The traffic snarls leading to and from the Speedway during EDC weekend are legendary. Nearly everyone has a story about them. (I was once trapped in the Speedway lot for three hours—and that was after nearly two hours of walking, because my friend had forgotten where she parked.) It’s little wonder that helicopter sightseeing tour Maverick (maverickhelicopter.com) does strong business shuttling festivalgoers to EDC and back—a breezy, scenic 15-minute flight.

“This will be our 13th year of working with EDC. We’ve been a part of it every year since it’s been in Las Vegas,” says Bryan Kroten, Maverick’s VP of marketing. “It’s been a great partnership, and it’s evolved since year one, when we had two helicopters, and we did not have one single booking prior to the event date. Let’s just say that 13 years later, it’s a little different.”

Maverick’s luxury helicopter flights—$650 one-way and $950 round-trip, with special rates available for multiple-passenger private charters—essentially extend the festival’s footprint to the company’s south-Strip terminal, which is transformed with a “nightclub-type feel,” complete with a full bar, photo opportunities and a live DJ. More than 1,000 people will fly to EDC on any given night of the festival, and that number might include more than a few surprise passengers.

“The really cool thing for a lot of guests is they could be flying out—let’s say at 9 or 10 p.m.—and their favorite DJ could be flying out at the same time,” Kroten says.

Kroten adds that despite the large number of repeat customers—“We’ve been seeing some of these faces 10, 12 years in a row”—bookings are still available for EDC 2023. “We encourage guests to keep checking with us. And we do have a standby option. … If guests come to our lobby before 8 p.m. or on the returns before 4 a.m., we’ll be able to get them out in a decent time.”

And, by the way, Maverick does fly pretty much directly over the gridlock. “That is something I can guarantee: We’ll see a lot of brake lights,” Kroten says.

Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!