What Chicago Helicopter does

Chicago Helicopter, operating commercially as Chicago Helicopter Experience, is a Chicago-based private helicopter company founded by Trevor Heffernan that runs sightseeing tours and private charter flights for leisure and special-event customers. According to the source data, the firm describes itself as a vertically integrated helicopter operation — the largest in the Midwest — and as the only operator with a private-use heliport inside a major U.S. city, an asset for which the founder personally secured City of Chicago licensing, zoning, planned development, and federal Part 135 approvals. Underlying capabilities include multi-aircraft rotorcraft operations, above-ground fuel farm permitting, design-build construction management, and government-relations work across city, state, and federal jurisdictions.

In 2025, the founder launched Trevor Heffernan Advising (TJH Advising), a separate consulting practice that monetizes the operating experience through advisory engagements covering FAA Part 135 and Part 91 LOA certification, vertiport/heliport design and permitting, mission-specific aircraft configuration, route and infrastructure planning, government relations, and employee recruitment and training. The advisory go-to-market is sales-led and founder-anchored: quote-based engagements are sourced through a personal website (tjhadvising.com), an 'Insider Newsletter' email funnel, Instagram (@trevorheffernann), YouTube appearances, and earned media including the Chicago Tribune, Modern Luxury Men's Book, and WMU Business. Customer segments are UAM operators, aircraft investors, and government/regulatory counterparties — distinct from the leisure passengers served by the underlying helicopter tour business. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured per engagement; no funding rounds, outside investors, partnerships, awards, patents, or mobile applications are reported in the source material.

Name

Chicago Helicopter

Legal name

Chicago Helicopter Experience

Website

https://chicagohelicopterexperience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Helicopter (operating as Chicago Helicopter Experience) runs helicopter sightseeing tours and private charter flights in Chicago from the only private-use heliport within a major U.S. city; its founder also sells Urban Air Mobility advisory services through TJH Advising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Helicopter Charter and Urban Air Mobility Consulting Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand Helicopter Charter (Private/Corporate) (TLAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Helicopter Sightseeing & Scenic Tours (TLAFACAD), Helicopter Air Taxi / Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Services (TLAFACAC)

Keywords

• Helicopter tours
• Private charter flights
• Urban air mobility
• Vertiport design
• Helicopter operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advisory and Consulting Services: Trevor Heffernan provides consulting services to Urban Air Mobility operators and companies seeking to enter the helicopter/air mobility space. Services include aircraft operations design, FAA certification guidance, vertiport design and permitting, and strategic planning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chicago Helicopter Experience operates helicopter sightseeing tours and private charter flights for leisure travelers and special events, operating the largest helicopter operation in the Midwest from the only private-use heliport within a major U.S. city (Chicago). Founder Trevor Heffernan separately delivers Urban Air Mobility advisory and consulting services through Trevor Heffernan Advising, covering aircraft operations, vertiport/heliport design and permitting, FAA certification, infrastructure strategy, aircraft design, and employee training for operators, investors, and government stakeholders.

Product overview

Trevor Heffernan Advising is a consulting firm focused on Urban Air Mobility, founded by the creator of Chicago Helicopter Experience. The company offers a portfolio of advisory services including Aircraft Operations consulting, Vertiport/Heliport Design and Construction, Urban Air Mobility Infrastructure strategy, FAA Certification guidance, Aircraft Design configuration, and Employee Recruitment & Training. Chicago Helicopter Experience itself represents the vertically integrated helicopter operation that serves as the practical foundation and case study for the consulting services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chicago Helicopter Experience (Helicopter Sightseeing Tours and Private Charter Flights) Vertically integrated helicopter sightseeing tours and private charter flights for leisure travelers and special events, operated from the only private-use heliport within a major U.S. city (Chicago). The offering combines aircraft operations, downtown heliport infrastructure, and FAA Part 135 regulatory compliance under a single management structure.
• Trevor Heffernan Advising (Urban Air Mobility Advisory and Consulting) Quote-based Urban Air Mobility advisory and consulting engagements covering high-volume rotorcraft operations, process optimization, route and infrastructure design and planning, government relations and licensing/permit approval, product design and pricing strategy, customer experience, and technology solutions and automation. Areas of practice include Aircraft Operations, Vertiport/Heliport Design and Construction, Urban Air Mobility Infrastructure, FAA Certification, Aircraft Design, and Employee Recruitment and Training for operators, investors, and government entities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Built the largest helicopter operation in the Midwest
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 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

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Archer Aviation: Archer is developing an eVTOL aircraft and urban air mobility service with announced commercial partnerships. It overlaps with the UAM/vertiport advisory domain and represents the kind of well-capitalized entrant that would engage Trevor Heffernan's expertise.
• Joby Aviation: Joby is a leading eVTOL air taxi developer pursuing FAA type certification and commercial urban air mobility launch. It is a key customer-adjacent peer for the UAM advisory practice and a forward-looking competitive threat to traditional helicopter operators.
• Skyryse: Skyryse is building autonomous flight technology and operating-system software for helicopters and future VTOL aircraft. It overlaps with the 'technology solutions and automation' arm of Trevor Heffernan's advisory portfolio.
• Lilium: Lilium is developing a regional electric air mobility service using its eVTOL jet, with vertiport-network planning as part of its go-to-market. It is an indirect peer through the UAM/vertiport advisory value proposition.
• Wisk Aero: Wisk Aero (a Boeing subsidiary) is developing autonomous eVTOL air taxi service and is engaged with regulators on type certification and urban operations. It represents the institutional UAM competitor and potential partner/buyer profile relevant to the founder's advisory positioning.
• Volocopter: Volocopter is a German eVTOL developer building urban air taxi services and vertiport infrastructure. Its vertiport certification and operational rollout overlap directly with the FAA/vertiport design advisory offerings of TJH Advising.

Direct peers

• Blade: Blade operates urban air mobility helicopter and seaplane passenger services in major U.S. cities, including scheduled city-pair routes and on-demand charter. It is the most direct operating peer to Chicago Helicopter Experience's helicopter passenger business and shares overlap in the urban helicopter/UAM category that Trevor Heffernan advises on.
• HeliFlite: HeliFlite offers on-demand private helicopter charter service in the Northeast U.S., directly comparable to the private charter and special-event flights that anchor Chicago Helicopter Experience's operating business.

Regional players

• Blue Hawaiian Helicopters: Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is one of the largest helicopter sightseeing operators in the U.S., focused on Hawaii. It demonstrates the scale potential of vertically integrated helicopter tour operations and is a comparable operating-model peer.
• Liberty Helicopter Tours: Liberty operates helicopter sightseeing tours out of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. It is a direct analog to Chicago Helicopter Experience's sightseeing business in a different U.S. metro, and exemplifies the kind of urban heliport-anchored competitor the founder's advisory work addresses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/trevorheffernann
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-helicopter-express

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Chicago Helicopter