When we were planning the trip there were several opportunities to take a helicopter ride. After reviewing all of our possibilities we decided that Rio De Janeiro was the one to do. We scheduled a 10:30 flight but at 7:30 this morning it was cloudy with light rain. It was not helicopter weather by any means. We contacted the company and canceled. They countered with a 12:30 flight. That was the magic time as the clouds cleared and the sun was out. It took 40 minutes to drive out to the heliport. That was OK as we were able to see an entirely new part of the city. The helicopter was smaller than I expected which did not ease my apprehension. Leslie was unfazed and was all smiles as we loaded in and took off. She sat in the back and I sat in the front. Being inches from the control stick was also concerning to me. Let's face it everything at this point gave me concerns. My previous helicopter experience was with a large military grade machine and this one was a tiny sports car in comparison. As such any turbulence was felt immediately and any change in altitude was also immediately felt. We took off and headed out towards the beach in Sao Conrad. There were so many pools and fancy condos along the way. Then we followed the beach along to Ipanema beach then Copacabana beach. Along the way we saw a highway clinging to the side of the mountain. We saw paragliders coming off of the mountain and landing on the beach. Once we reached the end of Copacabana we headed straight up 1000 feet or more. The pilot had to ask me if I was ok, again. He asked me several times if I was ok, but I do not recall what my response was. Leslie was giddy and having a blast. The pilot then headed inland towards Christ the Redeemer. The statue was clear of clouds and we had a fantastic view of it and all of Rio. We hit some turbulence coming around the statue but as we were headed back I could relax a bit. We really enjoyed the return trip as well. All the colors, all the mega homes, all the humanity was so amazing to see.
We saw these helicopters fly by out of our window.
All smiles
Smile fading a bit as we take off
Our shadow
Sao Conrad beach
A private club
Private indeed
Inviting seas
A favela right next to high-end condos
Sugarloaf from a different perspective
A naval base with large artillery guns
Not much room left
This is quite the cemetery
Rio as far as the eye can see
Every square inch is used. And the Cliffside is reinforced to keep it from falling down
Another exclusive Island Resort
Multicolored condos
Ipanema beach
About to turn the corner to Copacabana
Gaining altitude
Christ the Redeemer
The people are so tiny
It was started in the 20's
It's made of reinforced concrete.
The sculptor made it out of clay which were shipped to Brazil and then remade with reinforced concrete
It's 98 feet tall and lightning blew off the tip of a finger in 2016
Flying high and having a blast
All gauges indicate a safe flight
Made It On Solid Ground. Hallelujah!
