The human obsession with flight stems from a refusal to accept limitations and an intense desire to finally move out of gravity’s basement. Claim your own airspace with today’s Groupon: for $119, you get a 50-minute introductory flight lesson from New England Helicopter Academy in Plymouth or Norwood (a $238 value). The introductory flight lesson includes the following:
- 20 minutes of ground instruction
- Preflight checkup
- 30-minute flight
- Digital pictures, T-shirt, and a flight logbook<p>
New England Helicopter Academy prepares novice fliers for takeoff in the safe and spacious Schweizer 300. During introductory flights, certified flight instructors spend 20 earthbound minutes demystifying mechanical consoles and ticking off items from a preflight checklist. The 30-minute flights begin with teachers at the helm, soaring over scenic terrain such as Cape Cod’s shores and rolling countryside. Master navigators demonstrate common maneuvers before relinquishing controls to pupils who keep copters cruising at a steady altitude before helping aircrafts gently touch down. After soaring sessions, instructors dole out a T-shirt, logbook, and digital photos to ensure patrons never forget the day they got a free T-shirt.
New England Helicopter Academy
From their nests at Plymouth Municipal Airport and Norwood Municipal Airport, New England Helicopter Academy’s Schweizer Model 300 helicopters lift fledgling aviators into the skies for flights ranging from introductory runs to intensive training courses. Combining the choppers’ precise handling with academy president Rick Smith’s rigorous training regimen, pilots-to-be learn to expertly handle real-life flying situations such as landing at uncontrolled airports, flying in inclement weather, and airlifting bananas to King Kong. In addition to serving as mid-air classrooms, choppers also treat students to sky-high sightseeing, with training flights often motoring over New England landmarks including the Cape Cod coastline and cities such as Boston and Providence.