If you’re looking for new ways to enjoy Michigan’s waterways, you don’t need to go off the beaten path. Just go above it.
From Grosse Isle to Mackinac Island, helicopter tour operators are providing bird’s-eye views of Michigan’s most iconic and picturesque waterfront locations. And with more than 26,000 inland lakes, 120 major rivers, and 3,288 miles of freshwater coastline, you’re never more than six miles from a picture-perfect aerial view.
Northern Michigan’s Grand Traverse County is a good example. Almost 25 percent of the region is water, and there are Caribbean-blue lakes, winding rivers, and hidden ponds you might best see from above. Below are some helicopter tour companies that operate in Michigan.
Royal Stag Aviation
Royal Stag Aviation in Williamsburg offers aviation photography flights while it waits for its tour license from the FAA. In the meantime, they focus primarily on the Grand Traverse Bay area, where passengers can capture photos of sights including Old Mission Point, Elk Lake, and the Mackinac Bridge.
“Being 500 feet over these wonders gives guests a whole new perspective and makes for some stunning pictures,” says Derrick Rockey, a Royal Stag pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours. “Each season provides unique views that dictate what the best locations are to fly over.”
For an extra shot of adrenaline, Royal Stag partners with Sky Dive TC to offer helicopter skydiving opportunities to certified skydivers. “It provides them with a chance to take in the sights while the earth rushes toward them,” Rockey explains.
Red Hawk Aviation
If you haven’t seen the views paralleling I-96 between Holland and Benton Harbor from the sky, you’re missing out, according to Collin Kelly, owner and chief pilot at Red Hawk Aviation in South Haven. He’s on a mission to help people see this stretch of shoreline from an entirely new perspective. “When I started flying the shoreline in South Haven, I knew I wanted to share that view with as many people as I could,” he says.
Even after nine years and nearly 1,500 flight hours, flying helicopters never gets old for Kelly. “It starts with that odd feeling of just lifting off the ground without speeding down a runway before takeoff,” he says. “If you’re familiar with Aladdin, I liken it to his magic carpet.”
Red Hawk also flies a little farther inland to showcase Allegan County’s sprawling woodlands, which Kelly says are even more breathtaking during the fall color season.
With such amazing views, most guests don’t want the tour to end. So, Kelly will oblige and give them an encore after the sun dips below the horizon. “I’ll climb just a couple hundred feet,” Kelly explains. “We get to see the sun peek back up over the horizon and watch it disappear again for good.”
Maxflight Helicopters
Taking off from Grosse Ile, tours with Maxflight Helicopters follow the Detroit River upstream, providing riders with amazing views of the Detroit and Windsor skylines. Pilot Kaleb Brady is quick to point out that Maxflight tours are more than just a ride, as the pilots provide a detailed narrative of the region while highlighting interesting landmarks and historic buildings.
“The high point is the breathtaking view heading back to Grosse Ile from Belle Isle at sunset, when you can see the silhouette of the Detroit skyline,” Brady says. Sometimes he has to remind himself he’s flying in Michigan because the water is so blue and vast, with Lake Erie appearing like an ocean below.
Maxflight also offers gender reveal powder and smoke drops, golf ball drops for fundraisers, and even Halloween, Easter, and wedding/funeral rose petal drops.
Michigan Helicopters
Flying out of Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, most of Michigan Helicopters’ tours fly over southeast Michigan, giving passengers a new perspective on familiar landmarks. “The best part of any helicopter tour is watching the smiles on our passengers’ faces,” says Chief Instructor Pilot Benjamin Tong, who’s logged almost 10,000 flight hours in helicopters alone.
Its most popular tours include the Cass Lake Tour and the City VIP Tour, both of which allow passengers to experience the helicopter’s maneuverability and agility while traveling at 100 mph. The most popular add-on service in the warmer months is the doors-off tour, which is similar to riding in a convertible or Jeep with the doors off — except you’re at 1,000 feet in the sky. “It’s a unique sense of euphoria, almost like you aren’t supposed to be able to do this — yet you are,” he explains. Michigan Helicopters also offers customized Michigan tours that will take passengers wherever they want to go — within FAA regulations, of course.
“The lighthouses in the Thumb are great to see,” Tong suggests, “and northern Michigan, near Charlevoix and Mackinac, are also awesome tours. Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and the Detroit skyline are just some of the other interesting sights.”
While some tour operators can’t accommodate people with disabilities, Michigan Helicopters prides itself on never turning away anyone who wants to experience flight. “We want to share the sky experience with everyone,” Tong says. “You’ll never catch us in a bad mood or grumpy prior to a flight. We know you’re here to relax, and we want you to enjoy your flight.”
TIPS: When searching for a tour, ask about insurance, pilot experience, aircraft age, and maintenance practices. While most helicopter tour companies operate year-round, summer is the best season to soar over Michigan’s waterways.
Plan it!
Royal Stag Aviation
royalstagaviation.com
Red Hawk Aviation
redhawkhelicopters.com
Maxflight Helicopters
maxflighthelomi.com
Michigan Helicopters
mihelo.com
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