This summer we joined four Instagram influencers on the camping trip of a lifetime in the first-ever Vertical Magazine Bring Your Own Heli event.

Imagine standing on top of a pinnacle, set deep among bright orange canyon walls in the desolate desert of Utah. The sun beats down, the winds swirl, and four helicopters circle overhead. You take a second to absorb the vastness of the space and the unique landscape, and wonder how to process the occasion. This was my experience, as I took part in the first-ever Vertical Magazine Bring Your Own Heli (B.Y.O.H.) event. The idea is to showcase pilots in the community and how they use their helicopters. At this first edition, four helicopters and their crew embarked on a two-day camping trip in the Utah desert to share their passion for aviation and exploration. Each pilot has a different story, but they share the goal of using their helicopters as a tool for experiencing the world around them.

Our intrepid crew met at the Provo Municipal Airport, just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, and began to prepare for the journey ahead. Joining us was Nic “Savage” Sacco (known as @savagesac on Instagram) out of Nevada in his Airbus ACH125; Austin Claborn (@Austinclaborn) from Arizona in his Bell 505; York Galland (@iflyheli) of Utah in his Airbus ACH130; and his brother Matt Galland (@Matt_Galland) in a Bell 505. Over the last few years, these pilots have captivated the world on social media and portrayed a side of helicopter flying not often seen. Their adventures in their aircraft have sparked interest in rotary-wing flight across the globe and led us to want to learn more about what inspires them.

With three helicopters loaded (we were meeting Sacco at the camp), we hit the dusty trail. We were traveling 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Provo to the Colorado Plateau, to explore an area of public land regulated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The flight path was planned to avoid overflying any national parks or people. The terrain changed quickly once we crossed over the white capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains into the lush green mountain passes of the Wasatch Plateau. Ponderosa pines lined the rolling hillsides and suddenly the greens of Castle Valley disappeared, replaced with the sandstone, shale, and limestone of the Utah desert.

The land before time lay before us. Glorious flat-topped buttes emerged from the red soil of the high desert, and disappeared just as quickly, revealing hundreds of miles of canyons molded by wind, water, and time. Hoodoos — totem-pole shaped bodies of sedimentary rock — were followed by spires of Cedar Mesa sandstone, captivating us as we made our way across the desert plains.

Safety Considerations

We arrived at camp — a ledge that dropped off into a beautiful winding river — around noon. The helicopters landed without difficulty and sat comfortably on the red rock shelf. Sacco arrived before us and had already unpacked firewood, a coffee machine, and other camping “essentials” from his ACH125. “The ACH125 that I fly, I liken to a pickup truck where I can pile everything in; while what York has — the ACH130 — is the Range Rover,” Sacco laughed.

After offloading some gear and enjoying a bite to eat, the pilots discussed their plans for the flight ahead. They chatted excitedly about suitable landing sites they had visited previously and the beautiful sights we would see along the way.

It is important to note that this expedition was not being led by hillbilly pilots with deep pockets and a penchant for pushing the limits, but by professionals with a combined flying experience of 70 years. The major safety consideration when planning a trip of this nature is your experience level and the capabilities of your aircraft.

With the landscape causing variable wind conditions and powerful downdrafts, pilots have to consider whether or not they have the power and skill necessary to tackle the elements. “Whatever the wind is doing up there or at the nearest airport, is not what it’s like right here,” said York Galland. “Wind is always a consideration. Come in light, with caution, and with a lot of experience.”

Any helicopter operator will tell you that the most integral part of doing business is choosing the right helicopter for the mission. “Airbus helicopters speak for themselves,” said Sacco, a South African with electric enthusiasm. “I’ve taken six people, full fuel, and landed at 12,500 feet in belly-deep snow and then picked up and not even needed full power, so that’s what’s awesome about these machines.”

You can be the most skilled pilot in the world, but power can be the difference between life and death in this environment. “The ACH130 has an incredible safety record, power you can rely on, and gives you views that will blow your mind,” said York Galland. “And I love that the seat configuration lets me take more people along for the journey.”

Claborn, the youngest pilot joining us, added that there are a lot of things to consider when coming into a place like this. “You really have to manage your power because you’re hot, high, and heavy, with people and gear — especially when you’re coming in with multiple helicopters. You have downwash coming from other aircraft, plus you have to be looking out, always giving yourself an out.

“The reason I went with the 505 is the fact that it has the doors that open wide and you can take the back seats out and fit in camp gear and mountain bikes. It fits all of my missions and the technology in it makes it easy to fly.”

Preparedness and awareness is a theme highlighted by all the pilots. Nothing is overlooked or undermined.

“My flying considerations usually start a week in advance,” said Matt Galland, a passionate outdoorsman and the star of Discovery Channel’s 100 Miles From Nowhere. “[I’m] watching the weather, seeing what weather pattern we’re in. In my helicopter, I always have a sat phone and a safety beacon, gear where I can stay 72 hours if needed, and I’m always dressed to walk out of the helicopter.”

We had all our bases covered to execute a safe and successful trip, and that’s when the fun began.

Exploring the desert

We left camp and began exploring. The four helicopters weaved through the dramatic landscape of the Utah desert until a giant canyon opened up below, and each pilot made their descent into it. After an unseasonably wet spring, the base of the canyon was green, lined with desert shrubs and trees. Along the sides of the canyon walls, pinnacles stood tall with layered rock. Some flat, some rounded; all untouched by mankind.

