This was only the second helicopter ride I've ever been in. The first was in upstate NY, on the fly…read more(ha ha ha), and in a much smaller helicopter. The boyfriend and I headed down to Austin for a Valentine's Weekend/birthday do-over (we both had really really crummy birthdays this year, so we post-poned them a couple of months and had a do-over). I noticed on the 365 Things To Do In Austin facebook page that Austin Helicopter Tours was giving away a free Valentines evening tour, so I tried to win one! I didn't win, but decided it would still be a lot of fun, so I called them up and booked a time. It's not a *cheap* date, but it's definitely a really cool one. It was an evening/nighttime tour, so it was really neat to see Austin all lit up. I felt we waited a little longer than expected (we were told to arrive at 7, I think, and two tours took off before ours did, so we waited until about 8), but it was really nice to sit outside and just chill. The helicopter itself was very nice: comfortable seats, headsets for everyone (obviously), very nice pilot. There were 4 of us in the back (2 couples), and didn't feel super cramped, though there were some knees bumping occasionally. I'll definitely be back, and it'd be awesome to see aerial Austin in the daytime!

My partner and I took a tour over Austin as a Valentine's Day gift. We chose the tour that takes…read moreyou over downtown and through the hill country over lake travis. It was an excellent tour and seamless experience. Our pilot, Drew, showed us the highlights of the city such as the capitol building, UT campus, some of the biggest houses in Westlake, the Oasis, and more. The feeling of flying over downtown was unreal, you get really close to the city. My partner said it made her feel grateful and I said it made me feel powerful lol.

An unforgettable early birthday gift!…read more Even though it was a quick flight, every single minute was thrilling, and the views were incredible. The staff made it such a special experience for us. It was the perfect introduction to flying, and my daughter loved every second of it. We had such a wonderful time that we are already planning to make a reservation for a much longer flight around the Christmas season to see the lights from above. Thank you for making her birthday wish come true!

Fun activity. This…read morewas one of my birthday gifts and a cool experience. Everything from check in to return went by smoothly. I'm sure the man at the desk gets tired of reexplaining every safety measure needed cause he didn't seem that enthusiastic about it. We also had no idea what he said because he pointed to the map at the desk while we were not in close proximity. He was good at taking photos and they are good about allowing a short time to take some after. The pilot had good energy and made conversation during the short flight. Overall a good experience in SA!

hands down i promise you the best pilot/staff in all of austin tx. Lady over the phone gave me all…read morethe info i needed pulled some strings for me to get me on a helicopter at the best time (9:40pm), my pilot was very experienced and knowledgable. Tour was more than enough times felt like i was up there forever which is what i wanted and the price isn't bad compared to other companies i've rode with.

Had a great time on our very first helicopter ride. Beautiful way to see downtown and the Trail of…read moreLights. Everyone was fantastic. Thanks for the ride.

This was an incredible experience. 110% recommend must do bucket list adventure in Austin…read more I was met by Chris, the owner and pilot of the AAC at the Signature Flight Services building in a golf cart which took us directly to his hangar. Chris gave me a safety brief on how to get in an out of the airplane, which made me feel safe excited to fly. The tour itself was breathtaking. We flew over Downtown Austin, Penny Backer bridge, the Texas State Capital building, Mt. Bonnel, and seeing these parts of Austin from above was incredible. I was very impressed by Chris's professionalism, knowledge about the area and landmarks we flew over, as well as the experience of flying in a beautiful airplane. Chris is a US Army Veterans and supports fellow veterans and his community with his business, and I could not recommend a better experience in town. Worth every penny, will fly again!

From the owner: Take flight with Austin Air Cruisers and discover Austin, TX like never before. Our experienced…read morepilots will take you on a tour of Austin's breathtaking beauty, soaring over the city's famous landmarks, stunning natural wonders, and hidden gems. Whether you're a local resident or a visiting tourist, our air tours offer a unique perspective that you won't find anywhere else. Book your flight today and witness Austin from above. Immerse yourself in the beauty of Texas Hill Country and the city skyline, capturing memories that will last a lifetime. This is not just a tour, it's an experience you won't want to miss. Soar with Austin Air Cruisers and let your adventure begin.

HELO Austin tours are AMAZING! Our pilot, Justin, is professional, friendly, and so knowledgeable…read more We had a blast and enjoyed getting a birds-eye view of the city! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone!

Justin gave us a super awesome sunset tour of Downtown Austin, Lake Travis, Pennybacker Bridge and…read moreeven flew over our home! I highly recommend his skill as a pilot and the tour experience for anyone wanting to gain a new perspective on our city!

Such a great first time experience! Sophia was so helpful and kind! Customer service just perfect…read more She was so informative, patient, and took the cutest pictures of me and my boyfriend. Cameron the pilot was so sweet & informative!

was great straight forward everything perfect. they were all nice and cool guys safety was…read moreexplained simple and clear

First thing I will say, ladies take a sweater! We went in OCT & it's hot in San Antonio but in…read moreFredericksburg it's windy. BUT if you forget one, our lovely tour guide Brian provided some jackets. We got the safari tour and meeting the giraffes was an experience so worth it. The 3 wine facilities we visited were different layouts but all great overall. 5 out 5 stars, highly recommend them! Will be coming back. Shout out to our tour guide Brian! Great host, funny, nice, jokes, and good selection of music.

