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Iceland‘s newest attraction, FlyOver Iceland, had their Grand Opening in Autumn 2019. In just these few months since this ultimate flying ride opened it has become one of Iceland‘s must-do experiences! Even Icelanders wait in line for this experience as they say they’ve never seen their island like this before, and it was truly the most popular Christmas present 2019 as it was almost under every Christmas tree in Iceland to go experience this beautiful show.

Norðurflug Helicopter Tours and FlyOver Iceland are great partners and we are proud of our involvement in the making of FlyOver Iceland. Our amazing AS 350 B2 Ecureuil helicopter was used for the filming of these beautiful shots all over Iceland and the aircraft was flown in the good hands of our great Chief Pilot, Jón Björnsson. No pilot in Iceland has more experience of capturing Iceland‘s beauty by helicopter as Jón has worked on many film projects in Iceland through the years.

pic. from FlyOver Iceland.

Up to 30 scenes were filmed, and many of them in remote places all around the island that are hard to reach for the average person. The lens of the camera, attached to the helicopter, is the bird‘s eye view of the island, and with the special effects of wind, mist and scents combined with the ride‘s motion you truly feel like a bird flying freely over the untouched nature!

FlyOver Iceland opened in Grandi Neighbourhood, the historic, central and trendy neighbourhood of Iceland and is easily accessible by foot, car or bus. For more information on how to get there, hours and pricing we recommend you visit https://www.flyovericeland.com/

We also recommend that you check out this video:

https://www.flyovericeland.com/stories/getting-the-shot-the-making-of-flyover-iceland/#

While Iceland may not have come out on top in the Euro Cup, our beautiful country has received a lot of attention in the media these past few weeks!

Here at Nordurflug Helicopter Tours, we enjoyed giving Marty Smith from ESPN the best view of Iceland from the air.

Check out his tour with our pilot, Guðjón, in this video clip from ESPN: //espn.go.com/video/clip?id=16701422

Hollywood has consistently increased it´s standards for productions over the past few years. From developments in technology, to increased on-site productions. The ever-growing demand for large-scale films has brought more and more projects to Iceland. After all, it is no secret that the island is home to some of the most spectacular landscapes and natural beauties in the world! Each year, producers and directors set their sights on the Arctic Circle to make their “Blockbuster” ideas comes to life.

Norðurflug is the largest and most experienced helicopter company in the private sector in Iceland. Our fleet of 4 helicopters have each been used for filming TV shows, movies, documentaries and music videos.

Factors like risk assessment, permits, fuel planning, and performance play a key role in any film project. We have the experience to handle challenging weather conditions, landscapes, the technical needs of filming!

Of course, our main focus is sightseeing! All of our tours give you the chance to see some of the beautiful landscapes captured in some of the film projects we have helped with. Check out our Wall of Fame to see the full list of our projects.

Noooo, sorry, it’s not really a new tour… What a bummer!

We are just helping out cleaning the beautiful beaches in Grýtubakkahreppur in North Iceland.

See what the newspaper had to say about it:
//www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2016/06/01/thyrlur_nyttar_vid_fjoruhreinsun_i_grytubakkahrepp/

Norðurflug Heli Cleaning

When we book a trip to a new country, most often we’ll spend some time searching up facts for that particular place. I know I do! When it comes to Iceland, you definitely should not believe everything you read/hear/are told. It didn’t take me long, after spending time here and working with the locals to find out much of what the rest of the world thinks of Iceland is not true. Now I don’t necessarily think that is a bad thing… Because I think we would all like to believe that elves exist somewhere. But I am here to debunk a few myths and facts that the rest of the world spreads about this country.

1. Myth: 55% of Icelanders believe in elves and trolls. The Facts: Like I said, the majority of Icelanders do not believe in elves and trolls. Don’t get me wrong – there are tons of magnificent folklore tales and stories to go with every waterfall and valley but they remain fictitious here in Iceland. (as far we can tell at least)
2. Myth: Most Icelanders do not lock up their bikes and leave their doors unlocked. The Facts: After some investigation and asking around, I found out that the locals here DO in fact lock their bikes up, and do not leave their doors unlocked at night. Iceland is definitely the most peaceful country I have ever been to but it does not dismiss the fact that there are some bad people out there!
3. Myth: Iceland is made up of only ice. The Facts: While the name might have you fooled… Iceland is not only made up of ice! Sure, during the winter months it is bright white with snow and the sidewalks are slippery from ice. But it doesn’t take long for the snow and ice to melt and reveal the most lush green valleys you could ever imagine.
4. Myth: All Icelanders eat whales. The Facts: While whale meat is definitely on some restaurant menus, and it was once a traditional dish… most locals do not eat whale meat regularly and it is left as an old tradition (or a tourists’ delicacy)
5. Myth: There are penguins in Iceland. The Facts: Nope. Despite the Arctic feel, there are no penguins in Iceland but there are puffins!

