My husband and I, along with two other unrelated couples, had an excellent Grand Canyon Maverick Helicopters tour on Thanksgiving Day at noon, leaving from the Tusayan airport near the south rim. Our copter held 7 guests, so we had one extra space, which was nice. Note that the seating arrangement is done by weight, so you may not get your optimum seat. I would have picked next to the pilot looking ahead but got a side window in the back row, which was fine. We didn't land again until the end, so no opportunity to change seats. Our pilot, B.J., was calm, experienced, and personable. During the flight, he told us just the right amount of factoids about the canyon and the surrounding park while an apropos soft rock soundtrack, curated by B.J., played through our headphones, changing for each phase of the flight. The gray leather seats were comfortable although not rotating and there were excellent views available, both near and far as we flew in different directions over the sunny south rim and the snowy north rim and mostly in between them, looking down at the cliffs and Colorado River far below us. The 45-minute ride was a good length for appreciating the scope and grandeur of the canyon, although I could have spent all day out there gliding over those views! The take-off and landing couldn't have been smoother, and the spacious Maverick waiting room with fireplace and restrooms and gift-store are top notch. They took photos of us at the beginning and end standing by the copter, and then as we were leaving offered us an official photo and DVD to commemorate our flight. A memorable Thanksgiving Day, that's for sure! One photo tip: Wear black if you don't want to see yourself reflected in the windows as you shoot your photos.
Of course the view of the Grand Canyon was breathtaking but also I recommend using Viator because our pilot was amazing. Funny, charming and could answer every question we had.
Absolutely amazing tour. Our pilot Greg was highly professional and friendly. He was full of information about the canyon. There is no better way to see the canyon and understand is sheer size and beauty than from the air. Maverick helicopters are new and comfortable. I highly recommend this tour.