If clouds were eggs, then helicopters would be humanity's whisks, whipping up huge fluffy omelets that would make the sky smell funny after prolonged sun exposure. Today's Groupon puts helicopters to a much more pleasant use: for $235, you and up to three guests get an 18- to 20-minute helicopter tour of downtown Seattle from SeattleHeliTours.com (a $390 value).
SeattleHeliTours.com place ground dwellers inside the ascending body of an enormous whirlybird for a visual picnic of Seattle's most eye-pleasing landmarks. The beautiful sights of the city unfold as if part of a tiny model world where mechanized athletes perform robotic feats of brawn in small-scale sports stadiums, miniature boats dock at the Elliott Bay Marina, and a still-enormous Space Needle pokes through the clouds like Jack's futuristic beanstalk. The gravity-defying helicopter ride follows Route A, which hovers over Seattle's downtown stadiums, the Needle, Lake Union, Lake Washington, UW, Fisherman's Terminal, and other landmarks. Helicopters afford truly spectacular views for human eyes longing for their former life inside a seagull. Tours are also available in Japanese and Spanish.
SeattleHeliTours.com by Classic Helicopter Corp
High above Seattle, one of SeattleHeliTours.com Classic Helicopter Corp's Bell 206B-3 JetRanger turbine choppers hovers in midair. Maneuvering like a hummingbird, it whisks passengers toward the famous Space Needle that was used to crochet the entire Seattle skyline. The helicopter then flies over the downtown waterfront and heads to Snoqualmie Falls, where it pauses at the edge of the churning water. During tours like these, Classic Helicopter Corp's pilots share facts in English, Japanese, and Spanish. The experts can point out such sights as Bill Gates' house and sports stadiums.
Those who wish to maneuver their own space birds can sign up for flight school and obtain such certifications as a private rotocraft pilot or an astro instrument trainer. Charter services facilitate romantic and exciting excursions to such locales as the San Juan Islands or Semiahmoo.