Las Vegas Sun

November 29, 2009

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ASK MR. SUN:

What’s the line of helicopters that arrives each night at sunset?

Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Sun Coverage

Mr. Sun,

Can you tell me what the line of helicopters that arrives each night at sunset over Sunrise Mountain is and where they are going? They arrive in formation and make a turn at Newport Lofts downtown and fly south toward the Strip. We watch them and always wonder.

— Don Sacramento

Were Las Vegas an agricultural community, this would be our cows coming home.

The helicopters at sundown are Grand Canyon tours bringing gambling patrons back to their roosts on the Strip.

They’re not flying in formation, but rather following the FAA’s Calville helicopter arrival path — enter the valley from the east, travel along Charleston Boulevard to downtown and then south, parallel to Las Vegas Boulevard. The path is intended to keep tour helicopters from mixing with flights at McCarran International Airport.

The helicopters come and go throughout the day. Their numbers are more noticeable at sunset because, well, there’s no reason to linger at the Grand Canyon past dark, so the helicopters touring the canyon in the late afternoon come back around the same time.

Not everyone watches them with awe. Clark County is planning a heliport in Sloan, in part, because of complaints from some Las Vegas residents about helicopter noise.

Send questions for Mr. Sun to page8@lasvegassun.com.

Discussion: 17 comments so far…

  1. By jeremydbrooks
    10/9/09 at 9:58 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    It's not Sunrise Mountain, it's Frenchman Mountain.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenchman_M...

    Sunrise is the little hill north of Lake Mead Blvd. I've yet to see a news outlet in Las Vegas get that correct.

  2. By DTJ
    10/9/09 at 12:15 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Interesting, Jeremy. Though the inertia of everybody calling Frenchman Mountain "Sunrise Mountain" has clearly won out. Now that I even know your information, I'll still refer to the larger, and better mountain as Sunrise. That's how everyone else has come to know it.

  3. By muddapucker
    10/10/09 at 5:37 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    I don't call it "Sunrise Mountain" either DTJ and I disagree with you logic of calling something by a name other than its actual name.

    Accuracy must not matter much to you...

    Perhaps, you ought to consider that you are propagating a misconception rather than just falling in line with others that don't know the difference.

  4. By cpo
    10/10/09 at 7:09 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Its Frenchman mountain. Only someone new to Vegas would not know that.

  5. By dave202
    10/10/09 at 9:04 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Moron locals. EVERYONE including people who live there call it Sunrise Mt.

    And why don't the helicopter go to Boulder City Airport? If you're going to Sloan, BC is closer!!!

  6. By mikec101
    10/11/09 at noon
    Suggest removal

    Would be nice if there were fewer 'knowledgeable' folks and more tolerant ones with better grammar and spelling skills. Fat chance.

  7. By TheU
    10/11/09 at 8:11 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Jeremydbrooks is "THAT" Guy...

  8. By TheU
    10/11/09 at 8:12 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    muddapucker is also "THAT" Guy... Congratulation

  9. By jeremydbrooks
    10/13/09 at 10:24 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    TheU: If by "that guy" you mean someone who appreciates accuracy in reporting as well as making the minute (but, apparently, unreachable for some) effort of calling a massive landmark by its proper name, then yes, I am "that guy". Very astute of you to catch that.

    Or have I missed what I'm sure is a very clever Seinfeld-based potshot?

  10. By TheU
    10/13/09 at 7:10 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Yes... jeremydbrooks you are "THAT" Guy... and a little insecure too... Just something to ask your therapist about...

  11. By KillerB
    10/13/09 at 9:26 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    I've got a better one for you, Mr. Sun -- what's up with the helicopters that fly low up and down Boulder Highway all hours of the day and night??

  12. By MarkofT
    10/17/09 at 8:52 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    KillerB, if those helicopters have a white body and red tail, they are LVMPD helicopters.

    That might also be the outgoing tour helicopters. They would be flying down either Tropicana or Sunset. I haven't investigated their departure path but work directly under their return path just south of Charleston.

  13. By KillerB
    10/18/09 at 5:45 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    They're cop copters, then.

    Thanx, MarkofT. Apparently they don't have to follow any rules about low flying.

  14. By Teaser
    10/20/09 at 5:17 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Jeremy, you can't fix stupid. The inertia is to great.
    ------------------------------------
    Comeonow: You are absolutely right, considering it's "too great," not "to great."

  15. By SoCalNative
    10/21/09 at 8:07 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Get a life, all of you. Who cares?

  16. By Raymond
    10/21/09 at 9:27 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Frenchman Mountain is landmark and one of only two places where the Great Unconformity (a rare geological formation) can be seen. For clarity, it would be great if the local news outlets would use the proper name of the mountain.

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