Sure, they’re noisy. But for some views you can’t beat an Alaska helicopter tour.

There's no getting around it: Helicopters are noisy. Unlike most jet flights, you absolutely need ear protection. And helicopters are tiny. There's no place for your backpack. But don't forget your camera.

Did I mention the vibration? While snapshots turn out OK, it's tough to get a passable video since your hands are shaking so hard.

Still, the cramped, noisy, bouncy ride is worthwhile when you see what you can do in a helicopter.

Earlier this week in Juneau, I stood at Era Helicopter's launch pad across Gastineau Channel from Juneau on Douglas Island. Out of nowhere, three helicopters descended and landed in a semi-circle. Before going outside, each of the passengers had been issued a fold-up life vest that we wore around our waists, plus glacier boots for walking on the crushed ice of the glacier.

Five of us climbed into the A-Star 350, although there are six places (two in front with the pilot and four in back).

After our safety briefing, including a special warning not to jettison the door unless instructed to do so by the pilot, the helicopter started to shake as the blades turned faster. Suddenly we were off the pad and over the water. We rose quickly over the channel for a bird's-eye view of Juneau before we headed south over the community of Douglas.

While most people think of Gastineau Channel as a waterway where cruise ships sail alongside fishing boats and fuel barges, it's also an active runway. Right next to the cruise ships that dock alongside downtown, Wings Airways operates a fleet of floatplanes that takes visitors out to a lodge on the Taku River. Also, Alaska Airlines 737s were using the channel approach to the airport in the Mendenhall Valley.

Although our headsets were equipped with microphones so we could talk to the pilot, in the safety briefing they asked us not to do so for the first few minutes. Now I could see why.

While we made our way up to 3,000 feet, the pilot was making good time, traveling about 150 miles per hour southbound over Douglas Island. The other two helicopters were nearby and, on cue, they all made a turn to the east. After crossing the channel, we skimmed over the tops of the mountains overlooking Juneau, which rise up sharply from the water's edge. It's quite a sensation to see the helicopter closing in to meet the mountain, then having it drop away as you come over the other side.

Just as we rose suddenly off the helicopter pad, our pilot dropped down into a valley on the other side of the mountain to see a waterfall and make our way out to the Taku Glacier.

South of Juneau, the Taku Glacier is the biggest and best-known glacier. Typically the toe of the glacier breaks off at the river and there is a dark-blue patch of old ice visible as you fly by.

The mission for the flight was to land on a glacier so we could get out and see the crevasses (from a safe distance), the waterfalls and the unique qualities of the glacier's surface. But our pilot had to balance the wind, the rain and the cloud cover to find a safe and stable place to land. In addition to the Taku Glacier, there are two other nearby glaciers (all of which flow out of the giant Juneau Icefield): the Norris Glacier and Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier. Eventually, all three helicopters landed on Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier for a quick stroll. We were instructed to stay close-in, no more than 300 yards from the helicopter. Nearby there was an ice wall with several waterfalls in the background. All three pilots were busy taking photos for people, although they also were keeping a close eye on the weather.

The Taku Glacier trip is just one of several helicopter adventures offered in Juneau. Alaska's capital city is uniquely situated for choppers. The landing spot on the glacier is about 15 minutes by air from the pad. While Era flies south to the Taku, TEMSCO Helicopters flies from the Juneau Airport north to the Mendenhall Glacier. TEMSCO also flies the A-Star 350. You can choose the glacier landing tour, but one of the most popular cruise ship excursions is the dog mushing tour on the glacier.

If you want to do more than walk around for a few minutes, NorthStar Trekking offers a longer trek on the Mendenhall Glacier, complete with climbing gear and ice axes. This includes some stiff boots and crampons, a helmet and a harness.

You don't have to go to Juneau to fly in a helicopter to a glacier. Alpine Air offers trips from Girdwood Airport up to one of the glaciers in the Chugach Mountains. Which one you land on depends on the weather and conditions on the glacier, which can change rapidly. Alpine Air flies the R-44 Robinson helicopter, which holds the pilot and up to three passengers. When you lift off from Girdwood Airport, you get a great view of Alyeska Resort, the tram and the Roundhouse closer to the top of the mountain.

Up near the Knik Glacier, the Knik River Lodge typically has a couple of helicopters sitting in the front yard, operated by Tanalian Aviation. Depending on how many folks want to fly to the glacier, you will fly either an R-44 or an A-Star 350 up to the glacier. In the summer, Knik River Lodge offers both a glacier landing package and a dog-sledding option. In the spring, the lodge is set up for helicopter skiing.

Like the Taku Glacier, the Knik Glacier has a dramatic face that comes up to the water. As the big ice chunks fall off, the deep blue color of the old ice makes for a dramatic photo. And it's less than a 10-minute flight from the lodge to the glacier.

As a certified "avgeek," I love all things-with-wings. And here in Alaska, planes offer the fastest and most convenient way to take you where you're going — fast. But when steep mountains and rugged terrain limit your ability to take off and land on a runway close to your destination, it's time to buckle up, put on your headset and take off in a helicopter!

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@alaskatravelGRM) and alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.

[After years of globe-hopping, professional travel blogger picks Anchorage to be her hometown]

[Explore Greece, Bali, Spain or Japan – here's how to get there]