Bermuda Helicopter and Plane Tours: What You Can Book
Photo: PH1 Doolittle, USN, CC
If you have ever stood on a Bermuda beach and wondered what the island looks like from a few thousand feet above the reefs, you are not alone. I have spent years writing about Bermuda from the ground, but the view from the cockpit of a small plane changes how you think about the place.
The chain of islands, the coral lines under turquoise water, the pink beaches strung along the south shore, all of it makes more sense from the air. This page covers what is actually available right now, what is coming in 2027, what you can expect to pay, and the details I would want to know before I booked.
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Is there a helicopter tour in Bermuda?
Short answer, not yet. As of 2026, there is no helicopter tour operating in Bermuda. There was a helicopter tour operator on the island back in the late 1990s, but it has been gone for many years, and for sightseeing from the sky the only option has been small planes.
That is set to change in 2027. Azura Helicopters Ltd, run by Michael and Amy Franck, has been working with the authorities to set up at Cross Island in the Royal Naval Dockyard.
Michael Franck is an American pilot from Nashville, Tennessee, who first came to Bermuda to film aerial coverage of the 2017 America's Cup and has been filming SailGP events here ever since. Azura plans to offer flights of 10 to 12 minutes around the island, and Mr Franck has said the helicopter they will use is built to meet US national park noise standards, which means it should be far quieter than a typical tour helicopter.
The Francks are also planning to use the helicopter for shuttle runs between the airport and Bermuda resorts, and they have discussed potential support roles with the Bermuda Police Service, the Bermuda Coast Guard Unit and the Royal Bermuda Regiment, including possible air ambulance work. Anticipated launch is 2027, with four to six local hires.
So if you are reading this in 2026 and looking specifically for a helicopter ride, you will need to wait. If you want to see Bermuda from the air in the meantime, the option below is the only one running.
Blue Sky Flights Bermuda: the aerial tour you can book today
Blue Sky Flights Bermuda Limited is the only operator currently offering aerial sightseeing tours over the island. The company took its inaugural flight in January 2024 and is run by Heather Nicholds, who earned her pilot's license at 18 and has logged more than 900 hours in the air. She runs the company and flies most of the tours herself, with Lester Nelson, Jaret Simmons and Tariq Lynch-Wade also flying as her colleagues.
The business name shows up online in a few forms. You will see it as Blue Sky Flights, Blue Sky Bermuda, BlueSky Bermuda, or Blue Sky Flights Bermuda. They are all the same operator. The current site is blueskybermuda.com, and they operate from the Longtail Aviation hangar at the L. F. Wade International Airport at St. George's.
The plane: a small but capable Cessna 172R
The aircraft is a Cessna 172R Skyhawk, registration VQ-BDA. It is less than 30 feet long with a wingspan just over 36 feet. Heather bought it in 2020 for $300,000 and brought it to Bermuda herself, flying it across from Brussels via the UK, Greenland and the United States, with a memorable detour circling the Statue of Liberty in New York five times before the final leg.
A Cessna 172R Skyhawk. Photo: Frank Schwichtenberg/cc-by-sa
The Cessna 172R is the most common training aircraft in the world. It is built to be stable and forgiving, with high wings mounted above the cabin. That last point matters more than it sounds. With the wings above you instead of below, there is nothing blocking the view straight down, which is exactly where you want to look when you fly over the reefs and beaches.
The plane can fly as slow as about 65 knots and at altitudes as low as 1,500 feet, which is what makes it work as a sightseeing aircraft. You can see houses, individual reefs, and people on the beach. On the longer tour, you can also try your hand at the controls for a few minutes if you want.
Two tour options: Discovery or Full Island
There are two scheduled tours, and both are flexible because the pilot will adjust the route to what you want to see.
The Discovery Tour is 25 minutes from takeoff to landing. The standard route runs down the south shore beaches, over Paradise Lakes, then back over Hamilton and Flatt's Inlet. It works well for children and for anyone who is a little nervous about a first flight in a small plane. Plan on about an hour at the airport in total. The price is $350 until 31 May 2026 and $390 from 1 June 2026.
The Full Island Tour is 45 minutes from takeoff to landing. You get the south shore beaches, the cliffs and reefs at the west end, shipwrecks such as the Vixen, the Dockyard, and circling overhead anywhere you want to spend extra time, your hotel, a particular fort, a beach, even your own house if you live here.
The pilot flies slightly slower than on the Discovery Tour so you can take better photos. Plan on 90 minutes to 2 hours at the airport. The price is $550 until 31 May 2026 and $600 from 1 June 2026.
If you want something completely custom, the pilots also arrange photography flights with bespoke routes and timing, within the limits of staying within visual range of the island and below 10,000 feet.
What is included and the weight rule
The flight cost is per flight, not per person. The price includes two adults, or one adult and two children. There are three seats in total, so a third passenger can join if you are within the weight limit. A third adult is an extra $50.
The weight rule is important and not negotiable. The maximum combined weight of all passengers is 450 lbs, or 204 kg. This is a small plane and the math has to work for fuel and balance. If you have a group of three larger adults you may not be able to fly all together.
Children are welcome from age 2, and each child needs their own seat and seat belt. Realistically, six and up is the age where children start to enjoy the flight as an experience. There is no extra charge for children over age 2 if they are within the seat and weight limits. All taxes and fees are included in the price. Tips are not expected.
Wing Cam and Cockpit Cam video add-ons
You will want both hands free for the camera or just for the view, so the operator offers two cameras you can add to your flight. The Wing Cam mounts on the wing strut and films back at the plane against the reefs and shoreline below.
