Lava on helicopter tours recently?

Has anyone done a helicopter tour on Hawaii since the Kilauea lava flow has been going inland rather than into the ocean?

Did you see any interesting volcanic activity?

It seems like you can't hike to see the lava flows at the moment so a helicopter would be the only way to see anything. But I wonder if they are allowed to fly anywhere near the eruption?

I would also be interested in any recent hiking experiences on the crater rim trail.

Just came back from Big Island last week. As of today there is no viewing of lava anywhere (too bad) as current flow is going underground through existing fissures and into forests, sadly heading toward Pahoa village. There is no ocean entry of lava. Lava does what lava wants to do so things could change by the time you get there. Keep monitoring hvo.gov for current updates on lava. Be aware that lava is currently flowing on private property and federal reserve lands which are closed becausel of lava danger. No tour operator has legal permissions to take hiking tours to current lava flow. Always check with park rangers about legality and safety of hiking to lava flow.

Hiking throughout Hawaii Volcanos National Park is spectacular. The park is now a UNESCO Heritage Site. Because of recent Kilaua eruptions some of the trails have been closed or partially closed. Your best bet is to stop by the visitor's center and the incredibly helpful rangers will give you current trail conditions and amazing trail maps. Stay for the movie update which runs every half hour as it will give you really great views of current lava flows. I did crater rim trail and encountered everyhing from sunny conditions to pretty good downpours. Just go prepared for everything. Volcanos National Park is amazing.

This page has some pictures that Raina took on her helicopter ride the other day.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2100021&page=10

I will answer my own question. My family (except me) went on a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian from Hilo a couple of weeks ago. The pictures they came back with look very similar to Raina's ones. They were all very happy with what they saw and enjoyed the flight, but there was not a lot of lava seen.

As of Oct. 7, the FAA has restricted flights over the lava flow. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.kitv.com/news/faa-restricts-airspace-above-hawaii-lava-flow/28992040?absolute=true

It really doesn't matter that much, as others have said there's not much lava to see. However - that doesn't mean you shouldn't do a helicopter tour; there's still so much beauty and spectacular sights even without lava that it's something everyone should do at least once in their lives.