A View From Sky River Helicopters

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Expert Interviews, Tours & Attractions     city tours, flying lessons, helicopter, helicopter tours, things to do

Whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary or a Christmas Gift, a helicopter tour is a very special treat indeed.

Carol Wrenn, from Sky River Helicopters tells us more…

How long have you been flying for?

While Sky River Helicopters has only been in business for a year, our pilots have loads of experience, each with 1500+ hours of flight time.  They are all commercial pilots as well as certified flight instructors.

What is it about flying that excites you?

Flying helicopters is a blast!  It gives a total sense of freedom. We love seeing the reactions of people after going on one of our tours or learn to fly demos.  The level of enthusiasm about helicopters and helicopter flying is great.

What should potential customers expect from one of your trips?
We offer a number of tours, such as a tour of NYC, Philadelphia tour, NJ shore tour, and Pocono tour.  Each seat in the helicopter is a window seat so the views are terrific! We also offer sunset tours with champagne.  It is very popular for couples and we have had several ‘pop the question’ in the back of our helicopters! read more

Hang gliding: How far can it take you?

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Outdoor Activities    

Hang Glider In Flight

In hang gliding, as with most sports, there are competitions, amateur and professionals standards, championships to be fought over and medals to be won.

This year the World Championships were held in Tegleberg, Germany. Well, if there’s any sport that can be affected by weather it’s hang gliding. That said, it was still a surprise when the organizers were forced to stop the competition  – no one was expecting snow in April. read more

Boom! How we break the sound barrier.

Robb Y    Airborne Activities     airborne experiences

In the development of flight there have been several notable moments: the first solo crossing of the Atlantic (Charles Lindbergh,1927), the moment the first African American woman got her flying license (Bessie Coleman, 1921) and the day that the round the world non-stop record was set (Dick Rutan and JeanaYeager, 1986).

Although when it comes to speed, it’s the breaking of the sound barrier which was perhaps the noisiest. read more

Flying for their lives

Robb Y    Airborne Activities     airborne experiences, flying

This year marks the 60th anniversary of one of the most important air battles in history: The Battle of Britain.

Sixty years ago, hundreds of inexperienced pilots were rushed into action to repel what looked like a certain Nazi invasion. Their actions helped stop the Nazi advance in time for the US to bring its forces across the Atlantic, and ultimately turned the tide of the war in Europe. read more

What’s the greenest way to fly?

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Lifestyle Activities     airborne experiences, bucket list, learn to, scenic flights

Such is the worry about the environment, everyone’s looking to cut emissions and watch their carbon footprints. The so-called gas-guzzlers – vehicles that use lots of fuel – have come under real scrutiny of late, and the airlines have also been put in the spotlight.

A jumbo jet creates a lot of carbon dioxide. Now, whether or not you believe this causes global warming is not really relevant – although it clearly is a lot of emissions.

That said, sometimes there really is no other way to travel than to fly; it’s the quickest and probably the safest form of modern travel we have – how else are you going to get to that meeting read more

Up, up, up and away

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Tours & Attractions     flying, flying lessons, learn to

Helicopters can land just about everywhere, that’s their trick. Instead of needing a runway, a helicopter pilot can make do with a football pitch, or in cases of emergency, a street corner.

With helicopters it’s all about lift: vertical lift. Thanks to their spinning rotors, helicopters push air down, which in turn forces them up into the air.

It’s this that has made them so versatile. They make fantastic emergency vehicles, and can transport people and supplies to the remotest of places. read more

The Future of Skydiving

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Lifestyle Activities     airborne experiences, skydiving

Skydiving is evolving. There’s no other sport that is moving so fast, and changing the way we think about what’s possible in life.

So where did all this start?

Well, first attempts were disastrous. Goofball cloaks and umbrella jumps did little to encourage the uptake of what should have been a life-saving invention. read more

Fly-by in a biplane

Robb Y    Airborne Activities     biplane flight, city tours, flying

Booked to fly overseas? Well, I think you probably already know what type of plane you’ll be flying on. The size, model number and color may change, but let’s face it, most modern passenger aircraft look very similar.

But this wasn’t always the case. Before the almost total adoption of the jet engine, turboprop and propeller engines powered passenger aircraft. And where now there is one aerofoil wing, there once were two. read more

Reach For The Sky

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Uncategorized     flying, scenic flights

When US astronauts first made it to the moon they got to gaze back on the world, and it was a deeply moving moment. Alan Shepard famously said he cried when he looked back at Earth. The experience of flying over our world is unique, and you don’t have to be signed up to NASA to enjoy it.

There are regular scenic flights from airports across the US, organized to help you get the most dramatic of views, be it of cities, or of the countryside. From short trips, to longer more extensive flights, planes fly out of Florida, Georgia, Minneapolis, and from runways across the states. read more

A Life Less Ordinary

Robb Y    Airborne Activities, Food & Wine, Lifestyle Activities     learn something new, learn to, life lessons, self improvement, things to do

A change is as good as a rest. So why not learn how to do something new, something challenging, and see where it leads you?

We’re not talking about getting a new haircut or wardrobe: We’re going deeper – think of health and happiness; wish fulfillment; aspirations realized; and lives lived to the fullest – so much is possible, with just a little inspiration.

From flying lessons in a Cessna 172, to trapeze lessons or cooking classes, there are options to invigorate mind, body and soul. If planes and helicopters are too much to handle, sign up for the trapeze class – you’ll still be soaring above ground, only safely harnessed, and doing a couple of back flips while you’re at it. read more