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Scenic flights give you a bird's eye view of the beautiful patchwork landscape below. Absorb breathtaking aerial views as your expert plane or helicopter pilot guides you through the area, pointing out landmarks and interesting sights below. With scenic flights available in locations all over Australia, it is the perfect gift for someone special or to treat yourself with.
Scenic flights across Australia
The most-booked scenic flight on RedBalloon is the Great Barrier Reef flight from Cairns. A 40-minute aerial view of the reef system from 300 to 1,000 metres. Sydney scenic flights cover the harbour, Bondi, the Blue Mountains and the coastline north and south by both helicopter and light aircraft. The Whitsundays offer some of the most photographed scenic flights in the country. Heart Reef and the Whitsunday Islands from a seaplane or helicopter. In the Northern Territory, Uluru scenic flights at sunrise and sunset are a category of their own.
Helicopter vs light aircraft scenic flights
The choice between helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft comes down to format and views. Helicopters fly lower, can hover in position and give passengers unobstructed sightlines through large windows. They are the better option for photography and for shorter urban flights over harbours and cityscapes. Light aircraft fly higher, carry more passengers and cover more ground in a given duration. They are well-suited to extended regional landscapes like the Kimberley, reef systems and alpine areas.
Hands-on flying experiences
Several scenic flight experiences on RedBalloon include a hands-on component where you take the controls for part of the flight under instruction. The Sunshine Coast Hands-On Scenic Flight is one example. Flying lessons go further. Structured flight training sessions where learning to fly is the purpose of the experience rather than the sightseeing. Flight simulators offer a weather-independent option for experiencing the cockpit without leaving the ground.
Scenic flights as gifts
A scenic flight is one of the most consistently well-received gift experiences on RedBalloon. It suits people across a wide age range, requires no physical fitness and delivers a perspective that's genuinely difficult to replicate any other way. Gift vouchers are valid for 5 years. Pair a scenic flight with a helicopter flight experience for a more specific gift if the recipient has a favourite region.
How long does a scenic flight last?
Duration varies by experience. Short city and harbour scenic flights run 10 to 20 minutes. Regional and reef flights typically run 30 to 60 minutes. Extended aerial tours of landscapes like the Kimberley, Kakadu or the Great Ocean Road can run 2 hours or more. The duration is listed clearly in each experience description.
Can children go on scenic flights?
Most scenic flights are child-friendly from age 2 or 3 upward, with children sharing a seat or paying a reduced rate depending on age and aircraft type. Check the individual experience listing for age and weight requirements, some smaller aircraft have combined passenger weight limits.