The Papillon Effect

Watch how Elling Halvorson, the founder of Papillon Grand Canyon helicopter tours, began from humble beginnings in 1959 to owning the world’s largest aerial sightseeing company today with the H130.

Elling Halvorson is one of those rare and remarkable entrepreneurs. He's someone who's gone out into the world and proven himself to himself and to others that he can face whatever challenges life sets before him. We had the privilege of spending a few days with him and the company he founded.

Papillon, the helicopter touring company he started more than 50 years ago, is still a family run business. It has grown from a roadside shack with one helicopter to a company with several heliports and one of the largest privately owned fleets of Airbus helicopters in the world. Its employees exude its founder's frontier spirit and willingness to take anything from an idea to reality, from the Earth to the Sky.

This film tells the company's story and shows why the new Airbus H130 is the machine that will lead them into the next era of helicopter tours.

© Productions Autrement Dit - Airbus Helicopters 2015