'Copter company comes up with creative combinations

Bird's-eye tours of South Florida beaches are high on this young helicopter company's varied menu.

And, if you've yearned to pilot a chopper, Str8 Up Aviation also offers instruction, including an introductory lesson.

There's also Heli-Yoga — a service combining a helicopter flight and a yoga session at a secluded and scenic destination.

Tania Melkonian is company managing director and yoga instructor; husband Gavin Cresswell is a U.S. and Canada-certified and licensed helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

The couple worked in the ocean cruise industry for many years before Gavin went to helicopter school, preparing for their shift to business ownership.

"There's nobody here that does what we do, full-time," Melkonian said.

Varied and growing uses

That doesn't mean other helicopter companies don't do business here. Executive charter flights, disaster relief and aerial photography are some of the big business drivers.

Of the more-than-3,500 members of the Helicopter Association International, "many provide tours," said spokesman David Riddy.

London Helicopters, an offshoot of the London Aviation Group, has been a regional player for more than 25 years. The company is based at Naples Municipal Airport, offering charter flights, sightseeing, aerial photography/videography, flight instruction and helicopter sales and service.

The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village recently launched a "Heavenly Helicopter Nuptials" package that includes an arrival or departure for up to two people on a private helicopter ride, provided by O'Brien Helicopters, a Lehigh Acres company that bases its Southwest Florida flight operations out of Immokalee Airport.

Melkonian and Cresswell, who live in Bonita Springs with their 6-year-old son, started the company about a year ago. They base their leased, four-seat Robinson R44 chopper at Fort Myers' Page Field, and also serve clients from Naples Municipal Airport.

The business mix currently is about evenly divided between tourism-related services and flight instruction, Melkonian said.

During the past year, Str8 Up Aviation has stepped up its marketing, tapping into the expertise of the Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Looking for coastal locations

The couple hope to expand their tourist niche, and are working to secure one or more permits for landing closer to Lee County's beaches.

"If people can easily take the tours … it will only bring more attention to the area," Melkonian said.

One of their offerings is a tour along about 30 miles of area coastline. It lasts about 30 minutes, and has a $300 price tag. Three passenger seats make cost-sharing easier.

The origins of the company name, Str8 Up, seem obvious based on a helicopter's vertical take-off capability.

There's another meaning, according to Cresswell: While shopping for helicopter flight instruction for himself, he noticed companies often were vague in detailing the expense and the time needed for completing training.

He wanted his company to be "straight up" about such things.

"For people making career changes, this training is a big step," Cresswell said. "People need to know, to budget."

Try 'copter at Aviation Day

• WHAT: Str8 Up Aviation will offer very brief helicopter rides for $25 per person at Aviation Day 2014.

• WHEN: 10 a..m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8

• WHERE: Page Field, North Airport Road at U.S. 41, Fort Myers.

• FREEBIES: Parking, shuttle service, event admission and children's activities, vintage-airplane viewing.

• FOR SALE: Plane and helicopter rides, food and beverages

• HOST: Lee County Port Authority

• LEND A HAND: Canned food donations for Harry Chapin Food Bank are welcome