We booked this tour because it had a later start and we were driving in from houston the same…read moremorning. We were told we would be picked up between 12:55-1PM for the 1PM tour start time. The driver came at 12:49 and was rushing us to come out. We came out at 12:57 within the given window. The bus was packed and we still picked up one more couple to fill every seat. We went to 3 tasting rooms. Some with grapes growing, some not. We really liked 1 of the wineries (Bingham), disliked the first stop (pontotoc) and indifferent to the last stop (Ari's$. Our driver Barry played the piano the whole time we were at Bingham which was cool. Overall it's a solid option at a mid range price for the area.

What an incredible way to celebrate our 35th anniversary! Mike went above and beyond to make this…read moreexperience unforgettable. He was right on time, arriving at the ranch with a bottle of our favorite wine, which was such a thoughtful surprise and set the perfect tone for the evening. The helicopter ride itself was breathtaking, but it was Mike's attention to detail and his willingness to go the extra mile that truly made the event feel special. If you're looking for a top-tier experience in the Boerne area, I can't recommend them enough. **Huge thanks to Mike for making our milestone anniversary so memorable!**

Experienced, professional, and safety minded! I have flown with Mike for years. Highly recommend!read more

Wow history here and lots of food and drinks to go with it…read moreCome by to relax and see the planes and helicopters land and take off Helicopter rides start at $20 Small dining cafe Clean, cute airport

Very historic General Aviation airport founded around 1916 and still active 100 years later. The…read moreoriginal gate still stands but is used for a mechanical workshop. The main part of the building and the air control tower were built in the 1930s and two gates were added to it around 2007-2008 but they maintained the original historical look as much as possible. Open to the public and a really historic place to tour but also a very functional GA airport for San Antonio. For small aircraft owners coming into town, they offer both self-service fuel fill-up as well full-service fuel up where they do it for you and tie your plane down to the run way. They also have a concierge type service where you can check in and they will arrange fueling and also arrange for a rental car to your destination if you need it. If you are flying in for a downtown event, it is only about 10-15 minutes from downtown via car. Long term hangar lease space for your aircraft is also available. They partner with nearby Palo Alto College for training new pilots. Alamo Helicopter Tours is also based out of this airport and they provide tours over downtown SA, the Hill Country, as well as point to point transportation. https://alamohelicoptertours.com/ They have a really nice pilot's lounge for those pilots who have to stay at the airport while their clients go to meetings or events in the city. Decent sized meeting rooms available for rent to anyone in the general public. One of the best features added back in 2016 is a local BBQ joint called The Big Bib. But that is a separate review. Even if you are not a pilot or a flyer, I encourage you to visit this place if you a San Antonio native. You really need to learn more about the history and the future plans for this place!

This is a great option for exploring Lady Bird Lake by kayak or paddle board. They have a modest…read moreparking lot but depending on when you get there, it may be full. For a weekend morning we were happy to snag a spot and made our way down to the rental area. You can decide on single vs double kayaks or paddleboards and rent by the hour. We decided on an hour of double kayak and thoroughly enjoyed our time out on the water. They have plenty of life vests and the staff were helpful in helping us get in and out of the kayak. It's a gorgeous lake and on a hot summer day was nice and cool on the water. Great opportunity to get some exercise in while looking at the beautiful vegetation up and down the lake. Highly recommend!

We were excited to go paddle boating, but the experience was extremely disappointing…read more The lake had so much algae that it wrapped around the paddle boat's propeller every few seconds, making it incredibly difficult to move. Instead of enjoying our time on the water, we spent most of it stopping to remove algae just so we could keep going. My biggest issue isn't the algae itself--nature happens. My issue is that the staff never warned us about the lake conditions before renting us the paddle boats. If we had known the algae was bad enough to make paddling this difficult, we never would have rented them. On top of that, one of our paddle boats had a broken piece on the hatch used to access the propeller. I personally had to go over and help my sister because she couldn't properly open and close it to remove the algae. Every time the propeller got wrapped up again, it made the process even more frustrating. I explained the situation to an employee and pointed out the broken piece. Instead of offering a solution, I was told there was nothing they could do and that she just needed to keep removing the algae and paddle her way back to the dock. Later, when she was still struggling, we were told it would cost $50 for someone to come tow or assist her. Because we were moving so slowly due to the algae, we ended up spending more time on the lake than expected and were charged an additional $16 for another 30 minutes. That extra charge could have been avoided if we had simply been told about the lake conditions before renting the boats. Instead of taking our concerns seriously, the response was essentially, "It's better in the spring." If that's the case, then customers should be told about the current lake conditions before they're charged. We could have chosen a different activity instead of paying for an experience that turned into a struggle from start to finish. Honest communication and properly maintained equipment would have made all the difference.