Flying on a plane is one thing, flying on a helicopter is a totally different experience.
Soaring above majestic landscapes, skimming over azure waters, and gazing down upon iconic landmarks from a bird's eye view, these are just some of the things that can only be experienced while flying in a helicopter.
This is because helicopters offer unparalleled access to remote and breathtaking locations that are often inaccessible by traditional means.
People also fly on helicopters from the thrills.
And a tourist flying over the Grand Canyon learned it the hard way, when she was scolded by the pilot.
"No no no, that will kill us!" the pilot said.
A tourist who happened to be sitting at the back seat, captured a near-disaster moment during their helicopter flight over the national park in the east of Las Vegas.
TikTok user Cherlin95 posted the footage, and has since gone viral for a good reason.
In the video, a tourist in the front seat tries to grab a lever during their flight, obviously not realizing the seriousness of what she’s doing.
The pilot stopped her just in time.
The lever in question, is the level for the helicopter's rotor brake.
Pulling it will mechanically enables the brakes at the main rotor, which would create enough friction to deliberately slow its rotation down.
Helicopters rely on their main rotor, which has blades, to generate lift and maneuver through the skies. But when it comes time to land or perform maintenance, it's crucial to have a reliable system in place to stop those blades in their tracks, and hold them in place.
The rotor brake consists of hydraulic brake pads or calipers that clamp down on the rotor hub, effectively halting the rotation of the blades.
Pulling the level will apply pressure to the hub, bringing the rotor to a gentle and controlled stop.
Some helicopter pilots weighed in too, explaining the danger of what almost happened.
"All safety measures go out the window if that brake is activated," one said.
"So it’s a big no no. Nobody touches that handle, not even the pilot. You only touch it when the helicopter’s on the ground," said another
It's worth noting that the lever can indeed be pulled mid-flight, but only on emergency procedures, like in the event of a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
A skilled pilot might perform a maneuver known as a "yaw control" or "anti-torque control" to counteract the helicopter's tendency to spin uncontrollably.
But on normal operations, and especially when the pilot isn't ready, pulling the brakes can result in a loss of control, instability, or even catastrophic consequences.
When pulled mid-flight, and the rotor slows, it requires the engine to provide more torque to regain its rotor speed. If brake pressure is too high, then engine will not be able to speed up the rotor to a speed sufficient for the blades to create a lift.
Due to how crucial it is, a helicopter's rotor brake is required by law and for airworthiness regulations, and that lever must be made accessible by the pilot at all circumstances, or it wouldn't serve it's purpose.
Helicopters are marvels of engineering, finely tuned for flight, and tampering with their delicate balance mid-air could spell disaster.
While most commenters blamed the woman, some saw things from the passenger’s perspective.
The pilot is seen reaching for the lever, for whatever reason, and that the woman might have seen that as a gesture to hold or even pull what he touched.
Others are just confused as to why the lever was so easily accessible to passengers if it was so dangerous, and why didn't the designers of the helicopter just put in on the pilot's side.
That is "not the best spot for a deadly lever," said another.
Some suggests that they put a big warning label on the lever, at least.
Following the virality of the video, a lot of Q&A posts and users on forums began asking and explaining the lever and its use.