So here are a few of the misconceptions I learnt of, that the rest of the world has towards Iceland.

Comment if you can think of any more I missed!

Iceland has been judged the most peaceful country in the world by the Institute for Economics and Peace – for the fifth year in a row.

Not only has Iceland’s landscape convinced me it might be the most beautiful place on earth, but it is also the most peaceful country I think I’ve ever been to.  I don’t have a car living here, so I walk everywhere. Not once have I felt threatened or scared walking down the road at night in downtown Reykjavík. The first time I ever saw a baby in a carriage sitting alone on the side walk while Mom had run into the store, I was totally shocked. There are so many other parts of the world where this would be ultimately dangerous but there’s something different about Iceland.

In comparison to the rest of the world, Iceland has a very low level of violence. Some people believe it is due to the high social equality, you will not see the juxtaposition of the rich and the poor as clearly as you can in other countries.  The absence of violence results in the police not having to carry guns. Yes, you heard me correct… the police do not have to carry guns here! That fact alone speaks for the whole country’s peacefulness.

It is no secret that the rest of the world is fighting over oil and other energy sources, but Iceland is far removed from that. The energy sources here in Iceland are mostly taken from  natural renewable resources. The geysers and geothermal energy make up most of the country’s power source, this is now Iceland is able to be almost entirely energy independent from the rest of the world. The earth is literally fueling their country. When you turn on the tap for hot water, there is no tank in the basement electrically heating your water, it is being pumped from through a network of pipes from the ground to your tap. The volcanic activity on the island does all the work! No one can own the volcanoes or control them, so no one is fighting.

With the absence of real fighting, Iceland has no military presence. And it’s not that they can’t afford it! They would just rather put their money towards the Iceland Crisis Response Unit (ICRU), which contributes to peacekeeping missions. I don’t think it is any coincidence that the most peaceful country on earth has not need for an army. Most of us have this idea that military presence “keeps the peace” but I see it as the opposite. One of the main reasons Iceland has peaceful law is the amount of people living in the country. With a small population the need for heavy enforcement is minimal.

Almost all education in Iceland is paid for and provided by the country. With a higher level of overall education comes respect for one another. **

And lastly, Yoko Ono built her Imagine Peace Tower on an island called Viðey just off the coast of Reykjavík. She chose Reykjavik because there is no war and no pollution. Her tower symbolizes a continual campaign for world peace and she thought fit perfectly with Icelandic lives.

By: Kelsey Heide

Gullfoss waterfall is part of the Golden Circle sights. A must do if you are visiting Iceland! It is located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland. The water rushes down in two stages, one drop is 11 meters, the other 22, falling down into a rugged canyon. I visited in the winter so many parts of the waterfall were frozen. It felt like an added bonus to watch the water cascading around it’s own “blockages” so to speak. You can view the waterfall from directly above, or walk further down to see it at eye level. In the summer you can walk closer but in the winter it is too icy and therefore unsafe without crampons. But to really get a grasp at this waterfalls enormity and strength, you have to see if from above. Our helicopters can fly along the Golden Circle and you can witness this natural wonder from the air.

The power of the Gullfoss waterfall was desired by foreign investors in the early 20th century to produce electricity. When an englishmen wanted to buy the waterfall from Tómas Tómasson, a farmer who owned the land, the farmer’s daughter, Sigriður Tómasdóttir, became outraged. Tómas ended up leasing the waterfall to the englishmen so Sigriður used her own savings to hire a lawyer to defend her case in voiding this contract. She walked barefoot to Reykjavík from the waterfall, and she even went as far as threatening to throw herself in the river if construction on the power plant began. Finally the company backed away, but her determination and passion for the waterfall had sparked people’s attention to the need for preservation of the natural environment. It is for this reason that Sigriður Tómasdóttir is often referred to as the first environmentalist of Iceland.

So when you visit this waterfall, you are not only witnessing a natural wonder, but you are also at a site with historical significance.

By: Kelsey Heide