People out and about in Northwest Arkansas during the first spring break weekend may have noticed a helicopter flying above. It’s a unique service that's becoming a popular way to tour area landmarks in Fayetteville.
It's the only helicopter tour in Fayetteville, an attraction two friends who drove by decided to check out.
"It was absolutely amazing. You actually go pretty high, it turns kind of sharp, it kind of made my stomach turn a little bit, but definitely worth the thrill and worth the $25," said Josh Throneberry.
Brandon Crawford said, "It was amazing because I have a fear of heights really bad so when the opportunity came up, I felt like we had to do it."
The owner of Arkansas Helicopters, Camron McAhren, said he uses about $600 in fuel a weekend.
"I see people go to the pump and having to pay $3.50 cents a gallon and we pay $6.40. It's very expensive," said McAhren.
McAhren said they average about 50 flights a weekend and said one of the biggest misconceptions with these helicopters has to do with safety.
"If the engine goes out in a helicopter or it fails that it falls down to the ground like a brick and that is completely untrue. There's something called an auto rotation where you can actually land the aircraft without an engine and land it safely down on the ground," said McAhren.
It was Ronnie Davidson's fourth time on in one day. He said it's the type of attraction you typically only find in tourist areas.
“I just love it. I told the guy if I had the money I would sit here all day riding the thing," said Ronnie Davidson.
Passengers said the bird's eye view makes this short flight worth it.
"Being able to look down, see the infrastructure of our city and see the way it was built, you can see a lot of green in the distance," said Throneberry.
The seasonal business is open now through October. The rides are first come first serve and prices start at $25.