LONG BEACH AIR ACTIVITIES FIELD GUIDE
Two-craft, hands-on flying over Long Beach: a dual R44 helicopter and Cessna 172 demo lesson
A guided introduction that pairs a flight-simulator briefing with hour-long helicopter and fixed-wing lessons — useful for anyone testing a path toward a pilot’s license.
Two-craft, hands-on flying over Long Beach: a dual R44 helicopter and Cessna 172 demo lesson.
This is a practical, seat-of-the-pants introduction to aviation: a short simulator orientation followed by dedicated instruction in an R44 helicopter and a Cessna 172 over Long Beach. The format puts the controls in your hands, logs flight time toward a pilot certificate, and lets you sample both sides of general aviation in a single outing.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Simulator-to-sky progression
A 15-minute guided emulator session primes you for a hands-on R44 helicopter lesson and a fixed-wing Cessna lesson, each about an hour long — a focused sequence designed to move you quickly from briefing to real flight time.
Long Beach from two vantage points
You’ll see the city and coastline from both the hovering perspective of a helicopter and the higher, winged view from a Cessna — two distinct impressions of Southern California aviation in a single session.
Logged flight time and a signed certificate
The session is structured so that flight time earned during the demo may be logged and applied toward a pilot license, and participants receive a signed certificate at the end of the experience.
What the day feels like
What the two-hour demo feels like
You begin at the operator’s Long Beach facility with paperwork and a short FAA awareness briefing that allows supervised control in the R44. After a simulator introduction you'll board the helicopter for an instructor-led hour of flight instruction, return to base, then move to the Cessna for a second hour of fixed-wing instruction and a closing certificate — a compact, sequential flow designed for maximum hands-on time.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this demo suits — and who should reconsider.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Plan for the full experience to take roughly 2–3 hours from arrival through debrief (the program lists a simulator intro plus 60-minute R44 and 60-minute Cessna lessons); arrive at least 15 minutes early for check-in at the departure point.
Bring a government-issued ID that matches the reservation name; wear closed-toed shoes and consider sun protection such as a hat and sunglasses for time spent outdoors.
Meet at Anthelion Helicopters’ heliport location at 3213 Airflite Way, Long Beach — the operator is not located at the airport's main terminal, and all departures return to the same pad.
Be prepared for possible onsite weight verification and observe the operator’s drug- and alcohol-free policy; passengers who appear impaired or exceed aircraft weight limits will be refused travel.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
Where do we meet?
All tours depart and return to the operator’s helicopter pad at Long Beach Airport; the office address is 3213 Airflite Way, Long Beach, CA 90807.
Is the operator located at the main airport terminal?
No — the provided address is the operator’s heliport facility and is not at the airport’s main passenger terminal.
Is there a dress code?
Wear closed-toed shoes for your flight lesson; sun protection such as a hat and sunglasses is recommended.
Can I tip my pilot?
Tips are not included in the reservation total and are optional; you may tip the pilot at your discretion.
Is it safe and what happens in bad weather?
Safety is emphasized — the operator reports a 100% safety record and will reschedule flights at no extra charge if weather is judged to affect safety; pilots continuously monitor conditions and will notify customers of changes when possible.