HELISIGHT VIAGENS E TURISMO LTDA
Founded in October 1978, HELISIGHT, a company of panoramic flights with helicopters belonging to the HELISUL AVIAÇÃO Group, built three helipads in the South Zone of Rio.
Dona Marta Lookout Helipad, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas Helipad and Sugar Loaf Helipad.
These locations were the result of market research / business plan, when travel agencies, inbound tourism operators and hotels were consulted about the needs to enable large and permanent operations to serve visitors to the Marvelous City.
The Helipad of Mirante Dona Marta, was inaugurated on 11/05/1991, with a group of 13 passengers for a 13-minute flight of the Operator Receptive SAT – South American Tours.
In 1992, we inaugurated the Lagoa and Pão de Açúcar helipads.
At Carnival 1994, we began nightly tourist flights over the Sambódromo during the parades, with the helicopter’s radio broadcasting the school’s evolving samba plot.
This service was even featured in Time Magazine!
Since then, the company has established itself, constituting a mandatory program for anyone wanting to know Rio de Janeiro from a magnificent angle.
Over these years, around 600 thousand people had the immense pleasure of flying over this Magic City, falling in love with its charms and diversity.
Some relevant points of our history:
- Commander Paulo Renato Flores shows a photographer from Jornal do Brasil’s Domingo Magazine that Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas has the exact shape of a heart, when seen from the top of Gávea;
- U2, famous Irish band, flies with Helisight to the Hotel nas Rocas in Búzios and returns three days later, landing at the Autódromo (now the Barra da Tijuca Olympic Complex) for an apotheotic show, which caused the biggest traffic jam ever seen in Rio ;
- Two years later, in love with Rio, the four musicians returned and rented the Helipad do Mirante Dona Marta, to make a Clip;
- Pelé, flies with Helisight from the Lagoa Helipad, making a panoramic flight around the city, landing at the Sugar Loaf Helipad / Morro da Urca, where he planned to build the Pelé Museum;
- Jean Claude Van Damme flies with us to Casa Rosa da Xuxa, in Vargem Grande;
- José Carreras, leaving Galeão Airport and Romário, leaving Campo do Flamengo, both in Helisight helicopters, land at the two Pão de Açúcar spots, for a meeting both long desired and full of emotions;
- Michael Jackson takes off from Forte de Copacabana, landing on the soccer field of Favela Santa Marta, filming there one of the most memorable clips in its history;
- Gerard Depardieu bans the Aterro do Flamengo, for the shooting of a feature film, filmed by Helisight;
- Silvio Santos flew with us several times, always over the Maracanã on game day, gratifying our shippers, who worshiped him;
- Vin Diesel holds a press conference next to the helipad, buys all three helicopter flights for four hours, and returns smiling with the Helisight to Lagoa Helipad, where he moves to Lagoon, for a new film in the sequel Fast and Furious;
- Hugh Jackman or Wolverine, flies with Helisight from Pão de Açúcar, who made a point of visiting the Tourist Complex and with his immense sympathy, greeted and took pictures with all the staff at Helisight and Helisul;
- At the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the World Cup in 2014, Helisight flights were the most popular tourist tour in Rio de Janeiro, with long lines formed two hours before the opening of the helipads and up to nine helicopters operating simultaneously.
The Sugarloaf Helipad, with its privileged location and stunning view of Botafogo Bay, City Center and Christ the Redeemer, was the stage for several events that marked the City:
- Circus de Soleil presentation;
- Zeca Pagodinho’s Show;
- ATP campaign to encourage new tennis players, setting up a tennis court on top of the helipad;
- Anitta’s music video, “Me Gusta”, even featured on Jimmy Falon’s American show;
- Multishow 2020 Award;
- Pianist Glaucio Cristelo, performed at Rock in Rio;
- Stage to watch Red Bull Air Race aerobatics in Brazil, at Enseada de Botafogo, in 2007 and 2010.
In this period of Covid, Turismo do Rio has suffered a lot and we together with it.
We have experienced a big drop in movement compared to 2019, but partners at HELISUL AVIAÇÃO, the largest air taxi company in Brazil, we returned to normal operations on August 15, 2020, fully focused on anti-Covid hygiene procedures, on flight safety, standardization of operations and excellence in customer service.
COME FLY WITH US!!!