What RedTail Air does

RedTail Air is a privately held scenic aviation tour operator headquartered at Canyonlands Regional Airport in Moab, Utah, offering fixed-wing airplane and helicopter aerial tours over Southern Utah's national parks and monuments. The company operates a fleet of Airvan aircraft and helicopters, providing nearly 20 distinct tour products ranging from 20-minute helicopter excursions to 3-hour multi-park charter flights, with pricing from $209 to $2,574 per person. RedTail Air's central competitive position rests on holding exclusive regulatory permits to fly directly over both Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, the only air tour operator with this dual access. The company also operates affiliated sub-brands Pinnacle Helicopters and Moab Heli X, and recently launched Salt Lake Area Scenic Flights as a geographic extension beyond its Moab base.

The business model is direct-to-consumer per-seat ticket sales, supplemented by revenue from charter flights, adventure packages (e.g., flights combined with Colorado River rafting with BBQ lunch), river rafting air shuttles, gift cards, and flight instruction. Distribution is omnichannel: direct website bookings via flyredtail.com, phone reservations through a dedicated concierge team, walk-in bookings at the Moab terminal, and third-party platforms Peek.com and KAYAK. Marketing relies on content marketing through an active blog, SEO, email newsletters, and partnerships with local travel providers such as photography studio The Hearnes.

The company serves tourists and visitors to Utah's national parks (primary segment), photography enthusiasts, adventure travelers, and special-occasion customers (elopements, anniversaries, proposals). Its core differentiators are the exclusive regulatory access, the combination of airplane and helicopter modalities, specially trained pilot guides providing geological and historical narration, and unique offerings like the doors-off Airvan photography tour. The company is operationally constrained by a single base location, seasonal tourism in Moab, and weather dependency, with tours frequently selling out during peak periods. No funding, headcount, revenue, or ownership details are disclosed in public materials.

Name

RedTail Air

Legal name

Redtail Air

Website

https://www.flyredtail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RedTail Air is a privately held scenic air tour operator based in Moab, Utah, offering airplane and helicopter tours over Arches, Canyonlands, and other Utah national parks. It serves individual tourists, photographers, adventure travelers, and special-occasion customers as a direct-to-consumer per-seat ticketing business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scenic Air Tour Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

akta.pro primary industry

Scenic/Tour & Aerial Sightseeing Flights (TLAFABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Helicopter Sightseeing & Scenic Tours (TLAFACAD), Scenic & Sightseeing Helicopter Tours (THABAGAE)

Keywords

• Scenic air tours
• Aerial sightseeing
• Helicopter tours
• Airplane tours
• National park flights

Headquarters

HQ city

Moab

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Scenic Airplane Tours: Per-person ticket sales for scheduled scenic airplane tours over Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, and other Utah landmarks. Duration ranges from 30 to 80 minutes with pricing from $209 to $429 per person.
2. Scenic Helicopter Tours: Per-person ticket sales for helicopter tours offering intimate aerial views of Moab canyon country. Duration ranges from 20 to 60 minutes with pricing from $249 to $679 per person.
3. Special Charter Flights: Customized charter flights to remote destinations including Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Lake Powell, and Monument Valley. Pricing starts at $964 for shorter flights up to $2,574 for extended photography-focused tours.
4. Adventure Packages: Bundled experiences combining air tours with ground activities such as Colorado River rafting with BBQ lunch. The Arches + Rafting package is priced at $358 per person for a 6-hour experience.
5. River Rafting Air Shuttles: Transportation services to and from river rafting locations for adventure package customers.
6. Flight Instruction: Expert flight instruction services for individuals wanting to learn to fly, offered as an additional service line.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RedTail Air operates scheduled scenic airplane and helicopter tours over Utah's national parks and landmarks, including Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, the Great Salt Lake, and the Wasatch Mountains, with durations from 20 minutes to 6 hours and per-person pricing from $209 to $2,574. The company also offers special charter flights, adventure packages combining air tours with river rafting, river rafting air shuttles, custom private tours, and flight instruction. All tours depart from RedTail Air's headquarters at Canyonlands Field Airport in Moab, Utah.

