Most tourists won’t venture into the skies above Pensacola during their vacation. But those who do are rewarded with sweeping views of the city, beach, and sea–and memories they won’t soon forget. Hang Ten Helicopters maintains exceptionally high customer service ratings for a reason. They’re consistently professional and friendly, they offer a seamless booking process along with reasonable rates, and they provide tours that exceed their customers’ expectations pretty much every time.
When you book a helicopter tour with Hang Ten, you’ll have a handful of options. Love marine life? You could book a shark hunt tour to scope out the sharks, dolphins, and manta rays that congregate in Gulf Coast waters. Hang Ten also offers sunrise and sunset tours, nighttime tours, and even a tour to the De Luna Shipwreck. Most tours range from 20-30 minutes, although they do offer a quick 7-minute tour across the bay for those who are new to flying or nervous about the experience.
A few of our favorite tours include…
Nighttime Tour of Pensacola
Book a night tour to enjoy the Pensacola city lights and the lights of the bay bridge and piers. You’ll see it all from a vantage point roughly 1,000 feet high–and it’s a perspective you won’t get anywhere else. Night tours are a popular option for date nights.
De Luna Shipwreck Tour
This is the longest tour Hang Ten offers, and it gives you an opportunity to see a huge variety of marine life, from sea turtles to massive manta rays, as well as the sunken ship that gives this tour its name. You’ll travel about 40 miles out, looping over Pensacola and Perdido to take in a wide swath of gorgeous Gulf coast scenery.
Sunset Tour
Another date night favorite, the 30-minute sunset tour provides front-row seats to Pensacola’s showstopper sunsets. Pilots manage to time the flight just right to catch peak colors and sights each evening, so you’ll be able to enjoy expansive and colorful sunset views as you fly along Pensacola Beach.
Although Hang Ten’s tours are hugely popular among couples, they’re also kid-friendly; toddler and infant-sized headsets are available, and children under 2 ride free on their parents’ laps, and kids of all ages adore the experience. The helicopters are roomy enough to accommodate three passengers in addition to the pilot; larger groups will have to book multiple flights to get everyone up into the air. Nervous about the experience? Hang Ten’s experienced pilots have a way of making nervous flyers feel at ease; they’ll patiently answer a bevy of questions and prep nervous passengers for the flight.
Hang Ten helicopter tours depart from Ferguson Airport, just off Hwy 98 in Pensacola. It’s easily accessible from the Pensacola and Perdido Bay area, with a low-stress parking and driving situation that makes it easy to get in and out.
Insider Tips:
– Don’t plan to wear your favorite hat along for the ride; because of the danger of losing a hat up into the helicopter’s rotors (a dangerous prospect), all hats have to be checked at the office.
– Those prone to motion sickness might want to take some motion sickness medication before boarding, but rides are smooth and calm, and even typically queasy passengers hardly ever struggle with sickness during Hang Ten’s tours.