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