You’ve gone bungee jumping many a time before, and you’re interested in livening up your experience and jumping from a helicopter. Is this even doable? And if so, where?
Bungee jumping from a helicopter is a viable way to change the atmosphere of a traditional bungee jump. In places such as Germany, Chile, and Hungary, helicopter bungee jumping experiences abound.
This guide to bungee jumping from a helicopter will tell you everything you need to know, including where to go, whether you might spend more money jumping from a helicopter, and how scary it is.
Let’s dive right in!
Can You Go Bungee Jumping from a Helicopter?
Most bungee jumping occurs on platforms such as bridges, but why do it from a fixed location when you can bungee jump from a helicopter instead?
So how does it work, anyway? Well, most of the same instructions apply. You’ll travel via helicopter with a bungee instructor, who will be there to guide you every step of the way.
You’ll put on your harness, helmet, goggles, and other equipment, then get attached to a bungee rope. The rope will be affixed to the helicopter, as you’re not skydiving and parachuting your way to the ground.
You’ll be expected to jump when your instructor gives you the green light. Once you leap, you’ll descend through the sky until your bungee rope fully unfurls.
The helicopter pilot can continue flying through the sky with you at your vantage point, allowing you to drink in the scenery all around you.
Eventually, the experience will come to an end, and you’ll be lifted back up into the helicopter. The pilot will bring you down to the ground, where you can remove your equipment and go home.
Although it sounds amazing, surprisingly, few bungee jumping companies offer jumps from helicopters, making the experience rare.
Related Reading: How Safe is Bungee Jumping?
The Top 4 Locations for Bungee Jumping from a Helicopter
If you’ve got the drive to take a walk (or a jump) on the wild side, here are four places to explore helicopter bungee jumping.
Villarrica Volcano in Chile
In the town of Villarrica is the eponymous volcano. The Villarrica Volcano is live, although you’ll never get close enough to the spewing lava for your health to be at risk.
During your flight, you’ll ascend 10,000 feet via helicopter and jump at least 350 feet but potentially 375 feet. Then you’ll fly 35 miles while attached to the bungee cord. That’s right, you don’t get lifted back to the helicopter right away with this experience!
Helibungee in Hungary
Hungary’s Helibungee experience by HeliForce brings you 1,980 feet into the sky. You’re attached to a 360-foot rope, and then you’re free to jump!
You’ll see Hungary in a whole new way as you descend from nearly 2,000 feet up, so keep your eyes wide open!
Sports Unlimited in Germany
In Nuremberg, Germany, you’ll find the company Sports Unlimited, which offers a bungee jumping experience by helicopter.
You’ll descend from 1,312 feet in the air, which is sure to be a breathtaking experience for those daring enough to try.
Impacto Bungee Jumping in Portugal
The Impacto Bungee Jumping company offers both traditional and unconventional bungee jumping experiences. You can choose to leap from a bridge, a crane, or a helicopter. You’ll get to witness unparalleled views of the Madeira Islands during your jump.
Is Bungee Jumping from a Helicopter More Expensive Than Regular Bungee Jumping?
You’re very much intrigued by the idea of bungee jumping from a helicopter, but you have some questions. Are you going to spend more money on this experience than on your average bungee jump?
Yes, you most certainly are!
Think about it. When bungee jumping from a bridge or platform, you can usually scale the platform by climbing a ladder. By comparison, the only way to bungee jump from a helicopter is to be in a helicopter.
It costs money for a bungee jumping company to procure a helicopter. Besides their highly trained instructors, the bungee company also has to hire a helicopter pilot to have on standby.
Outside of the money it costs to purchase a helicopter, there are related fees such as maintaining the copter and keeping it fueled up.
On top of all that, bungee jumping experiences offered via helicopter are rare. The companies we found above are among the only ones providing this service, so they can afford to charge more because the demand is so high but the supply is so low.
The only price we were able to find was for bungee jumping by helicopter in Chile over the Villarrica Volcano. That costs about $10,000 per jumper.
Is Bungee Jumping from a Helicopter Scarier Than Regular Bungee Jumping?
Is it scarier to leap from a helicopter than from a platform?
For many bungee jumpers, the answer is an unequivocal yes. You’re much higher in the sky when in a helicopter. You might feel less stable too since the copter is moving while a bridge or platform remains still.
The jumping experience is still the same, as your bungee rope is the average length, so the freefalling sensation shouldn’t be more severe.
Our recommendation? If you’ve gone bungee jumping before and enjoyed the experience and you’re ever granted the chance to jump from a helicopter, we say take full advantage. Who knows if you’ll ever get the same opportunity again? You might regret missing out!
If you’re not sure if a helicopter is the way to go for you either due to its height or cost then check out the Highest Bungee Jumps in the US.
The Advantages of Bungee Jumping from a Helicopter
For those bungee jumpers who don’t feel a shred of fear at jumping from a helicopter, these advantages will be especially appealing to you.
You Get to Jump from Much Greater Heights
A bridge is a bridge just as a platform is a platform. Unless they’re redesigned, they will never be taller than they are right now.
The consistency in the jumping experience brings comfort to some bungee jumpers and boredom to others.
When bungee jumping from a helicopter, even in the same broad area, you never jump from the exact place twice. The height of your experience can also be variable, allowing you to jump from thousands of feet up.
It feels new every time, which expands the novelty of your jumps.
Related Reading: What Does Bungee Jumping Feel Like?
You Can Experience the World’s Marvels
You can find a regular bungee jumping experience nearly anywhere in your state and country. If you want to go bungee jumping from a helicopter though, that will require you to travel to particular locations.
You’ll get to see marvels of the world such as the Villarrica Volcano and bungee jump all on the same trip!
You Can Enjoy Amazing Views
Although being a thousand feet up is a bit scary at first, even for more seasoned bungee jumpers, you’ll be left in awe once you get over your anxiety.
The sights around you are so breathtaking, and that’s not even to account for what you’ll see once you jump and are propelled around via helicopter. You’ll enjoy the views so much that you might never want the experience to end!
You Can Continue Flying Low After the Jump
This is the icing on the cake for most bungee jumpers.
You know how a traditional bungee jump works by now. You leap off the platform, fall through the air, and you’re either lowered to the ground or brought back up to the platform to climb down.
You’ll kind of hover in the time in between jumping and being raised or lowered, but that’s about it.
That’s not the case when bungee jumping from a helicopter. Most experiences will keep you low as the helicopter flies over the perimeter. As mentioned, you get additional vantage points and can extend your experience even longer, which is always great.
You Can Say You Did It!
Finally, the biggest and best advantage is being able to see that you did it, you successfully bungee jumped from a helicopter. You’ll surely make all your friends and family back home jealous and those bungee jumping buddies of yours.
Final Thoughts
Bungee jumping from a helicopter is a more immersive experience that ascends you to greater heights and allows you to hover in the air attached to your bungee cord as the copter pulls you about.
Few companies worldwide offer this unique opportunity, so when you come across one, you should expect to pay a premium. The lucky few who have done it say it’s worth every penny!