Helicopter Rides in New Orleans

If you already know the plantations, the swamps and the other cultural sites of New Orleans by doing ground tours, imagine how impressive it would be to fly over the area.

New Orleans has many places to see and see, but flying over the city is definitely one of those things you can't miss in New Orleans.

One of the best helicopter tours of New Orleans is the one that takes you over the city to enjoy the incredible views from the sky while you flirt with champagne and do a cheese and chocolate tasting.

This is a perfect VIP flight for couples, where you can see the sights from a different perspective. From the air the swamps of the Mississippi area are even more impressive and extensive.

On the other hand, one of the best things about this route is that you can plan the route you want, with previous agreement with the pilot and taking into account the places of interest you would like to see from above. This flight has a maximum limit of passengers per experience.

• Duration: This tour lasts approximately 30 to 45 minutes in a private, VIP experience.
• Approximate Price: You can live this premium experience for an approximate cost of 145 euros per person.
• Schedule: It can be done during the day or in the evening, depending on the weather.
• The best thing about this option: One of the best things about this option is that you can have a tasting of cheeses and wines from the air, while contemplating the whole city of New Orleans. In addition, it is an advantage that this is an exclusive ride for couples and friends because the route and type of tour is planned according to the requests of the passengers. In addition, the experience is completely private and you will not have to share it with other people different from your group.
• What's included: It offers the driving of the aircraft by a professional pilot with more than 20,000 hours of combined flight time. You will also be able to enjoy the commentary on board the aircraft by the pilot, who will describe everything you will see. To make the experience even more comfortable, you will have the possibility of using aviation headsets to listen to all the commentaries. If selected, a bottle of champagne and a gourmet chocolate bar can be included. A bottle of wine, cheese tasting and crackers are also available, as well as a mystery snack, if you choose this option.

One of the best things about doing this VIP flight is that you will have the opportunity to choose the travel itinerary together with the pilot. The whole route can be set according to your tastes and interests, but beforehand you must agree on the destinations you want to see from above.

Generally in these flights you usually fly over the plantations, the swamps on the banks of the Mississippi and especially the French Quarter, and this VIP flight is no exception. Definitely the experience from the air is completely different from taking one of the best tours of the New Orleans plantations.

Traveller Tip

The tour will be especially enjoyable for you if you have already taken tours or guided visits to the places you are going to fly over.

French Quarter

The French culture is really rooted and connected to the city of New Orleans, hence its culture is divided between Cajun and Creole, terms used to differentiate the French-Canadians who were displaced at the time and their descendants; from the French and French descendants.

One of the places with the largest French presence in the place is the French Quarter. If you visit this place from the ground, through its streets and making a stop at each restaurant to taste its gastronomy, you will be able to know and understand the heart of the Cajun culture, as well as have a great experience doing one of the best gastronomic tours in New Orleans.

But it is definitely magical to fly over the place in a helicopter or small plane. You will be able to see from above the colorful and popular details that stand out in this town. If you still don't know the French Quarter of New Orleans from the inside,

Mercedes-Benz Superdome

If seeing this venue from the inside is already impressive, from the heights is an experience you can't miss once in a lifetime.

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the home of the New Orleans Saints and one of the most prolific sports venues in the southern United States.

As the stadium that has hosted the Super Bowl the most times, this sports venue is a must-see during your aerial tour of the city of New Orleans and its surroundings.

Mississippi River

This is perhaps the place you most expected to see from the air, and it is nothing less than the banks of the Mississippi River, where you will find sugar cane plantations with large mansions dating from before the Civil War, as well as the different swamps that surround the area.

To appreciate the wildlife up close, I can't recommend you enough to take one of the best swamp tours in New Orleans.

One of the first things to keep in mind when taking the helicopter or light aircraft tour is that the weather must be good. In case of bad weather, the flight may be cancelled.

On the other hand, you have the option of doing the tour both during the day and at night. During the day you will have the opportunity to observe in detail each of the places you will fly over. From the branches of the Mississippi to the swamps, the plantations and above all the city of New Orleans itself.

