Touring "Many Glacier" in a Bell chopper

Today Krista and I hopped aboard a Bell 206L-3 helicopter to get a 1 hour tour of Many Glacier National Park.

That was only the second time I have ridden in a chopper (I've yet to ride up front). It was quite enjoyable to zoom low over the terrain, and of course the views were second to none out there in Montana.

We were lucky to get absolutely gorgeous weather for the trip out of West Glacier, MT. The temp was around 75 with low humidity and nary a cloud.

We had the little vent window open so that the camera had a clear view of the incredible mountains and glaciers. We saw parts of the park that are only seen by those that fly in or hike many miles in. We even circled a mountain on the Canadian side of the park (the "peace" park).

BTW, the pilot simply amazed me when he brought us in to land. He was so precise it felt like the craft was a part of him. I assume that most chopper pilots get to that skill level, since landing in the exact right spot is important for many chopper tasks, but from a fixed wing guy's POV (who uses all kinds of runway to bring 'em in) I was so impressed I involuntarily smiled.

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