I have been reluctant to give this review. I was hoping that after numerous texts and requests, to the staff and owner that I would receive at least a response. None was given. I wanted to work things out. I have kept a record of all the ignored and unanswered requests via email and text. Now that they have all my money and their helicopter is broken, there's no reason to be nice to me anymore. It wasn't about the training. It was all about just getting as much money out of me as possible. I have a log of all the flights over the homes that filed a noise complaint lawsuit against Helico. I was given the names of complaintants, TIM WINKLER, JOE and FRANK. There were some pretty negative comments by Helico staff as we passed over their homes. I spent close to forty thousand dollars and three years of my time studying to get my PPL. Private pilot's license. Helico promised to help me. That was a lie. They just wanted to suck me dry of money. I have been asking for 3 years for the Helico course outline & study, it's called the syllabyss. I recently texted Helico manager Karilee (September/October 2024) requesting a course syllabus, and she completely ignored me. I asked again. She sent me a text asking me "why I'm so pushy?" It's a joke the way Helico is managed. Maybe I dodge a bullet. The 2007 Robinson R44 Raven ll helicopter N557SM was definitely on its last leg. It had close to 4400 hours. It leaked a quart of oil every time we went out. Some instruments did not work. It was not burning the oil. It was leaking it everywhere. So we would just add another quart of oil every time before we went up for a flight. This is in the flight log book. Plus, there is a huge oil stain on the tarmac under the helicopter. This is the same helicopter that they were renting out to take people on tours. N557SM. I am not a mechanic, but I feel this helicopter was pretty well worn out. That is why it's going to be torn down and out of service for the next year. You could not even store gear in the storage departments under the rear seats because they were full of oil that was leaking through the firewall. They put diaper like material in there to absorb the oil. It was bad. I put squawks in the log book that I thought the oil use was excessive, but it was ignored. The exhaust pipe to the muffler had a burn through it. I mentioned that to my CFI Ryan Wax. I showed it to him. He said, "Don't worry about it, I don't think it matters." He can not make that call because he is not a certified aircraft mechanic. I believe FAA rules a mechanic must make that determination. I had another instructor take me up while he was hung over from drinking excessively the night before. He told me so. He said he had a really bad headache and did not get much sleep. Another FAA violation. He was fired later. Another instructor asked me if I wanted to do "zoomies". I had never heard of that before. We proceeded to do high-speed stunts. I have a video. The list just goes on and on and on. I don't know why it was like this, but we're going to get to the bottom of it. I am filing an FAA complaint. More to come. read more

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Take to the skies for a picturesque helicopter tour. Helico tours are exclusive, exciting, and offer stunning sprawling views of the Sonoma Coast and wine country. We booked a side by side tour (two helicopters) for my husbands birthday and were incredibly impressed with the care and service. We enjoyed a flight over The Sonoma coast and wine country--spectacular views. Such a fun and rewarding experience. Service-Welcoming professional staff and pilots. Tours: They off an array of fun tour routes --fabulous for birthdays and or an anniversary; perfect for any occasion! read more

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The weather was beautiful, Kerry the pilot very accommodating and knowledgeable. The whole flight experience was fantastic!

From the initial contact to the tour, the crew was amazing. They are welcoming, they explain the packages and are patient. Our group did the half hour Sonoma tour for Fathers Day with Kevin. The guys had a great time and Kevin was thorough with the sites. Best FD gift ever. Highly recommend. read more

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Such a fun helicopter tour, unfortunately it was a stormy day so we didn't make it to the coast but seeing the vineyards from a helicopter was really pretty. read more

How awesome is it to fly over Sonoma County in a Helicopter on Father's Day? It Rocks!!!!! Kevin was great and kept us informed the entire time. Even though we had to hover for several minutes at the airport waiting for the tower to let us take off, it didn't cut into our 30 minute tour. We went up Russian River valley to Dry Creek. Then to Lake Sonoma and out over Healdsburg. The views were amazing and it wasn't as scary as I thought it might be. It wasn't bumpy or anything like that. More like floating on a cloud. I highly recommend this experience to anyone. It will give you a different perspective on Sonoma and how beautiful it is. Highly recommended. read more

