Helicopter Fun Facts

Helicopter Q&A

We hear a lot of questions about our helicopters, from both first-time and experienced fliers. We’ve compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions and some lesser known facts to help helicopter enthusiasts of any age or skill range! Maybe you’ll already know some of the answers, or maybe you’ll learn something new. Either way, we’re always excited to talk about our choppers’!

Let’s play some helicopter trivia!

Because heli-logging is a little-known industry, we‘d like give you a little peek into our high-flying relationship with the trees!

Q : How much does a helicopter cost?

A:  It really depends on the model type, but prices typically range from $250,000 – $1.7 million.

Q: Who invented the helicopter?

A: On September 14, 1939, the VS-300, (the world’s first practical helicopter) took flight in Stratford, Connecticut. This was the first helicopter to incorporate a single main rotor and tail rotor design.

Q: How do helicopters fly?

A: In order to fly, an object must have “lift,” which causes “force,” resulting in the object moving upward. Lift is usually made by wings that affect the air pressure. Helicopter wings are curved on top and flatter on the bottom-this shape is called an airfoil. This particular shape makes air flow over the top faster than under the bottom. As a result, there is less air pressure on top of the wing; this causes suction and makes the wing move up. A helicopter’s rotor blades are its wings and it creates lift by moving air over its rotor causing the blades to spin.

Q: How fast can helicopters fly?

A: Typically, most helicopters fly at an average speed of around 140 knots. This is equivalent to about 160 mph or 260 km/h. Helicopter’s average speed is affected by many things including the size of the chopper and what or who is on board at the time. That being said, there are specialty helicopters who can reach speeds of up to 290 km/h.

Q: How high can helicopters fly?

A: Most of our helicopters can reach up to 3,000 feet (approx. 1 km upwards)

Q: What’s the furthest distance a helicopter can travel?

A : Helicopters can usually fly around 2.5 to 5 hours before they have to stop and refuel. This translates to a distance of roughly 400 kilometers, which means that they can fly a lot farther than many people realize before they have to stop. This of course can vary depending on the type and size of the helicopter as well as many other aspects that you have to take into consideration like number of passengers and the weight of your cargo.

Q: What are helicopters mainly used for today?

A: In today’s modern world, helicopter uses include transportation for people and cargo, military uses, construction, firefighting, search and rescue mission, tourism, emergency medical transport, law enforcement, agriculture, news and media, and aerial observation, among others. You’ll see Valhalla helicopters being used to fight forest fires, cherry drying, and of course, giving locals a birds eye view of the beautiful Okanagan!


We hope this answered some questions or gave your memory a quick refresh! If you want to learn more information about our helicopters, check out our FAQ, or contact us to book your epic charter today!