My boyfriend and I are locals but we decided to try something new and different for our anniversary, so we decided to take a helicopter tour. We decided on the Carmel Tour and I have to say the experience was amazing. I would first like to say that our pilot, Aaron, was wonderful. He was very professional and very knowledgeable from his years of experience and that made us feel very comfortable. From beginning to end, he instructed us on everything we needed to know and was open to answering any questions we had. He made our whole experience that much better so thank you again Aaron! This experience lets you see how beautiful this area truly is by giving you a different perspective. We were also very lucky to be able to see some whales. Overall, everything was worth the money and we would come back in the future and try a sunset tour of Big Sur. read more

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Great group from the ground up at the Watsonville location. Professional aviation services!

Awesome! Received this first flight lesson as a surprise gift for Father's Day from my girl friend. It is so much fun. Have my first flight log book now with my first flight log book entry. Really enjoying flying. Tyler is a great instructor with years of experience and a fun personality. Everything went great. Learned more about flying. Got to fly a nice looking clean Diamond with a joystick instead of a yoke. Tyler let do a lot, including land. Booking with Sierra at Specialized was easy and Izzy greeted me upon arrival. Everyone I met there is professional. Would recommend this flight school. Will go back. Thank you. read more

Specialized Aviation - Chris' First Flight Lesson 19Jun2022 - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

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We had a tour with pilot Matt today and had a excellent time. As far as the bubble plane went it was nice and allowed of good views . Matt was very nice informative and was eager to answer any questions if we had any. Very personable also. We will use this company when back in town for another tour and recommend you use them also. read more

It was a great experience overall with my family. Everything from buying the flying package to scheduling the booking was super convenient process. Paul was our pilot, and explained everything clearly ensuring safety. We took the 40 minute ride, and it was great value for money. read more

So fun! And I want to especially THANK Brendan for being so kind and informative during our ride. He also related a lot of what we saw about us and his self. And thank you Sierra for helping through the Groupon confusion. This whole experience has been such a pleasure. Lovely people,amazing times read more

Great places to fly great customer service. Pilot Brandan was Assam very professional guy . I 100% recommended to everyone.

Yesterday I took my introductory helicopter pilot class with our instructor Mark who is an extremely knowledgeable and skilled pilot and it was so great. We were taught so much in just our one class and I cant wait to continue learning about what it takes to be a heli pilot. Taking that first step towards something you like can create so much opportunity. Very excited about this. read more

Great experience! The entire crew including check in and the ground crew were all excellent. Marc the instructor was amazing! Highly recommend the intro flight experience to get a taste of what flying is like! read more

Awesome experience! I took some medication before my helicopter tour just to prevent motion sickness and had no issues. Our tour guide was Joe, we flew over Big Sur for an hour. He was great. I definitely recommend! read more

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This tour was one of the best air tours we've done. We did the Big Sur helicopter tour. Definitely worth doing this tour. We saw a lot of sharks and the scenery was amazing. read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

Had my flight review done in a timely manner. Nothing easy about the oral or flight, they made sure everything was covered during my flight review. I would definitely recommend Anna for future flights & training! She's very proficient. read more

Had a Helicopter Tour for my Sisters Birthday this Past Saturday. Adrian was amazing, we will definitely come back. Can't wait for my Birthday - some friends are excited and are thinking of booking a Tour. PS - you have to start the tour along the coast and go back along the mountain side!! Very awesome read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

Super cool experience. The pilot was friendly and experienced. He explained things about the aircraft well and answered any questions. He was knowledgeable during the flight and told us a lot about the area we were flying over. Highly recommended! read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

Highly recommend Specialized Helicopters for a unique and beautiful experience of the Monterey Bay. My boyfriend of 10 years worked closely with the staff to plan a storybook proposal. Jessica at the front desk was helpful in planning the best day and time for flight, she was very informative overall. The staff did a great job of keeping the secret and remaining professional despite the anticipation of what they knew to come. It was a clear and beautiful day. Our pilot, Ryan, was very knowledgeable about the landscape. He was a great guide, pointing out unique and exceptional views. His personality only added to the great experience we had! Being Santa Cruz natives, we got a completely new perspective of the town we have known and loved! Thank you Specialized Staff for the phenomenal service! Don't forget a camera, sunglasses and sunscreen!! All a must! read more

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This trip surpassed our expectations! The views were amazing! We had to take a different route due to the weather yet the views were anything but ordinary. We will be coming back soon :) read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

A wonderful and amazing experience so close to Monterey. I wanted to give a touch of heli ride to my 6 & 9 year old daughters and they loved it. It was a short ride but cost us only 99 bucks for three persons. A highly professional crew that comprehensively briefed us about the safety procedures before the ride and ensured safety during the tour. My next target is the heli tour of Big Sur. By the way, they have also started the biplane tours... read more

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Awesome flight , great pilot sharing some history and knowledge... highly recommend. read more

