What Exactly Is a Luxury Helicopter?
When you already own a considerable chunk of real estate, drive several super cars and have a private Island, things can get quite dull. But not if you have one of these luxury helicopters that represent safety, comfort, and class.
These toys are all about VIP comfort, the likes of heads of state and the super-rich. That explains why there is only a handful of these luxury machines hovering in the skies. In fact, most of them are not private property, so you don’t have to spend millions to enjoy their luxury at least once or twice in a lifetime.
So, are these luxury choppers worth the millions, or are they bilking people out of their hard-earned money? Let’s take a closer look.
Safety
Besides the vigorous training for helicopter pilots, several safety features come with these flying palaces. The most notable one being the auto-pilot feature. Just like self-driving cars, this tech allows pilots to take short breaks between several hours of flight.
The GPS is another safety feature that comes with all helicopters. But for these particular choppers, several safety instruments are collectively accessed through a touchscreen – a thing that reduces the workload significantly. In short, you’ll never get lost, even in bad weather.
They also come with a radio altimeter that warns the pilot of any aerial vehicles in the ar
ea. Without this system, there could be more air crashes – something that the VIPs would not appreciate.
Additionally, a good number of them have crash-proof fuel cells and energy absorbent fuselage, just in case the worst happens.
Cormfort
If there is one common thing with all luxury helicopters, it must be the roomy cabins covered in high-quality leather, fiber, and glass. The seating arrangement is usually two rows facing each other, but some have ergonomic seats fitted on rails. So you can play around with the setting.
Also, conventional helicopters can get quite loud. So some creative engineers designed a noise canceling technology that involves lacing the cabin walls with special materials that also absorb vibration. But if you still find it hard to communicate, there is always the headphone option.
Range
The range of flight is an important thing about any chopper. The Sikorsky S-61R, for example, can fly over a 1,230 Km distance without stopping for refueling. However, not all luxury choppers are fit for long distance hops. But that doesn’t mean that they’re any lesser than their competition.
Before settling on any helicopter brand, it advisable to do your homework. The last thing you’d want is to spend millions of pounds only to realize the machine does not really work for you. While you are at it, get a rough idea of how much you need to maintain it. And you’ll be good to go.
