Based on reading positive reviews, we booked a doors-off helicopter tour with Jack Harter with confidence, but unfortunately our experience turned out to be a big waste of time. Our first attempt to fly with them was on 11/1/21, but it was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. This of course was perfectly understandable reasoning, but the issue was HOW they went about it. After arriving at their office and checking in, we were taken through all of the standard preflight preparation, transported by shuttle to the airport, assigned our seats, fitted with mandatory safety gear, and directed to the helipad for boarding. Then, only seconds before we were about board, the pilot shut down the engine and approached us with the last minute revelation that poor weather was moving in and our flight had to be cancelled. We were then given the option of having our photo taken in front of the helicopter (that we weren't going to be flying in) before returning to the office for a refund and rescheduling. Despite feeling like something was a little "off" with their approach, we maintained confidence and proceeded to reschedule our tour for the following day. But only to have the exact same thing happen again the exact same way! Now one might say that the folks at Jack Harter are simply putting safety first, and on the surface that would be correct. But anyone who knows the first thing about preflight planning will tell you that the ACTUAL decision to ground the aircraft must have been made well before we were put through all of the rigmarole - or at least the decision SHOULD have been made well before that. In any case, if a flight is going to be cancelled, passengers should be notified before they are about to step foot on the aircraft. The company will likely use the excuse that these were truly last-minute decisions based on uncontrollable circumstances, but upon returning to their office on both occasions, we witnessed following groups being staged for the very same process. Obviously, Jack Harter has a long track record of satisfied clients, but be advised that something is indeed "off" about their seemingly discretionary policies, so book with caution and prepare to have your precious vacation time wasted.
