There is a stretch of morning in January when the Sonoran Desert looks like it was lit by a film crew. The sun sits low and warm, the shadows behind every saguaro run long across the gravel, the McDowell Mountains hold a crisp blue edge against the sky, and it is sixty-four degrees with not a cloud in sight. Locals know this. Visitors who have only seen Phoenix in July do not.
Winter is the Valley’s real high season, and the best window of the year to be in the air over it. If you are looking for things to do in Scottsdale and Phoenix in winter, almost everything gets better between November and March, and a private helicopter flight gets better than almost anything else.
Why Winter Is the Best Time for Outdoor Things to Do in Phoenix and Scottsdale
Arizona’s winter is what the rest of the country wishes its spring looked like. Daytime highs in the Phoenix Valley typically sit in the mid sixties to mid seventies from December through February, humidity is negligible, and clear skies are the norm. Hiking Camelback Mountain stops being a survival exercise. Old Town Scottsdale patios fill up at lunch. The Cactus League fills the East Valley in late February, the WM Phoenix Open turns TPC Scottsdale into the loudest place in golf, and Barrett-Jackson rolls into WestWorld in January.
The part almost nobody mentions is what winter does to flying. Cool, dense air is what a helicopter wants. Performance improves, the air is typically smoother than on a hot summer afternoon, and visibility on a clear January day stretches farther than you would think possible. The low sun angle throws texture across every ridge and wash below you. Photographers pay real money to shoot in that light. In winter it is simply what nine in the morning looks like from three thousand feet.
The Grand Canyon With Snow on the Rim Is a Completely Different Place
Most people picture the Grand Canyon in summer, packed shoulder to shoulder at Mather Point in ninety-degree heat. The winter version is something else. The South Rim sits at roughly seven thousand feet, which means it gets real snow, and when a dusting settles on the pinyon and juniper along the edge while the canyon walls stay warm red and gold below, the contrast is the most striking thing in Arizona.
Our Grand Canyon Experience is the flagship for a reason. You lift off from our private hangar at the Scottsdale Airpark and fly north over country most visitors never lay eyes on, past the Verde Valley and out to one of the true wonders of the planet, then back, all in a single day with no six-hour round trip in a rental car. In winter the entire route is sharper. The high country is white, the horizon is clean, and the canyon seen from the air in that light is the kind of thing people describe for the rest of their lives and never quite land. For the fullest version of the state in one day, the Ultimate Arizona package strings the headline landmarks into a single flight.
Sedona’s Red Rocks in Winter Light
Winter is when Sedona is at its most photogenic and least crowded. Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and the long red spine of Oak Creek Canyon take on deeper color when the sun sits lower and the summer haze is gone, and light snow on the formations happens a handful of times each winter. The Sedona Experience puts you over that country without the drive up a two-lane road behind an RV, and you see the formations laid out in sequence the way they actually sit in the landscape.
Landing on a Mountaintop Nobody Else Can Reach
If there is one thing to do in Scottsdale in winter that people talk about for years afterward, this is it. The Mountain Top Landing puts you down on a remote desert peak with no trail to it and nothing around you but Sonoran Desert running out to the horizon. You step out. The rotors wind down. It goes completely quiet.
Winter is the season this experience is built for. In summer, standing on exposed rock at midday is a test of endurance. In January it is sixty-eight degrees with a light breeze and you could stay up there all afternoon, which is why it has become our go-to for anniversaries, milestone birthdays, and proposals.
Winter Is Also Conference Season, and Groups Fly Differently
From January through March, Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix Valley run on conferences, sales meetings, incentive trips, and corporate retreats, and planners spend that season looking for something that is not another ballroom dinner or another round of golf.
The H5 Hangar Group Experience hosts groups at our private hangar in the Scottsdale Airpark, adjacent to Scottsdale Airport, with a rotating flight format that cycles guests through short flights over the downtown Phoenix skyline and the desert while everyone else enjoys the hangar, the vintage car collection, and whatever food, music, and entertainment the group brings in. We accommodate ten to one hundred twenty-five participants per day and build each event from concept to execution, including branded logo placement on the aircraft. Winter dates go quickly, because there is one aircraft and one crew.
Common Questions About Helicopter Tours in Arizona in Winter
Is winter a good time for a helicopter tour in Phoenix?
Winter is arguably the best time of year for it. Cool, dense air improves helicopter performance, the air is generally smoother than on a hot afternoon, visibility is excellent, and the low sun angle produces better light for photos. Clear, mild days are the norm from November through March.
How cold is it in a helicopter in the winter?
Not cold at all. Our Airbus AS350-B2 A-Star has a fully enclosed, climate-controlled cabin, so the temperature inside is comfortable regardless of what it is doing outside. Bring a light jacket for the mountaintop landing and that is about the extent of the preparation required.
Can you fly to the Grand Canyon from Scottsdale in the winter?
Yes. The Grand Canyon Experience operates year-round, and the winter version, with snow on the South Rim, is many people’s favorite. Arizona weather can occasionally move a flight, so book with a little flexibility in your schedule.
How many people can fly at once?
Up to five passengers per flight, subject to a total passenger weight limit. Every flight we operate is private. You will never be seated with strangers or put on a shared departure.
H5 Helicopters is veteran-owned and family-run, flying from our own private hangar at 16114 N 81st Street in the Scottsdale Airpark since 2008. Pilots Mitch and Steve have more than fifty-five years of combined experience and a perfect safety record, and the same aircraft and crew fly aerial work for Apple TV, Netflix, National Geographic, IMAX, Discovery, and Red Bull.
Winter is our busiest season, and with a single aircraft the calendar fills earlier than most people expect, particularly around the holidays, the Phoenix Open, and spring training. Call (480) 272-1100 or email info@h5helicopters.com to check dates and pricing for the Grand Canyon Experience, the Mountain Top Landing, the Sedona Experience, or a Custom Charter built around exactly what you have in mind. Group and corporate planners, ask about the H5 Hangar Group Experience for winter conference and incentive season. Full package details are on our website.