Las Vegas Weekly

March 25, 2010 · 9:58 AM

Photos: Maverick Helicopters tour offers stunning views of the Mojave

By Robin Leach

An aerial tour of the Mojave Desert. CityCenter is pictured here.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Las Vegas welcomes more than 35 million visitors a year, and most of the tourists stay put on the Strip, but the area around our valley has many attractions that people -- tourists and residents alike -- miss. Contributing photographer Tom Donoghue hit the skies to shoot those sites and sights.

Tom clambered aboard a Maverick Helicopter at its Strip-side runway in the private terminals of our McCarran International Airport. The side door was removed, and Tom was securely anchored in place with legs dangling outside the fuselage.

Then it was up, up and away, soaring over the highlights of a Las Vegas sightseeing flight that included the Strip, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. He captured an extraordinary set of aerials that make up this Vegas DeLuxe photo gallery.

Said Tom: “It’s spectacular out there -- so much to see. It really is a lifetime memory experience. We are truly blessed living in Las Vegas to be surrounded by so many incredible attractions.

“The Maverick Helicopter flight is the perfect way to see and experience it all. We have places to see all within 30 minutes of Las Vegas that simply can’t be seen anywhere else in the world. The flight should be something every visitor to Las Vegas takes at least once in their lives.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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