In case you decide to take the night tour, the scenery may change a bit, the most striking thing being the many lights of the city that can be seen only from the heights. Definitely see the city from the heights after sunset is one of the best things to do in New Orleans at night.

In the night tour you will be able to see little of the swamps and plantations area, so I recommend you to take a tour of the swamps of New Orleansduring the day.

In addition to this, given the weather conditions and the temperature that can be in winter, this is an activity that I would include in my list of things to do in New Orleans in summer, since during this season the skies remain clear and the views are really impressive.

Before boarding the helicopter or light aircraft (depending on the activity chosen), you need to know some important details to make your tour as pleasant as possible. Some of the information you should know is described below.

• As this is a VIP experience for couples or friends only, and there is liquor included, this trip does not allow people under 21 years old on board, so it is not an ideal tour to include among the activities to see and do in New Orleans with kids.
• The trip is for a limited group of people, so if you go with a group of more than three people, the tour will not be feasible, at least not at the same time and on the same flight.
• As for the weight of each of the passengers, it is important to know that in order to maintain the balance in the air, each passenger cannot weigh more than 136 kilograms.
• The overall weight should be a maximum of 200 kilograms to maintain the performance and balance of the aircraft.
• It is not a suitable activity for pregnant women due to the air pressure that can be felt at high altitudes and that may affect a woman's pregnancy.
• It is not a suitable experience for people in wheelchairs because the apparatus is not adapted for that purpose.
• Assistance animals are not accepted to prevent pets from being frightened during the flight.
• You may have to pay some kind of additional charge for refueling, although you will know this at the time of booking.
• This experience may be cancelled in the event of bad weather or if the minimum number of passengers for the flight is not reached. In case of either of the two options, you can have access to another experience, or change the date to enjoy it. There is no refund for cancellations.
• The tour is private, so before embarking on this adventure, make sure you have your group of three people.

Being in the air is not an activity that happens every day, that's why I want to give you some tips that will be very useful for you when you are flying over the city of New Orleans.

One of the best tips I can give you is to take your cell phone more than ready to take all the pictures you want.

Take the best pictures from the air

Believe it or not, one of the hardest things about being in the air flying over the city is getting good panoramas. To get good pictures of the landscape that can be seen from the air, you must focus on a general point to get a perfect panorama.

On the other hand, something important to take into account is the height from which you are going to take the photos. It is best to take them just when you have just taken off and you are in the air. You should not take them when you are taking off nor when you are landing, it is best to wait until the helicopter or light aircraft is completely in the air.

It is also important that you take into account the angle of the photo and that the sun does not shine directly in front of you. Try to set your camera settings to manual mode so that you can modify the speed, shutter and other parameters that will capture each photo with better quality.

Once in the air, try not to lean on the window to take pictures. It is also necessary that the sky is clear and cloudless, this will help the photos come out as clear as possible.

What is the weather like from the heights?

This is a tour that I recommend you to do in spring and summer, since during these seasons of the year the temperatures are much more pleasant than during winter or autumn.

However, summer brings quite high temperatures, although at high altitudes the air temperature depends on the time of day you do the tour. If you take a night tour, keep in mind that it can be a bit chilly at high altitudes.

If you decide to take a daytime tour, you will not notice much difference in temperature, although it all depends on the altitude at which you fly.

To know all the information about the temperature during each season of the year, I recommend you to check the weather forecast before you start your flight.

What to wear to see New Orleans from above?

The clothes you will wear to get on the aircraft will depend expressly on the season of the year in which you decide to take the ride. If you are going to make the flight in summer, I recommend wearing light clothing, although it never hurts to take a sweater as a precaution in case the temperature varies suddenly.

In case you want to make the tour in winter time or at night, I recommend wearing a sweater that will cover you from the cold at all times. As for the ideal shoes for this type of experience, I recommend you to wear comfortable shoes, preferably closed toed shoes.

You must take into consideration that the plane does not have air conditioning, so the temperatures inside are relative to the ambient temperature.