Southern California Helicopters

Contacted Paul about an aircraft that he had listed for sale. Made arrangements in advance to drive from San Diego to Long Beach to look at it. The day of, Paul did not show up did not answer any voicemails or text messages. Very unprofessional.

James was very profesional and I look forward to getting a second class.

This experience was sooo AMAZING!!! It was so cool to get to see Long Beach and the harbor from a view in the air that wasn’t from a plane going wherever. I was a little nervous at first, however, all the staff were really sweet & encouraging, and after the little bit of in class training, actually taking controls up in the air was no big deal at all. And if I didn’t want to. I could have just joined for the ride, but who wants to just sit on the sideline?!? I would do it again in a heartbeat! And now working up the funds to get my own license… just such a different experience, you gotta just try it!

I bought my mom a helicopter lesson for mother’s day this year, and Edward was her flight instructor. The pre-​flight lecture was quite informative and my mom had enjoyed every moment of the flight! James was very friendly and accommodating in working out an appointment date and time that worked with everyone’s schedules.
Thank you for all the fun and for the great pictures. :)

By far, this has been the best Groupon yet! This was so worth it. I’ve never flown a helicopter before, and I must say it is a great experience, and I am happy that my first experience was with Southern California Helicopters. James is such a great instructor! He really knows what he’s talking about, and explains things really well. He makes u feel so at ease while in the helicopter too, even if I couldn’t hover in the square box :(I would recommend his lessons to anyone! The groupon was a bargain! Thanks James for a great flight :-)

My boyfriend and I took the helicopter lesson together and had a total blast. James was professional, warm and knowledgeable. I couldn’t imagine how only 30 minutes of ground school could equip me for flying a helicopter, but he covered all the basics thoroughly and I felt very prepared.
Riding in and flying the helicopter were totally exhilarating! We were definitely up in the air for a full half hour and even though I wasn’t as adept of a pilot as I thought I’d be, I felt completely safe. This was a once in a lifetime experience and my boyfriend had even more fun than I did.
James is awesome. I completely recommend this!

I bought my husband a helicopter tour for one of his Christmas gifts, and we had a fabulous experience at Southern CA Helicopters. James was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful… I brought our four-​month-​old son along because I wanted to take pictures of my hubby flying, and James was so accommodating. I got some great shots of them taking off and landing, and it wasn’t a problem at all that we had our little one with us. My husband absolutely loved the experience, and plans to work toward his helicopter license. James seems to really know his stuff — a total professional.
Definitely recommended!

Great time. I did the Groupon to help cross this off the life list. Wow, what a great way to check out flying. I’ve captained boats, driven race cars, flown planes — but the sensation in the helicopter is just sensational.
James and his crew did an excellent job with the ground instruction. Very thorough, and above all felt incredibly safe.
Consummate professionals, and out to make sure you leave with a smile, these guys really deliver. My only wish for more, was simply that — I wish the flight was a little longer…
That said, I’d highly recommend a flight with these guys. Beware however — you might get the bug!
Have fun.

These guys are the BEST! James took me on the flight of a lifetime! The Groupon made this amazing experience accessible. Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY.

Tons of fun! I did the groupon. We got a 30 minute lesson that James did a great job explaining. He truly knows his stuff.
The flight was beautiful and fun, however it felt pretty short. Do know that even though it’s 30 mins in the helicopter, it doesn’t equate to 30 mins of you controlling the flight. The 30 mins includes the time to get the helicopter off the ground, flying, and back on the ground for shutoff. Actual flight time is around 20 ish with roughly half of that you having control. Still fun despite being short, but hey, helicopters aren’t cheap to fly.

This was my first experience flying a helicopter. I purchased a groupon and decided to give it a try. Scheduling was easy and the staff was responsive and accommodating. I went with a friend and they accommodated both of us at the same time, even when we canceled once and rescheduled, it was hassle free and they were understanding.
Upon arrival, we started the 30-​minute ground instruction which was explained well and very informative. The place was small but organized. Our instructor, James, definitely knew what he was talking about. My friend and I, being engineers, had a number of technical questions to which he was able to answer thoroughly. I learned a number of things about rotary flight. James was very relaxed and «chill,» calm and controlled. I appreciated the laid back environment.
We flew one at a time. James was on point with the checks and preparations of the craft and took his time to familiarize me with the controls once inside the craft and gave me some pointers on flying. We went up to 700 feet and were in the air for about 20 minutes, for which I was in control for about 7 minutes of. It was a little short, but, still, a good experience. I was just getting my feet wet. The view was nice and the flight was smooth.
All in all, the experience was great and James did a fantastic job. I would definitely recommend So Cal Helicopters for instruction and flight time.

I recently had a great intro flight on a RS-​22 helicopter. This is my forth time riding in a helicopter but the first time I got to have the controls and actually get to fly it. After going through the regulations and a through briefing of all the instruments and such we went through all the pre flight routine and another briefing until I’m sure the instructor was confident having me as a copilot… lol.
The flight was very nice and rewarding. I’m actually contemplating pursuing my flight license.

The staff was extremely patient and fun to be around. I would definitely go back!

I bought an intro class for my boyfriend as a birthday present and he absolutely loved it! The owners/​operaters are very helpful, knowledgeable, extremely accomidating. Hopefully we get a chane to come down again soon so he can fly again:) Makes the best gift for those adventure men, he still can’t stop talking about it!

Being the first time ever getting inside a helicopter, plus flying it was nerve wrecking. My palms were sweating like crazy. In fact I was so nervous that I had gotten there an hour earlier than scheduled. A close friend of mine had somehow gotten me to take a flight lesson. You think after jumping off of bridges, planes and trapeze one would conquer their height fear, yet here I was trembling inside.
Their office is located right inside the main building of the airport. As I walked in, I was quickly greeted by the instructor. I gaze outside and could see «The Cricket.» The instructor reviewed with us the first half hour through some basic instructions. After 15 mins my mind was wondering around imagining all these scenarios. Suddenly I remember I should be paying attention to what he says cuz I’ll need it to survive. Next thing you know he is talking to us about emergency landings.
I wasn’t nervous anymore, now I was numb. I volunteered to go first otherwise my imagination would create even more fear. As you get in the helicopter, the instructor reviews again the basic and then the engine starts. It is allot louder than you imagine, it isn’t anything like being in a plane as you slowly hover above the ground. It was quite surreal and awesome, once at a higher level I took control. It was pretty amazing and difficult, allot of things to monitor. We flew over the Queen Mary and did some maneuvers, the experience was spectacular. At all times the instructor assures your safety and makes the flight smooth. They say if you leave the class smiling you had a great time, I left smiling. Not sure if cause I was alive or because I enjoyed the lesson. Highly recommend this place, makes a great gift for the adventurous.