Top 5 East Village Helicopter Tours: An Honest Review

Seeing New York City from above is, like, totally a unique experience, and that’s probably why so many people consider a helicopter tour during their visit. Getting a bird’s-eye view gives you this fresh angle on spots you might already recognize from the ground, or, like, you know, the movies. East Village helicopter tours tend to launch from heliports nearby, and each tour promises sights that just might leave you speechless. These tours aren’t inexpensive, so, too it’s worth doing your homework to pick one that matches what you wanna see and the kinda experience you’re hoping to have.

1. Liberty Helicopter Tours: The Classic Choice

Liberty Helicopter Tours is often considered the big name in the East Village helicopter tour scene, offering trips that soar over the city’s most famed landmarks. These trips show off the Statue of Liberty, that old Empire State Building, and Central Park, all in one go. In a way, that company’s been around for a while and typically gets high marks for professionalism and well-maintained helicopters, is that passengers say the views are stellar, and the pilots dish out pretty fun facts along the ride. It is worth noting though, their “Classic” tour option tends to be popular, so you may experience larger crowds than smaller outfits.

That, something to think about is whether their bigger size translates into impersonal service. Very, very, sometimes the more established a company is, the less flexible they are in accommodating personal requests or last-minute changes. First, if you are someone who values individualized attention, it may be worthwhile to consider this.

2. Manhattan Helicopters: For the Photo Enthusiast

If you’re hoping to take some awesome photographs during your tour, Manhattan Helicopters might be a great option for capturing some beautiful views, rather, a bit. Some of their tours specifically target photographers, positioning the aircraft so you get, that old cinematic shots. These are the types that you can find splashed across postcards and Instagram. Usually, they pride themselves on their smaller group sizes. This very much allows for a personal experience where you have space to move and set up your shots without jostling with other people.

However, keep in mind a bit, the photographer-centered tours could be a bit pricier because you might get extended flight times or custom routes, you know? This just might be something that’s okay if photography’s a main aim. As a matter of fact, some reviewers noted that the emphasis on photography sometimes overshadowed narration or historical information about sights, so it might not be the one for sightseers more interested in the story behind the sights.

3. Zip Aviation: The Thrill Seeker’s Choice

For thrill-seekers wanting something with an extra jolt of excitement, East Village Zip Aviation’s tours very much provide higher-speed options that get the blood pumping with that old feeling of speed. These types of excursions often involve longer routes and potentially more daring maneuvers over the city skyline. As a matter of fact, they definitely promote a sense of excitement with that higher-speed trips, and the general consensus is their aircraft are equipped with top-notch safety tech, ensuring everything stays controlled, even as your adrenaline’s surging. These safety aspects of Zip Aviation ensure the customer’s peace of mind with safety a focus in tours.

With that being said, bear in mind a longer flight time may translate to increased costs, right? Just a little, it really just boils down to a commitment on both time and expenses for you. Clearly, if budget restrictions are in place or short visits in order, carefully assess your circumstances, because the more sensational the excitement is the more sensational your expenditures.

4. Helicopter Flight Services: A Budget-Conscious Option

Helicopter Flight Services looks very much attractive because they make a good stab at balancing price and sightseeing. Basically, while you’re not going to see the lowest price on the market, and naturally prices vary season by season, they are slightly a bit more conservative, it may be a budget option.

What needs to be considered here is if they have a lighter asking price. At the end of the day that old cost optimization comes with its compromises and is generally associated with some drawbacks, with passengers noticing cut backs of things like live in-flight narrations and more compact cabin spaces. That’s something to consider a little, before going ahead, in short you get the tour but not with many luxuries.

5. Wings Air Helicopters: A Personalized Experience

Wings Air Helicopters tend to win many votes among customers who crave a more intimate, memorable East Village helicopter view of New York. I mean they are the type that allow more flexibility when creating personal tour routes as well as adapting flight duration. At the end of the day these flights can be very appealing for travelers with very specific landmarks or interests.

Anyway, be careful when personalizing as these types may prove to be on the steep end if you were previously cost cutting on other options. Alright this would depend more or less if you went and tacked on other flight elements, such as longer flight durations and routes.