“The thing that excites me about flying is exploring,” said Sacco, grinning from ear to ear. “We try to go where no other human being has been and that’s really difficult to do in today’s day and age.”

Sacco went for a discovery flight in South Africa 15 years ago and was blown away. He asked the flight instructor if he could become a pilot, and the instructor said, “You can learn to do anything.” This has become Sacco’s motto, and a reminder that everything is within reach.

We made our way through the canyon one by one, keeping an eye on each other as we flew through it. It wasn’t always easy to keep sight of each helicopter — at times, the canyon walls were so big the aircraft seemed to be swallowed up by it. Sacco spotted a large pinnacle that could fit three of the four helicopters, so we made our way down and Vertical publisher and photographer Mike Reyno exited the aircraft to take some shots. The Galland brothers and Sacco took turns landing and then circled around, each one stacked several hundred feet behind the next.

When chatting with each pilot, they described their helicopters as something that gives them superhuman abilities. “The love of flying a helicopter is that it makes you feel like Superman — it’s as close to a magic carpet as you can get!” said York Galland. “I call it a time machine, because you get to come and see places like this. You really feel like you’re traveling to a different world and sometimes a different planet.”

We departed the pinnacle and continued our journey. York Galland spotted a pedestal and made his approach as everyone else followed in behind. Two flat-topped hoodoos positioned next to each other presented the perfect opportunity for all four aircraft to land close to one another. The Airbus helicopters sat on one hoodoo, with the Bell 505s on the other. We rested in the shade of the helicopters, enjoying some snacks and the towering stone structure around us.

“Flying in this environment is pretty unique — the scale of the terrain is huge,” said Claborn. “You’ll be flying 300 feet over the ground and all of a sudden you’re 3,000 feet over the ground! The scale itself is what is mind-blowing out here, and what you think is small is huge once you get close to it.”

I think I follow you on Instagram

After many hours spent exploring the desert, we arrived back at camp and began to set up our tents. The sun grew dim and slowly slid below the horizon, turning the canyon walls around us a brilliant gold. Sacco prepared his kitchen, with foldout tables, a grill, and other home comforts. On the menu was spinach and avocado salad drizzled with olive oil, alongside a perfectly cooked filet mignon steak. We pulled our camping chairs around the fire and began our meal. The night was still and all that could be heard was the crackling fire, the gentle hum of conversation, and birds flying to their nests for the night.

We chatted about the events of the day, sharing stories of helicopter adventures. I wanted to know how everyone felt about social media, and how aviation is represented online.

“I think it’s important that pilots do share and are outspoken in some way,” said Matt Galland. “There is true joy and goodness to come from flying, but people won’t know that, and that can’t get passed down, unless it’s shared. We need to remember that, yes, you’re having fun and you’re having great experiences, but if you’re not letting people know about it then that fire goes out pretty quick.”

Claborn said he aims to make sure that what he’s sharing doesn’t shine a bad light on aviation. “When you’re the pilot, there is no time to be worried about cameras, you need to be flying the aircraft and that needs to be the only thing you’re focused on,” he said.

Social media is a window into the lives of others, and allows viewers to get a taste of what life as a pilot could be like. “The content I publish personally opens people’s eyes to the tool that a helicopter can be to explore the world,” said Matt Galland. “I hope the community sees helicopters as part of the community doing good, and being a positive influence in the world.”

Claborn said he hopes the content he shares gives people a window into the industry. “When I meet people and they find out I’m a helicopter pilot, there are so many questions that follow,” he said. “They don’t even know what that looks like, so the content I share is showing what is possible . . . and hopefully inspires them to get their pilot’s license.”

The reality is that more people are buying personal use aircraft than ever before, and social media influencers are driving trends in the market the industry has never seen. But when you take all the cameras away and you lose sight of the views, follows, and likes, what remains constant is the desire to share the magic of flight with others.

“One of my favorite things about flying is taking people up,” said Matt Galland, “because they get to experience what you’ve experienced — and nothing is truly great in life unless you can share it with someone else.”

Where the rotor meets the road

In the morning, we unzipped our tents to the sight of the glowing canyon with the beautiful Green River running through it. The realization that yesterday’s adventures weren’t a dream settled in and we took a breath of the warm desert air — and the smell of coffee. To say that these gentlemen travel well-prepared is the understatement of the century, as a Nespresso machine strategically placed on a Dart bike mount poured us each a fresh brew. Sacco prepared his egg cartons and iron skillets for what would be a sausage and egg breakfast, as the rest of the crew began to take down their tents.

With a forecast of high winds picking up into the afternoon, it was time for us to leave our ledge. One by one each helicopter departed, leaving behind a stillness and the likelihood that no one else would visit until their return. York Galland and Sacco were the last to leave. “Hey York, I think we beat Elon to Mars!” said Sacco. The wild terrain of the Utah desert certainly feels like another planet. We laughed, jumped into the aircraft, and began our journey home. With an awesome playlist and time to reflect, Sacco’s comment resonated with me. While some might have lofty ambitions to blast off into space, the ability to explore our own planet is within arm’s reach. For those two days we were explorers, adventurers, and time travelers. And we left primed for our next adventure.