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Hubby and I took a 30 min ride yesterday from Sonoma to Jenner Beach, down the coast and back. John our pilot was knowledgeable of the area and had stories for each viewing area. He was professional and friendly which I always wanted in a pilot. This was a package with Williamson Winery and was totally worth it!! If you are in the area, check out their services for ride!! They also have a deal to fly to vineyards!! That is our next trip!! read more

Kevin was our pilot during our 30 minute flight out to the coast. We flew right over the Russian River and followed it out. It was absolutely breath taking to see the fog. Thank you for such a wonderful experience. read more

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Super fun and enjoyable tour of Russian River Valley, Fitch Mt. and Chalk Hill. Awesome experience with Alec. Will def be going back! read more

I've been a student pilot with Helico for a while now and just flew solo for the first time. There's a lot you must learn while working toward your pilot's license, but the instructors are very insightful and make training enjoyable. There's nothing like flying a helicopter. If it's something you've wanted to try I'd strongly suggest taking that first step and booking an introductory flight. We also live in such a beautiful place that it's well worth while take a tour. I've never seen anyone leave after a tour with anything less than a smile. The pilot is super smooth and has great knowledge of the area. Go flying! You'll love it. read more

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For my 60th birthday ( June 20) one of my request was to have an helicopter ride. I have never been in a helicopter and wanted to experience that. So my wife and daughters presented myself and my two son-in-law's for Father's Day, a helicopter ride. August 6 we as a family went up to Sonoma county airport. Daniel our pilot took us up through the wine country over Lake Sonoma back around to Healdsburg. He was very professional and gave a lot of information of the helicopter, being raised in Northern California we knew all the sites that he pointed out. It was interesting seeing the expensive homes tucked away into the vineyards/trees. Both my son-in-law's and myself told our spouses that they need to experience this and ask for Daniel which he made the trip more enjoyable. It is well worth the price to experience something that you have never experienced before. read more

HeliCo Sonoma - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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It was a wonderful experience. Even though me and my friends were extremely tired we enjoyed every bit of our flying experience. One word to explain the whole experience? Peaceful. It was the perfect weather to fly! And our tour guide was very chill, he had a good sense of humor and showed us all the popular wineries in Sonoma! If I could do it again. I surely would!!! read more

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I had a great time yesterday. Helico offered a totally awesome experience. My wife booked a trip for us to take a scenic flight to the Sonoma coast. Dan was our pilot & he was very friendly and informative. We showed up a little early so & he gave us a tour of the helicopter and how it operates. That was cool in its self. I have to admit I was nervous being the fact it was my first time in a helicopter. Once we took off it was smooth as can be. Dan was quick to point out landmarks along the way. He obviously has extensive knowledge of the area. We grew up in Sonoma county so it was really cool to see everything we are used to seeing from the ground in the SKY!! We headed west along the Russian river passing over every landmark on the way. When we got closer to the ocean we could see the fog bank creeping in so we got a quick glimpse of the shoreline. We had a special request about flying over a friend's ranch. Dan was able to find it & circled around it a few times so we could take pictures. Even if you live locally it is so worth your time & money. I can't wait to go up again!!! read more

Inspiring experience! Can't wait for my daughter and her bestie to have a life time memorable experience that they'll absolutely love! Thank you Dan! looking forward to get them on board! read more

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary with a wonderful helicopter experience!! We enjoyed it and Austin was our wonderful pilot. He was very nice, knowledgeable, it was fun flying with him. I think you should book through them, you definitely won't regret it. All their reviews are all positive, it's true they really know how to please their customers to the fullest! Thank you Austin of Helico Sonoma. read more

HeliCo Sonoma - He landed it perfectly, this isn't even a coincidence!!!! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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Went for an awesome tour flight. I was so impressed that I came back for an introductory lesson where I got to actually fly the helicopter. Couldn't be happier with my whole experience. read more

HeliCo Sonoma - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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Helico Sonoma should get a "six star" review! We just returned from a wine country helicopter tour. We felt very comfortable with our pilot, Dan King. He was a wonderful tour guide. But he was also professional and provided a very safe experience. Dan was friendly and no-nonsense. As soon as we arrived, we were in a golf cart and off to the helicopter. No wasting our time with waiting around! We took a tour of Dry Creek Valley to Lake Sonoma and then around Alexander Valley, and over Healdsburg. When we noticed our home, Dan circled it as we took pictures. This was fantastic and reasonably priced tour. In the car, our first response was "when can we do this again!" read more

