The sounds of Christmas at your neighborhood lighting displays might include a distant “wop, wop, wop” mixed in with the gunning of engines from cars lined up and down the street.
Colorado Vertical, the helicopter tourist company based at Colorado Springs Airport, says the holiday lighting season is its busiest time of year.
But Will Sanders, who founded the company in 2006 with his wife, Kristen, promises not to disrupt neighborhoods with his flights.
“We try to be good neighbors,” Sanders said. “We’re not buzzing neighborhoods, that’s for sure.”
In fact, since moving the company to the Springs in August 2008, he’s only received one noise complaint despite averaging at least one flight a day.
“Our helicopter is smaller and newer and not a noisy helicopter,” Sanders said. “And when we’re en route to our sights, we’re going 120 mph.
“So we’re not over any neighborhood very long.”
There are exceptions. Once a month, Sanders conducts a “city prayer flight” in which he takes up a group of pastors, for free, to allow them to pray over their church and the city.
Those flights require hovering over a specific spot for a few minutes of prayer.
But then the bright blue metal bird is gone.
The rest of the time, Sanders’ helicopter is zipping to the Garden of the Gods, up Ute Pass to various sites on Pikes Peaks, down around Cheyenne Canon, The Broadmoor and other destinations.
It takes folks up for 12-minute flights, for sunrise and sunset, for longer loops and even 75-minute tours into the mountains.
In addition, the company does some freelance flying, for example, to take commercial photographers aloft.
Sanders said he also offers specialized mountain flying training for pilots. But he doesn’t have a full-fledge flight school.
I’ve had a few calls and e-mails about Colorado Vertical from people who didn’t know Colorado Springs had a tourist helicopter service. They were confused because they knew the police helicopters have been sold and they don’t live near a hospital with medical flights.
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Oh, the self-entitlement reminder when the Wop-Wop-Wop wind-direction changes up to the WAP-WAP-WAP. While you’re hovering over the churches, pray for some HELL-i-CHOP-ters divine permission about why it’s OK for so few to annoy so many with so much useless noise. The Fort Carson After Dinner Howitzer Hour – reassuring; the AFA Game Day jet flyover – even we non-sports fans “get it”. But I’m willing to bet you don’t “passtor-over” the charitable opportunity to deduct on your tax returns the free rides given to the clergy.
There’s plenty of wilderness in Colorado to fly over undetected, like the Great Sand Dunes, and if your riders want Christmas lights, screw in some colored bulbs on your landing pad. There are plenty of Nam Vets who hear that blade sound in their nightmares; don’t need a daytime, nighttime or anytime reminder and would really appreciate you practicing, even aside from any religious beliefs, The Platinum Rule: Do unto others as THEY would have you do unto them.” Live and let live; Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness does not mean you get to do yours at the expense of someone else’s head space and peace of mind.
Great idea. Great business. Be a better citizen, neighbor and more considerate human being. Choose a better location. Peace and Good-still to all men this Christmas season and a Happy New Hear. Thank You.