Flying is a lot like having a staring contest: even with utter concentration, you'll never be better at it than birds. Go toe-to-beak with our winged companions with today's Groupon: for $135, you get a 20-minute helicopter tour of east-central Texas from Helicopter Tours of Texas (a $272.21 value). Tours are based out of the Texas Ski Ranch, just north of New Braunfels, and operate from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Operated by experienced pilots Steven Van Buren and John Holler, Helicopter Tours of Texas choppers through the skies to give airborne tourists a new perspective on the Lone Star State. Hosted in air-conditioned Robinson R44 helicopters, tours welcome up to three passengers for a whirl around east-central Texas’ scenic landscapes, providing a bird’s-eye view of its natural resources and ripe, steak orchards. Sight-seeing aeronauts will skim the trees over historic Gruene, follow the curves of the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers, and estimate the depths of Canyon Lake Gorge, and four-way in-flight communication ensures passengers ears and eyes are equally entertained as the pilot points out notable landmarks along the ride.
As an added bonus, Groupon customers with an itch to rotate themselves at the same velocity as the aircraft rotors will receive a 10% discount on Texas Sphere Rides taken on the same day as their helicopter tour. While Helicopter Tours of Texas does not require reservations, customers should be sure to check the company's Facebook page on the day of their tour to be sure there are no weather, Rambo, or schedule-related cancellations.
Helicopter Tours of Texas
The engine's howl steadily builds as the Robinson R44 helicopter's blades churn with increasing velocity. Passengers look out of bubble windows and see grass whipping beneath. In a moment, the turf disappears, fading from view as the chopper lifts higher into the sky. So begins an aerial adventure led by experienced pilots Steve Van Buren and John Holler, who venture into the airways above Austin, San Antonio, the hill country, and central Texas. The air-conditioned copters—equipped with four-way communication that allows guides to maintain contact with passengers—glide through the firmament, as pilots obey all stop-sign-shaped clouds on their way to eye-catching views of sites such as historic Gruene. Crews also bring helicopters to clients for party rentals and assist landowners with predator control and game surveys.