My work team and I had the opportunity to have a beautiful ride at around 6pm and had the chance to see the sunset! It was a truly magical experience, and I felt safe the entire time. From the start being welcomed by Anthony and then flying with Chris, their hospitality made me feel incredibly comfortable and excited for the ride! I would highly recommend this ride for any family, small group of friends, or company team who want to get an incredible perspective and views of the CA coast! read more

I had such a fantastic intro lesson! Brian was super patient and took the time to answer all my question and explain all the components of the helicopter. To be honest I had an initial feeling of fear when I saw the size of the helicopter, but Brian couldn't have made me feel safer. The grounds are immaculate and the office has an amazing viewing area. Can't wait to come back for my next lesson! read more

Mark was amazing - explained all the sights and just a fun person to be around. Thank you!

absolutely breathtaking views, Paul our pilot was very friendly and made us feel super comfortable on our first helicopter experience! Definitely recommend 10/10!!!! read more

There's a large spider with a bee or very large fly in its web, buzzing, by the plant in the corner that's right next to the couch in the waiting area. That in itself is a large turn-off for an arachnophobe like me, but this obviously also means they don't clean much. read more

Cheap. Fun, great experience. I'm coming back. Professional staff. Very informal. Weather was nice the day I went. Pilot answered all my questions read more

Amazing experience. Crew was courteous and very professional. We felt very safe the entire time and the views were breathtaking. Would def recommend and we hope to come back! read more

It was the best birthday I ever had!! My boyfriend surprised me on taking me for a helicopter ride and it was the best experience ever especially with our tour guide Barak!! Thank you for a great birthday read more

Specialized Aviation - Flight Instruction Near Me - Watsonville, California

People always dream of flying, for me - why dream. I'll fly if I want to. This is the best place in the Bay Area to fly you own helicopter. I found a $100 Groupon special to fly my own copter for 20 minutes with a few other friends and flying enthusiast. It was well worth it. Just study the required reading ahead of time. Captain Chris and his crew (I flew with Ivona) do a wonderful job keeping you safe and making sure you knew the basics. The controls are both easy and hard. Taking off and landing is probably really difficult, but flying and maintaining balance isn't that hard. Ivona even let me try to hover (which takes 8 hours training normally) and it's not easy because you have to control 4 different levels at once to keep it staying completely still. Everything is extremely sensitive, so one little millimeter move will make the $250k plane change direction just like that. It's hard to explain in words, so instead everyone go spend that measly $100+ and fly it yourself. The views of the Santa Cruz coastline and boardwalk are gorgeous too. read more

I am an adventurer. I love it, I live it. I'm going to obtain my pilot's license one day. That's my dream. Now, since I don't exactly have the ca$$$h money to pay $200/hr x 60hr+ of instructional flight to get it quite yet, I decided to co-pilot a helicopter instead. You know, just your every day, fly a $250k twirly bird around the Santa Cruz coast line type thing. I'm so glad Specialized Helicopters was featured on Groupon. I never would've even thought this was an option. My friends (Hi Chuck!) and I each paid $100 for the initial 20mins (That was the groupon 50% off price), then paid another $100 for an additional 20mins (might as well get the full experience!!).. You definitely want to pay for the extra time.. once you're up there, it just flies by soo quickly. Captain Chris and Pilot Ivona are excellent. I flew with Ivona. First, I felt what she was doing with the instruments, then I got to take control. I had no idea how difficult flying a bird was!! You're controlling four different levers at a time, and they're all extremely sensitive. We got to trace the Santa Cruz coast line, above the board walk, and I also tried to follow lines, and even hover. I definitely studied for a good four hours on rotors, anti-torque, motors, engines, etc.. beforehand because I wanted to be completely prepared and just understand the full experience (all the reading material is available on their website!). This was absolutely an adventure enthusiast's dream. I loved every minute and would definitely do it again and pay full price!! I mean really, who can say they've flown a helicopter? YOU can! read more

Completely speechless! We booked a trip from Watsonville to Big Sur and had an amazing experience. Everyone from reservations, check in and our pilot (Chris) was excited to see us and to ensure we had a great time. I've seen the coastline by foot, car and commercial planes but never up close like in a helicopter. Stunning. We saw several whales (~30) and a few Dolphins as well. Chris was a great tour guide and very safe pilot. I would recommend them to anyone! read more

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We did the doors-off 90-minute helicopter photography tour of San Francisco and the flight was unforgettable. Leading up to the flight the staff was responsive and helped adjust our timings so that we would photograph the city during golden hour and sunset. During the flight, our pilot, Chris, was excellent. He informed us of what to expect and helped get us in position to capture the city, bridges, and fog at the best angles. I can't recommend Specialized Aviation and their staff enough, and, if you do book an excursion through them, the additional 30 minutes is well worth it. It afforded us additional time to circle the Golden Gate Bridge as the fog rolled in, as well as hit many of the other iconic aerial shots: Coit Tower, Transamerica Pyramid, Salesforce Tower, Twin Peaks, and the Bay Bridge. The tour is perfect for photographers, or even as a gift for family/friends, and will leave you with an experience that will last a lifetime. Thank you for a tremendous flight! read more