Product overview

RedTail Air is a scenic aviation tour operator offering aerial experiences over Utah's iconic red rock country, centered in Moab at Canyonlands Regional Airport. The company operates two primary tour modalities—fixed-wing airplane tours and helicopter tours—alongside supporting services including charter flights, adventure packages combining air with river rafting, flight instruction, and river shuttles. The product portfolio includes nearly 20 distinct tour products ranging from 20-minute helicopter excursions to 3-hour charter flights covering multiple national parks. The company also encompasses affiliated brands Pinnacle Helicopters and Moab Heli X, and has recently expanded with new Salt Lake Area Scenic Flights. RedTail Air holds exclusive permits to fly directly over Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, positioning it as the only operator with such access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pinnacle Helicopters: Affiliated helicopter brand powered by Redtail Air, offering scenic helicopter tours over Moab and surrounding areas
• Moab Heli X

Products and services

• Scenic Airplane Tours Fixed-wing aircraft tours offering aerial views of Utah's national parks and scenic areas, ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours, priced from $209 to $429 per person, targeting tourists visiting Moab and Southern Utah.
• Scenic Helicopter Tours Helicopter-based aerial tours providing intimate views of Moab's canyons, arches, and backcountry areas, with durations from 20 to 60 minutes and pricing from $249 to $679 per person.
• Scenic Airplane Photography Tour 80-minute doors-off flight in an Airvan aircraft over Arches and Canyonlands providing unobstructed aerial photography opportunities with harness systems for safety, priced at $2,574 per person and targeted at professional and amateur photographers.
• Special Charter Flights Customized charter flights to remote Utah destinations including Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Grand Staircase Escalante, with pricing from $964 to $2,574 per person, serving travelers seeking premium access to dispersed landmarks.
• Moab Adventure Package (Air Tour + Rafting) Combined 6-hour land, air, and water adventure experience pairing a 30-minute Arches National Park airplane tour with 7 miles of Colorado River rafting and a riverside BBQ lunch, priced at $358 per person and aimed at travelers wanting a multi-activity Moab experience in one day.
• Custom & Private Tours Tailored flight experiences designed for special occasions including elopements, weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries, company events, and family gatherings, providing private and customized aerial adventures over Southern Utah.
• Private Charter Flights Custom air travel itineraries and private charter flights to destinations beyond standard tour routes, available for groups and individuals needing flexible aerial transportation.
• River Rafting Air Shuttles Transportation service shuttling passengers to and from Colorado River rafting locations, supporting adventure package customers and independent rafters needing aerial access to put-in and take-out points.
• Flight Instruction Professional flight instruction services for individuals seeking to learn to fly or advance their aviation skills, offered as an additional revenue line by RedTail Air.
• Salt Lake Area Scenic Flights New scenic flight offering launched in 2025 that explores Salt Lake City's breathtaking landscapes from above, including aerial views of the Great Salt Lake, Park City, Mount Timpanogos, the Wasatch Back, and Utah Lake, marking RedTail Air's geographic expansion beyond Moab.
• Pinnacle Helicopters Affiliated helicopter tour brand powered by RedTail Air, offering scenic helicopter tours over Moab and surrounding areas under a separate brand identity.
• Moab Heli X Affiliated helicopter tour brand powered by RedTail Air, operating scenic helicopter tours in the Moab area under a separate brand identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cover 150+ miles between remote parks in under 3 hours compared to days by ground transportation

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Hearnes (Photography Partner)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Hearnes is described as 'highly-experienced partner photographers' who collaborate with RedTail Air on adventure weddings, elopements, and photography tours in Moab. RedTail Air promotes The Hearnes' photography services to customers seeking professional photography during or alongside their flight experiences, while The Hearnes likely recommends RedTail Air's aerial photography tours to their clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Blue Hawaiian Helicopters: Largest helicopter tour company in Hawaii offering scenic tours over islands and volcanoes. Comparable in providing premium scenic helicopter experiences to tourism markets but operating in a different geography (Hawaii vs Utah).

Direct peers

• Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines (Scenic Airlines): Scenic fixed-wing air tour operator at Grand Canyon and other western destinations, offering airplane sightseeing tours comparable to RedTail's Airvan-based product. Closest direct comparable in modality (fixed-wing scenic airplane tours at national park destinations).
• Sundance Helicopters: Scenic helicopter tour operator based in Las Vegas offering aerial tours of the Grand Canyon and surrounding western US landscapes. Directly comparable in providing narrated scenic helicopter experiences to tourists visiting iconic natural landmarks.
• Westwind Air Service: Small scenic air tour operator offering aerial tours in the Sedona/Arizona region. Comparable as a regional fixed-wing scenic tour operator serving tourism demand for western US natural landmarks, similar in scale and operator profile.
• Monument Valley Helicopter Tours: Small scenic helicopter tour operator offering aerial tours of Monument Valley and surrounding Navajo Nation landscapes. Closely comparable as a small scenic helicopter tour operator in the broader Four Corners region overlapping with RedTail's charter destinations.

Broad incumbents

• Maverick Aviation Group: Major US helicopter tour company operating from Las Vegas and other western US locations with a fleet of EC130 helicopters. Directly comparable in offering premium scenic helicopter experiences to tourism markets, though at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters: One of the largest scenic helicopter tour operators in the US, primarily serving Grand Canyon visitors. Highly comparable as an established scenic air tour operator at iconic national-park destinations, though at significantly larger scale and different primary geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RedtailAirAdventures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/redtail-air-adventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RedTail Air