these rides soar past some of the great landmarks, passing directly around the contours of corcovado, where at the peak stands proud the statue of christ the redeemer, the sugarloaf mountain, as well as tijuca forest, to marvel upon the lush fauna that resides in the heart of the city, another one of rio's many topographical quirks.

passengers can also gain a privileged view of some of the more wealthy and stylish neighbourhoods of the city, such as leblon, ipanema and copacabana, and consider how they interact with the colourful, sprawling communities and favelas that surround them - the golden beaches that outline the city, take on a scenic sheen from the helicopter's altitude.

companies such as 'helisight', offer 8 different flight itineraries around rio, ranging from 6 to 60 minutes, and passengers are provided with a brochure to supplement their knowledge and understanding of the excursion.