Ho-lee crap! I WILL be bringing guests here as often as possible . These guys are awesome! We went on the 20 min ride today and holy wow is all I can say super awesome customer service and awesome pilot :) very cool and very reasonably priced. You guys rock and I'm sure I will be seeing you soon! read more

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When thinking of a way to propose I wanted to do something unique and different from what everyone else was doing that I know. My girlfriend at the time had no idea what we were doing on valentines day. She was hinting on me proposing on valentines day but I told her that I have no idea what we will be doing and that I still need to purchase a ring. So 1 week before valentines day I started researching and came across specialized helicopters and their Big Sur tour. The weather was supposed to be cloudy but turned out beautiful with plenty of sunshine. Pros: - Very professional staff (Jessica was awesome) - Offered great help in planning the proposal (they were all in on it) - Great location - Great prices - Awesome views - Big Sur tour - Played music during the whole helicopter ride Cons: - None The whole time my Gf was blindfolded so she had no idea where we were going or what we were doing so it was a pretty awesome surprise for her! We saw whales in the ocean, amazing views, people skydiving, etc. Overall very happy with the experience. I proposed while we were flying over the Big Sur bridge! She was completely shocked. They let me record everything with my Go Pro and she thought that it wasn't mine all along until at the end when I told her that it was mine. So we have a great video for good memories! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

As a professional photographer there are times you just need to get airborn in order to get the shot you need. As a private pilot myself, I know fixed wing can work occasionally, but if you really want it done right, you need a helicopter. My experience with Specialized Helicopters was awesome, I let them know my photo targets, we headed out and went directly to the targets, circled each a few times as required for the images, and were quickly back on the ground so I could get to work on the images and present them back to the client within hours. The office staff were professional, and the pilot was excellent. I would never hesitate to work with Specialized Helicopters again when I need a helicopter flight, be it for photography or just an amazing view of the sunset! Dan Dawson Photography http://ddphoto.cc read more

Convinced my friend Peter it'd be a good idea to go fly a helicopter. Since he's been dreaming of doing this since childhood, it didn't take too much convincing. We took the intro class, and had the pleasure of getting instruction from Ivona and Wendy. Not only did they give us just the right amount of information, they answered all our questions and helped us feel well prepared for the experience. Plus, they were totally nice about letting us take our fill of pictures before heading up. The experience was amazing. Got to fly along the breathtaking Santa Cruz coastline, with picture-perfect weather, and an instructor that's letting you fly, and explaining what's happening and why. Getting to try our hand at hovering was the most challenging part, and a memorable way to end the day. The $150 we paid for an extra 30 minutes of flight time (50 minutes total), was completely worth it. Although a private license isn't quite in the plans just yet, a return trip certainly is. Thanks to Ivona, Wendy and Chris for an unforgettably fun experience. read more

Very good customer service on the phone or online chat. Spoke to Chris and he was very funny and helpful, not like other places you call in for. Excited and looking forward to our helicopter tour. Will update on experience after tour happens. read more

Chris the pilot was exceptional and all the staff were so friendly and helpful! Highly recommend!

Flew N644VB with Jacob for my first lesson, fantastic experience!

I found a groupon for this place and so my boyfriend and I decided to do it. We're both afraid of heights. He decided to sit in the back. And I'm so glad he did haha. Our guide was Ivona. She was so nice and funny. She took pictures for us. It was amazing. When we went in, the people there were friendly and nice. They said funny things and were knowledgeable. My bf got a vest around his shoulders and I got a fanny pack one. We went over capitola and the ocean. It was an amazing day and the view was beautiful. When she turned the helicopter, it was intense and scary for me but I loved it. It was the best moment I've had in ages. There is a tip jar at the front of the place and I gave them a tip. read more

More than just helicopters! They have all kinds of planes, too. You can do scenic flights or take lessons. The staff are all very engaging and knowledgeable. read more

I'm a current commercial/instructor pilot with over 1700 hours of flight experience in multiple types of aircraft and went for their intro flight lesson. Wanted to get an experience in rotorcraft and boy was it worth it. My flight instructor Ivana was fantastic and was really a pleasure to fly with. She was very good at coaxing out the best in me and really reminded me of the joy and fun of flight. I highly recommend any one and everyone to at least take an intro flight. All their aircraft appeared to be well maintained and all the staff in the office were friendly and courteous. Believe me when I say I've seen my fair share of flight schools and this one rates up there at the top. Can't thank Ivana enough for a fantastic flight experience. For those interested the intro flight its only 20 minutes, but it's not all that bad to have a short intro to it. It can be overwhelming at first and just getting a little taste will just make you want to come back for more! read more