| It may sound strange, but it all started
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| | had a few minutes to spend with him as
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| with the Miami Dolphins. My husband is a
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| | well. Ruedi is an architect by profession
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| huge fan of the fins, but we figured a
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| | and originally hails from Switzerland.
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| trip to Miami for his birthday in early
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| | Ruedi joined the company in 1981 and
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| December was not in the cards. So I
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| | began to provide helicopter sightseeing
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| started to look around for other unique
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| | services. In 1985 he finally purchased
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| ideas how to celebrate his special day
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| | the company from the former owners,
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| and checked the Dolphins' road games
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| | started revamping all the operations and
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| schedule and realized that they were
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| | has been responsible for the
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| playing in Buffalo, barely two hours
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| | modernization and expansion of Niagara
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| south of Toronto, on December 10. Sure
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| | Helicopters which today is one of Niagara
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| enough I bought the tickets online and
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| | Falls' premier tourist attractions.
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| figured a nice birthday surprise was in
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| | Ruedi is one of those rare people who has
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| the making.
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| | truly managed to turn his passion into
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| Then I started thinking some more and
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| | his profession. Today, the company
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| given the fact that my husband likes to
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| | operates five Bell 407 helicopters and
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| gamble every once in a while I thought
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| | has just placed an order for a sixth
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| why not expand this little getaway and
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| | helicopter. 16 pilots take customers up
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| spend a bit of time in Niagara Falls,
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| | into the air and pre-recorded in-flight
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| Ontario, to do some gambling. Of course
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| | audio tours are offered in 12 languages.
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| my insane curiosity never sleeps and I
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| | The staff at Niagara Helicopters speak
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| added a couple of extra days during which
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| | seven different languages. The company's
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| I would have a chance to discover the
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| | clientèle attracts countless customers
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| city and all its various attractions in
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| | from many different countries all over
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| order to develop an entire feature
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| | Europe and Asia. For his entrepreneurial
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| article series about the Niagara Falls
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| | success and his community involvement,
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| experience.
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| | particularly his participation in police
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| So I got in touch with the experts at
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| | searches and helicopter rescue missions,
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| Niagara Falls Tourism who were extremely
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| | Ruedi has won numerous awards over the
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| helpful and assisted me in preparing a
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| | years.
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| detailed itinerary for my explorations of
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| | After getting a thorough introduction to
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| Niagara Falls, Ontario. We worked out a
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| | the company and its owner, it was now
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| tightly packed program that would expose
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| | time for my very own first helicopter
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| me to a variety of diverse attractions
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| | flying experience in my life. My young
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| that this city has to offer.
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| | pilot Rene, Ruedi's right hand, took me
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| Finally, my adventure was ready to start.
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| | to the helipad, and we got comfortable in
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| I had booked my Via Rail train ticket to
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| | this flying machine as the camera team
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| Niagara Falls online and my husband
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| | snapped a couple of pictures of us. Then,
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| dropped me off early this morning at
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| | with my video camera rolling, I asked
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| Toronto's venerable Union Station. I
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| | Rene to explain the various controls to
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| exchanged my online booking confirmation
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| | me. The entire helicopter is full of
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| for a paper ticket, and shortly after 8
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| | controls, even the roof panel houses all
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| pm I was on my way to Track 13 where my
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| | sorts of switches. Rene explained that in
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| comfortable train to Niagara Falls was
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| | a helicopter the direction is controlled
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| already waiting. At $21 for the ticket it
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| | by a disk of rotors and in this Bell 407
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| was also a very affordable and
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| | helicopter, each blade can be
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| comfortable way of covering this two hour
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| | individually controlled. These highly
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| journey. With just a slight delay I
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| | sophisticated and customizable flying
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| arrived shortly before 11 am in Niagara
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| | machines run in the neighborhood of $3
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| Falls, Ontario, and moments later I
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| | million, so they contain a lot of
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| picked up my nifty Budget Rental car. I
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| | advanced technology.
