This week Gateway Canyons resort has added its first Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopter and is now offering rotary-wing tours of the Grand Canyon in addition to the fixed wing service it already operated.

The company is operating from a hangar at Grand Junction Regional Airport and has operating test/demo tours of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.  Early in 2012, Gateway Canyons hopes to begin offering helicopter tours of western Colorado and eastern Utah – FAA approvals are expected around Christmas.

Operating as Gateway Canyons Air Tours LLC, the new helicopter is registered N301GC and serial 7068.  Observation of the FAA register website indicates that they have also reserved the registrations N302GC through  N309GC, which leads us to belive they have expansion plans to potentially nine aircraft at this time.

Website  http://www.gatewaycanyonsairtours.com

William P Johnson – HeliHub.com Washington correspondent