'm used to flying. Our flight had great scenery and took us over the Dunwoody business district and along the Chattahoochee river.
Scott is a personable instructor that really enjoys teaching. He is knowledgeable and provided lots of practical advice in pursuing a rotary career. Air Atlanta is a first class outfit.