HeliCo Sonoma - post flight! - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

My friends and I had an amazing experience with HeliCo! They were incredibly accommodating with some of our schedule changes. Our Pilot Conner did a fantastic job making us feel comfortable and pointing out the beautiful Russian River and local wineries. He also made a great recommendation for checking out the new Russian River brewery afterwards which was perfect. Overall the experience was excellent and I would highly recommend working with Conner and Alec at HeliCo! read more

HeliCo Sonoma - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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I booked a photo flight with HeliCo Sonoma this past week and it was phenomenal. Their knowledge of the area was tremendously helpful and they were totally honest the entire time, never trying to upsell or push anything. They even offered some suggestions for great places for photography to add to the package for the client. The entire time I was well taken care of and the staff were friendly and accomodating. At no point did I ever feel like safety measures were taken lightly. Highly recommended for photographers, videographers, or anyone looking to take a tour of the Sonoma area - like I said, their knowledge and insight of the terrain and landscapes is amazing! read more

I recently took my GF and my Mum from NZ on a short flight with these guys. There was some confusion with the flight time but the pilot Dan was most awesome and got us in the air straight away! The flight was nothing short of spectacular as was the service. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend and may even go up again in the future! Keep up the good work guys. read more

HeliCo Sonoma - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

What an amazing experience! This was my first helicopter ride - never mind a tour and it was just amazing! Steve was our pilot and he was incredibly thorough, professional yet made the experience personal and fun for all of us. It was amazing experiencing Sonoma County from the air - it looks way different yet at the same time we recognized everything (it looks so small and close together). If you're thinking about it, wondering how to wow the in laws or out of town guests when they're visiting wine country, put this on your 'must-do' list! It's better than any glass of wine the memory will sure last longer! read more

HeliCo Sonoma - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Amazing experience! Dan was great to us! His experience and knowledge made us feel very comfortable and safe. Scheduling/booking was a breeze. Would do it again, definitely recommend!!! read more

HeliCo Sonoma - Flight Instruction Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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Flying with Dan was great. He's clearly a very experienced pilot, knowledgeable about the area, and just generally seems like a cool guy. We arrived a little early so we had time to kill and everyone in the office was very nice. The booking process was the only thing I had a hiccup with, but that was 110% my fault. I'm an idiot and booked the tour for the wrong date (I booked it for that day instead of the actual date I was going to be in the area.) But even then, they just changed the date for me no problem. If you're worried this isn't going to be worth the price, don't worry it is. If you're worried it'll be scary, don't be. I didn't feel unsafe for one second. I've done a lot of travelling and experienced some pretty cool things, but being in a helicopter is definitely up there. Next time we're in the area my friends and I are definitely doing another tour. read more

I did all my training for my private helicopter rating with Helico Sonoma and I couldn't be more delighted! Their professionalism, the quality of the instructors, the top notch conditions of the aircrafts, and their approach to always help made one of the most memorable experiences for me. Now I fly the R22 and R44 every week with them and I am currently getting the hours for my commercial rating and I couldn't be happier! Thank you so so much to Helico Sonoma! read more

Steve was a a great pilot. Flew over Coppola and had a great time, would recommend again

An amazing way to experience Sonoma Wine Country! Highly recommend the aerial tours offered by HeliCo Sonoma... We experienced a 30-Minute tour with pilot Dan King over gorgeous Dry Creek Valley, Healdsburg, Windsor, Alexander Valley and more. A super smooth ride accompanied by Dan's in-depth knowledge of the area + wit made for a unique & fun experience that locals as well as visitors will love. A fantastic way to take in the extreme physical beauty of Sonoma County in a condensed period of time. read more

As a student at Helico for over a year, I can say that from you day one, Alec and his instructers emphasis safety and being concious of our airport neighbors as our main priority. As a firefighter I can say they have been a great asset to the community. read more

