Whirly-bird watchers like to study their subjects from well-concealed tree blinds so as not to be spotted. Bravely show yourself, then climb inside the beast and tame it with today's deal: for $69, you get a one-on-one helicopter-flying lesson from a certified pilot at East Coast Aero Club (a $225 value for the introductory lesson). The launching and landing pad is about 30 minutes outside of Boston at Hanscom Field in Bedford. Chopper commandos-in-training need only be more than 14 years old and less than 270 lbs. to be eligible. Appointments are required but may need to be rescheduled due to inclement weather such as storms, solar flares, or raining men.
One of East Coast Aero Club's seasoned instructors—each with many hours of flight time, years of experience, and dozens of propeller hats—will be your guide and co-pilot throughout the airborne journey. Prior to the lesson, prospective pilots will be emailed reading materials to warm up the brain-engine. Upon arrival, a ground-school session (approximately 1.5 hours) will be held to initiate the uninitiated. Once the basics are out of the way, it's time to climb into the cockpit for takeoff. When you're safely up in the air, the instructor puts you in control of the flight path, seeing the sky in ways only known to passing storks and flying nuns. Your flight will last approximately 45 minutes. When the time comes to return to human heights, the instructor will safely take you from up there to down here, concluding the exhilarating experience. Altogether, you'll be able to start up the helicopter, hover, take off, do most of the flying during mid-air flight time, land, park, and put the craft to rest.
Today's Groupon to East Coast Aero Club is a rare opportunity for master gamers to test their piloting chops in non-virtual conditions, and it also makes a sweet gift for a granddad who has been longing for flight ever since sneaking a sip of Fizzy Lifting Drink on that factory tour.
Reviews
Aficionados on Facebook give the East Coast Aero Club a perfect five stars:
- Having taken lessons from many of the club’s instructors over the years, I can share that I received exceptional training from each...They all have a genuine focus on helping their students achieve their goals as quickly and safely as possible. – Nate Weinsaft
- My 16 year old daughter has been taking helicopter flying lessons with Phil Greenspun. He is an amazingly calm and competent instructor, giving her as much control as possible and making her feel secure in her abilities. – Sheri Galyean
- The staff is skilled, conscientious, friendly, and motivated by a genuine love of aviation. And Hanscom Field's accessibility by public transportation from Boston/Cambridge is very convenient! – Gary Drescher
Groupon Says
The Call (Sign) of the Wild
A good call sign is as much a part of being a pilot as flapping white scarves, impressing strangers at parties, or succumbing to cloud poisoning. Here are some pretty awesome ones:
- Lt. Charles "Mumbles" LeBond: So named because he is from Mumbler's Bluff, Indiana
- Maj. Strump "Free Willy" Welsh: Earned his infamous nickname when he mistook the Sea Mammal exhibit at Sea World for an enemy base. Also, he once freed a whale from captivity in an act of courage.
- Cdr. Kelsey "Kelsey Grammer" Grammer: Not actually in the Air Force, he received this call sign after he refused to stop formally requesting one from the mayor, who was on an important phone call at the time.
- Cap. Mike "Fungus" Lillyhammer: Received his nickname because of his role as "Fun Gus" on The Buttertown Foibles Show for Terrible Children.
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