Aerial Photography of the Grand Canyon

[james_harrison]

I am going to Phoenix, AZ in mid-February. I'll have about 5 1/2 days for photographing and plan on spending some time in the Grand Canyon area. Can anyone recommend from personal experience a pilot or aerial tour company for shooting aerials of the Canyon? Also, while I'm at it...any other locations near Phoenix (or on the way to the Canyon) recommended? Thank you in advance.

[david_chananie]

You might try a web search for a site called Grand Canyon Explorer. Sorry I don't have the URL with me. The flight I went on years ago went to Monument Valley; you could shoot through the glass windows but got vignetting. My chromes did come out though.

[vlf___1]

I took a flight with papillon helicopter (they have plenty of ads with prices and maps of their flights on the web), something like a $140 commercial trip - the imperial tour ? -, over the Grand Canyon. Fantastic ! The flight was very smooth. I shot through the glass using a (good ED glass) consumer zoom, no filter and Velvia. The slides are sharp and contrasty (speed was in the 1/500 1/1000 range). I need to say that I booked early to be sure to obtain the last flight, late in the afternoon to be sure to have some nice shadows (very important when shooting the GC !). I never tried to fly with an airplane. I prefer the helicopter because the tour is longer, it flies lower and slowly compared to an airplane, it's very stable for taking pictures. People are seated in the chopper in relation with their respective weights (they try to balanced the weight uniformely). If you are light (or very light) you have some good chances to be seated next to the pilot, the greatest seat ! If you are unlucky you can be seated between two people, that makes it tough to take picture through the glass. I would ask before departure where I would be seated to be sure to get a window seat. For the price... you know. FYI, I was seated on the right side when looking at the face of the chopper which was the best side to be for the imperial tour IMO.<BR></BR> Near Phoenix and on your way to the Grand Canyon, don't miss the Sedona area (Red Rock Crossing, Holy church, Indian ruins...), it's very picturesque. If you have time for a side trip, the painted desert and petrified forest are well worth the drive. You can also take the loop that goes through Sunset Crater and Wupatki Ntl Mnt (after Flagstaff). I recommend you enter the GC Ntl Park using the East entrance on the South Rim, the other is very busy most of the time (though might not be an issue in February). On the way back, you can check Williams and the old route 66. As you have access to the internet, I would highly recommend that you use the Alta Vista search engine to find more about this state, there are plenty of great web sites about it. <BR></BR>If you think you have time for more side trips, try to go to the lookout over the Bend of the Colorado river on your way to Page. At page I would visit the Wahweap Marina and the 2 or three overlooks on Lake Powell. I am not sure 100% but Antelope Canyon might be a bit dark in February so I won't try to get there. <BR></BR>Last words: If I were booking an airplane flight I would book one that goes over the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and (most important) Monument Valley, a real must. More expensive, but definitely worth the money.<BR></BR> Vincent.

[bobatkins]

Though this is a photography forum, it's worth giving at least

a passing thought to the problems of <a href="http://www.nonoise.org/news/1997/nov30.htm#Secret Memo By National Park Service Says New Grand Canyon Air Flight Rules Will Not Reduce Noise Enough">noise pollution in the Grand

Canyon</a>. I thought they were trying to ban flights for that reason.

As a hiker, I wouldn't be opposed to that. As a photographer, my

(selfish?) view might be different!

[vlf___1]

James, check out the following URL:<BR>

http://www.kaibab.org/misc/gc_what.htm (remove the misc/gc_what.htm part to get to the main page)<BR>

http://www.amdest.com/az/Williams/PapillonGC.html<BR></BR>

 

BTW: I agree fully with Bob Atkins about the pollution problem (and my selfishness!). And I must add that I think this a good side subject for a photography forum since the smog sometimes is so deep in and on the canyon (especially in summer with all the cars and buses) that it might be impossible to take a picture of the Colorado river, or it might even be difficult to shoot something else than light hazy clouds with the ghost of the canyon rim as a backgroung ! On the other hand, flying over the GC is a real threat ! The only other way to really realize how deep, huge and impressive it really is, is to hike a trail and go down in the inner canyon. <BR></BR>From http://www.kaibab.org/misc/gc_faq.htm: "Why is the sky so hazy?". Rep: This is typically caused by manmade pollution blowing over the Canyon from Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The Navaho Generating Station, a coal burning powerplant located near the Canyon, has also been blamed for some of this pollution."<BR></BR>

The new managment plan for the Grand Canyon plans to reduce the number of vehicules in the park down to 0. A shuttle/train service will be the only way to get in and to move from one overlook to an other (if you don't want to hike). I did not notice any plan to decrease or suppress the flights. <BR></BR>More infos at: http://www.kaibab.org/misc/gc_gcfr.htm.<BR></BR>Vincent.

[lynwood_lord]

Yes, definitely a point that needs mention, Bob. Denali is still the only park that doesn't allow automobiles down the whole length of the park's main road, and Yosemite (I think) has agreed to revegetate some mammoth parking lots and institute a shuttle system by 2001 or so... a park like Zion DESPERATELY needs automobiles, forget about planes!, completely banned from the park!! Very limited access to the Canyon should be allowed for planes, perhaps to certain sections, or rotate the sections or something, but planes are one more thing abstracting what national parks and wilderness areas should be about: untouched, unspoiled immersion in nature.

[lynwood_lord]

For anyone who cares, as a follow-up to my above unphotography-oriented post, see:

 

<p>

 

http://www.gorp.com/gorp/features/misc/yosemite.htm

[vlf___1]

I may be wrong but flying on the Grand Canyon seems to be already limited. Planes and helicopters taht take off from Tusayan (or from the airport located close to the Canyon Village) all offered the same path over the GC. I don't know if it's the same with flights arriving from L.A. or Las Vegas though. Too bad a hot air balloon depends so much on winds because it would have been a better solution to fly other those spaces... Vincent.

[vlf___1]

In response to Lyn Lord: the Yosemite project is close to what the GC management plan is. This " less roads and less man made features " concept seems to me as a second great idea after the invention of the National Park concept itself! Nice pictures to come from those places... Vincent.

[greg]

i flew over the gc last spring and 2 things came to mind that you may want to consider. first, the aircraft i was in extremely cramped. second, there was a lot of turbulence. i think a helicopter would be a much better idea.

greg