I had my second training flight with Cameron Boyer at HeliCo Sonoma today. I have trained at two other schools previously and have finally been able to scrape together the time and money to finish the training for my helicopter license. 4-6 more weeks and I should have my license! Having done some training at other schools, I have to say that I find HeliCo Sonoma to be the most organized helicopter training program so far. I have now done some flight training and ground school with Cameron, and some ground school with the other instructor, Nate. They seem to be on the same page with what they are teaching and they have both laid out a concise timeline and course of study for attaining my license. They also provided some very helpful supplementary training material. Time is money, especially in helicopters, so I appreciate the concise approach. The other reason I will continue my training at HeliCo Sonoma is because I am impressed with their upkeep of the helicopters. Helicopter maintenance is expensive and some training companies will defer maintenance until absolutely necessary to save money. Doing routine inspections before every flight, I can tell that their helicopters are well maintained. They also moved my second flight to a later date than previously scheduled because they did not want to go past the FAA mandated 100 hour inspection period required on all training helicopters. I like a program that follows safety rules. Bottom line regarding HeliCo Sonoma: nice facilities, professional staff, safe helicopters, Sonoma County is a great place to learn to fly! read more

Helico really impressed me with their service. I needed a helicopter charter for myself and a small group of colleagues from San Francisco to Tahoe, and they really delivered. We got picked up in SF, flew out on a Friday, and got to Truckee in very little time. It was my first time in a helicopter actually and the views were awesome. My pilots Dan and Brian were curious and professional. I felt safe the whole time. Would recommend, thanks guys. read more

This company and its pilots (Dan and Alex) are the best of the best. Fly with confidence and have the time of your life seeing beautiful Sonoma County! read more

I surprised my girlfriend with a birthday sunset flight along the Russian River and the coast. Pilot Dan was great! Personable, knowledgeable, even gave us options of where we wanted to fly. Everyone should do this. We will definitely do this again! read more

Alec is awesome! My daughter and I flew with him today in a helicopter and felt very safe. Alec was professional, careful and explained everything to us. I cannot say enough kind things about him. read more

Lived in sonoma county most of my life and have never seen sonoma from the sky like this. If your not from the area or you live in the area, I recommend this tour. The views are awesome, following the Russian river all the way to ocean is a lot of fun and Dan pointing out landmarks was great and insightful. read more

My boyfriend surprised me with a helicopter ride on Saturday. Dan was amazing! The ride was smooth. He took us up the Russian River and over to the coast for sunset. This was on my bucket list, but I don't think it will be the last time we will do this! You must do this!!! read more

I bought this flight as a holiday gift certificate for my husband. WOW!!! We had a great time. Flew over our resort, Mountain Home Ranch. Will be recommending it to all of our guests. Already planning on a helo trip with visiting relatives this summer. Delightful crew, great way to see the wine country. Also contemplating getting my helo pilots licence. Runway take offs and landings always intimidated me, not anymore woohoo!!! read more

AMAZING Experience. For the last 3 years, I kept saying I was going to do a flight with Helico for my birthday. This year I did it. I am SO glad I did. We did the 30 minute ride with Zach as our pilot. He was awesome!! I was unsure of what to expect and how bumpy the ride would be. It was literally like floating on air. I feel like it might be what it would be like, to be inside a drone and flying. It was amazing to see parts of my state in a whole new way. it's nothing like cruising over in a plane, You get to fly so much closer and it's just a cool experience over all. Everyone at Helico is super nice and such a breeze to work with. We are already planning to go back and do the hour long ride. And I am also giving a 30 minute ride to my parents for their anniversary. Such an awesome day!!! Thanks Zach and Helico, you made my birthday OFF the charts!!! read more

Alec was fantastic!! What an awesome experience. We definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a different way to see the Napa Valley area. read more

We took my grandson for a tour to see the Pacific Coast and he was totally enthralled. Dan was a great tour guide and we all had a terrific time. If you can spring for the hour ride, it's well worth it! read more

Incredible experience!! Absolutely Indescribable!! Dan is the man, highly recommended!!

I had a terrific sightseeing ride over Sonoma and Napa counties! I am an Air Force and airline pilot, but I had never been in a helicopter and was always interested to learn how they work. My pilot was Steve Mooney, and he was as competent and professional as anyone I have ever flown with before. Besides giving a great tour of the area, he also did a fantastic job explaining the intracasies of rotary wing flight. This was money well-spent! Thanks to Helico Sonoma! read more