The Cockpit Cam films forward from the dashboard and records the radio communications between your pilot and air traffic control through the flight. One camera is $120, both together are $200.
What you will actually see from the air
The pilot will work with you on the route, but the highlights worth asking for, in roughly the order most people want them, are these.
The south shore beaches, including Horseshoe Bay, Warwick Long Bay and Elbow Beach, are the showpiece. You see the pink sand much better from a thousand feet up than you ever do walking along it, and you can see the geometry of the bays clearly. For more on these beaches, see my
Bermuda Beaches section.
The reefs are the surprise for most first-time passengers. Bermuda is ringed by one of the most northerly coral reef systems in the world, and the patterns of the reefs under the water are visible from the air as a network of dark loops and rings against turquoise. The western reefs hold many of the
shipwrecks that ended up here over the centuries because of those same reefs.
The Royal Naval Dockyard at the west end and the historic town of St. George at the east end bookend the route. Hamilton in the middle is the capital. Flying the full chain gives you a feel for how the islands fit together that you cannot get on the ground.
In spring, especially March and April, humpback whales pass through Bermuda's waters on their migration. They are visible from the air as long, slow shapes near the surface. If whale sightings matter to you, ask before you book about recent activity. See
Whale Watching in Bermuda for the season window and shore-based options.
How to book, where to check in, and where they are
Blue Sky Flights requires at least 24 hours notice, and in practice the calendar is usually full one to two weeks ahead, especially through summer and on weekends. If you are coming on a cruise and only have one day in port, book before you board the ship and pad your day around the flight slot.
Booking is by phone or email rather than online checkout. Phone is 1.441.516.3305 (texts welcome). Email is
[email protected]. The booking form on their website asks for name, email, tour type, preferred date, preferred pilot if any, and where you heard about them.
Check in is at the Longtail Aviation hangar at 6 Southside Road, St. George's, Bermuda DD 03. This is on the airport grounds but not at the main passenger terminal, so you do not go through full security and you do not need a passport. The booking start time is when you arrive at the hangar. Do not arrive early, because the pilots are either prepping the plane or finishing with the previous flight.
Payment is taken after the flight, by cash, Visa, Mastercard, local bank transfer, or pre-paid gift certificate.
Booking summary
Operator: Blue Sky Flights Bermuda. Phone or text: 1.441.516.3305. Email:
[email protected]. Address: 6 Southside Road, St. George's, Bermuda DD 03 (at Longtail Aviation). Hours: 9 am to sunset, 7 days a week, by appointment, year round.
Cancellation policy
If the pilot cancels because of weather, maintenance, or any safety issue, you reschedule at no charge. If you cancel within 48 hours of your slot, you forfeit 15 percent of the flight cost. If you cancel within 24 hours, you forfeit the full cost.
The weather minimums to fly are a 3,500 ft cloud base, 5 km visibility, no more than 15 knots crosswind on the runway, and no heavy rain or thunderstorms. If you have a tight window, like a cruise stop or a wedding day, ask about booking a backup slot.
When to fly, what to wear, and a few practical things
Any time of day works in good weather, but Heather has a preference and I tend to agree with her. Around 11 am the water shows its best blues and the air has warmed up just enough. Nine in the morning is cooler, which matters in summer.
Two in the afternoon can be hot inside the cabin because the plane has fresh air vents but no air conditioning. Late afternoon brings strong reflection off the water, which is beautiful in its own way but harder for photographs.
Wear light layers, closed-toe shoes, and bring sunglasses. The cabin temperature is roughly the same as the ground temperature, sometimes warmer if the sun is full on the windows. Bring a phone or camera, a water bottle, and not much else. Bags can be locked in the office while you fly.
Who can fly and who probably should not
The minimum age is two years old, with the child in their own seat with their own belt. There is no upper age limit, and there is no pregnancy restriction because the plane does not fly high enough for pressure changes to matter, though you may want motion sickness measures if you are usually sensitive.
If you have scuba dived within the last 12 to 24 hours, you should wait. The FAA guidance for pilots and passengers is at least 12 hours after non-decompression diving and at least 24 hours after decompression diving.
If you have a medical condition that could cause incapacitation in flight, such as epilepsy or a history of fainting, that is not a deal-breaker, but the operator does need to know, and you would sit in the back rather than the front. Anyone flying needs to be able to get in and out of the plane on their own.
Which option fits your trip
If you are on a one-day cruise stop and want to see the island in a single dose, the 25-minute Discovery Tour at Blue Sky Flights is the practical choice. Build in three hours from leaving the ship to getting back on board, because the airport is at the east end and Dockyard is at the west.
If you are on the island for a few days and want the full geography to make sense, take the 45-minute Full Island Tour. It is the one I would book if I were here for a week and only doing one aerial flight.
Skydive Bermuda: another aerial option coming soon
While we are on the subject of seeing Bermuda from the air, there is a third venture worth knowing about even though it is not bookable yet. Skydive Bermuda, co-founded by Spencer Butterfield and Christopher Oates, plans to launch in 2027 with helicopter-based skydives from 13,000 feet, with Cross Island in Dockyard as the drop zone.
The first test jumps were completed in May 2026 using a helicopter supported by Paradise Aviation, which is the same group behind Azura Helicopters. Both tandem dives and solo dives are planned. If a skydive is on your list, watch for opening dates in 2027.
About the Author
By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj has been writing about Bermuda since 2008, when he launched bermuda-attractions.com, one of the longest-standing independent guides to the island. A Certified Bermuda Specialist (Bermuda Tourism Authority), his work draws on personal visits, local contacts in Bermuda, and questions and trip reports from thousands of readers over the years.
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