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| had always found the Toyota Yaris very
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| | Finally, all the explanations and safety
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| cute, but I was not so sure if I could
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| | checks were complete and Rene took off
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| ever get used to the location of the
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| | with me. After performing a little dance
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| instrument panel in the center of the
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| | with the helicopter we lifted straight up
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| dashboard. In addition, this micro-car
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| | and started to fly beside the Niagara
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| did not have sufficient space in the
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| | Gorge. I was really fortunate to have a
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| trunk, so I decided to drop off my
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| | picture perfect clear day with blue
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| luggage right away at my home away from
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| | skies; visibility stretched for miles. We
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| home for the next two days.
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| | made our way towards the majestic falls
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| I found my way to the Best Western Cairn
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| | along the prescribed route beside the
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| Croft, a 165 room hotel located centrally
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| | Niagara River. The cities of Niagara
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| on one of Niagara Fall's main strips:
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| | Falls, on both the Canadian and American
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| Lundy's Lane. Along this road there are
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| | sides, came into full view and I was
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| more than two miles of hotels,
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| | mesmerized by the column of mist that was
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| restaurants, shopping opportunities and
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| | emanating from the Horseshoe Falls.
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| various attractions. A friendly and
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| | We flew over the Falls and had a good
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| humorous receptionist welcomed me and
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| | look at them from every imaginable angle,
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| directed me to my room on the third floor
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| | and I thoroughly enjoyed the aerial view
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| where I got myself organized and relaxed
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| | of this thundering cascade of water. All
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| a bit in one of the spacious Tower Rooms.
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| | the architectural highlights of Niagara
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| Just before I got too comfy I set off on
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| | Falls, the casinos, the entertainment
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| my first real Niagara Falls adventure: I
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| | areas and the hydro power plants were in
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| was about to go on my first helicopter
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| | full view. A helicopter flight allows you
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| flight in my entire life. The
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| | to stand relatively still and hover above
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| receptionist at the Cairn Croft drew me
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| | a destination to get a really good
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| some directions and off I was to my
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| | indepth look at the landscape below. From
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| destination, Niagara Helicopters, on
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| | a certain angle I even caught a rainbow
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| Victoria Avenue at the northern end of
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| | stretching out from the mist of the giant
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| town, close to the Niagara Parkway. I saw
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| | waterfalls.
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| an attractive and very modern retail and
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| | On our way back I got a good look over
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| administration complex, and in the
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| | the residential areas of Niagara Falls
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| background helicopters were taking off
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| | and the famous Whirlpool further
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| and landing. I walked in and got greeted
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| | downstream in the Niagara River. The view
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| by some of the team members at Niagara
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| | extended towards the Niagara Escarpment
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| Helicopter. Lena, the Executive Assistant
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| | and far across Lake Ontario. I could even
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| to owner Ruedi Hafen; Shea, the Guest
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| | see Toronto's CN Tower! Safely Rene
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| Services Manager, and René, Operations
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| | brought our bladed flying machine back
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| Manager and one of the helicopter pilots,
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| | and we touched down on the heated
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| showed me around and gave me an overview
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| | helipad. Ruedi was waiting with a framed
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| of the company.
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| | photo of my helicopter adventure which
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| They took me through the attractive gift
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| | would allow me to remember these exciting
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| shop to an area upstairs that will be
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| | moments for a long time.
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| turned into a café and explained that
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| | As my schedule was rather packed, I had
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| the building that houses the facility is
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| | to say goodbye to Rene, Ruedi and the
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| very new and was completed in 2001.
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| | team at Niagara Helicopters and race off
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| Niagara Helicopter is very
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| | to cover my next Niagara Falls
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| environmentally conscious and actually
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| | attraction, which also had to do with
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| purchases carbon offsets against the
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| | flying. Except this time we were not
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| greenhouse gas emissions that it creates.
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| | dealing with man-made machines, but with
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| In addition, top modern boiler
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| | delicate and colorful winged creatures -
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| facilities, custom designed for Niagara
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| | butterflies. I drove ten minutes up the
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| Helicopter, heat the helicopter pads and
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| | road on the Niagara Parkway to the
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| keep them free from ice and snow.
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| | Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory,
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| Just before I was about to step foot into
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| | which is located on the grounds of the
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| one of these flying machines myself the
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| | Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens & the
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| owner, Ruedi Hafen, came in the door so I
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| | School of Horticulture.
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