The Grand Canyon is a massive geological masterpiece that is more than a mile deep and 277 miles long. Most visitors see only a fraction of the "crack" when the tour the South Rim. If you want to see it all, book a flight on an airplane tour.

South Rim flights leave daily from Grand Canyon Airport. The facility is located in a town called Tusayan just 10 minutes from the National Park's front gate. The airport is a flurry of activity (including helicopter) and functions as the primary base for incoming and outgoing South Rim air traffic.

Scenic Airlines is one of the primary operators of this popular "flightseeing" tour. These businesses and others use an aircraft called the Vistaliner. This aircraft seats 19 people and was designed specifically for sightseeing and features large viewing windows. In addition, most planes include in-flight narration about fascinating facts and history about the Grand Canyon as you fly above it.

Typical air tours depart the Grand Canyon National Park Airport and head for the eastern portion of the Canyon. During this stage of the tour, you'll see such wondrous sights like Zuni Point and the Zuni Corridor, the Painted Desert, the Desert Watchtower, the expansive and solitary Navajo Indian Reservation, and the upper Colorado River.

The route turns northward, passing Temple Butte, then bears west along the North Rim (the greatest distance between the North Rim and the South Rim is 18 miles), and it's here where you'll get fantastic aerial views of the Kaibab Plateau and the largest stand of Ponderosa Pine forest in the U.S. You'll approach Imperial Point, the highest of its kind in the canyon, and then head back to the airport via the Dragoon Corridor, the widest, deepest part in the entire National Park.

Total tour time averages about 50 minutes. If you can, I suggest you get a window seat on the right side of the plane for the best views and pictures (seating is usually assigned at check-in). Expect to pay on average $125 per adult and $90 for a child. You can get better rates if you book on the Internet.

Several operators offer air tours from Vegas, NV, to the South Rim, where you will deplane and board a sightseeing bus. The bus-tour segment is three hours with key stops at select Grand Canyon lookout points such as Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Center, and Hermit's Rest. Flight time from Vegas to the South Rim is approximately 45 minutes.

Grand Canyon airplane tours are the #1 way to see the National Park in all its glory. You'll see more in an hour than most will in days on the ground. Flights leave from Grand Canyon Airport, which is conveniently located just 10 minutes from the rim. From a cost perspective, these trips are under-priced. To get the absolute best deal, shop the Internet. There are deals out there that take up to 35 % off the retail price. That is guaranteed to change as more travelers discover these air tours. In the meantime, the sky's the limit!