I have been a passenger on a helicopter four times, for a grand total of twenty-eight minutes!
In the days that I was an international sales manager, I managed some clients and suppliers based in Monaco. Our travel policy was very much budget flights in those days, but amazingly we managed to persuade our travel manager that the most cost-effective way to travel from Nice Airport to Monte Carlo was by chopper.
Therefore we had the situation of easyJet return flight Luton to Nice £65 and return helicopter flight the few miles from Nice to Monte Carlo £110.
We managed two return journeys this way before it was realised that we could catch a train or a bus for a few francs. Great whilst it lasted though!
On one occasion, my travelling colleague JC and I boarded with a very well dressed lady and her equally blinged up toy poodle.
On disembarkation we were met with the flashing bulbs of the paparazzi – to this day we have no idea who the lady was, but we are sure we must have featured in all the photographs before she was whisked away in a waiting limousine.
I even bought the next edition of France’s Hello! Magazine, but alas there was no sign of madomseille, chien or leering co-passengers to be found!
I love that you managed to convince an employer that flying by helicopter over train or bus was a good idea. What a fun experience! And too bad you never discovered who that lady was, but a great story nonetheless!
I’ve been in a helicopter exactly once. We took one from Cuzco, Peru to Aguas Calientes before climbing the mountain up to Machu Picchu. It was amazing!