Best Hawaiian helicopter tour?

I am trying to plan out my excursions for my Hawaiian cruise. I want to do a helicopter tour on one of the islands and was just wondering which one might be the best. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

I am trying to plan out my excursions for my Hawaiian cruise. I want to do a helicopter tour on one of the islands and was just wondering which one might be the best. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

We did two Blue Hawaiian tours, one on Maui and the other on the Big Island. There are many types of tours available, so read descriptions carefully to see that the tour matches what you hope to see.

Memories include many many waterfalls on Maui, seeing whales in the ocean, lava vents and lava boiling into the ocean. Many many pictures taken, as well as buying the video afterwards.

Never had a problem communicating with the pilots, and both answered questions along the tours through good quality headsets.

Almost every helitour company has had at least one accident in the last 20 yrs, so look at each company's official safety rating, not what they claim.

Enjoy!

I am trying to plan out my excursions for my Hawaiian cruise. I want to do a helicopter tour on one of the islands and was just wondering which one might be the best. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

'evandbob' provided first hand experiences & as they said all have had crashes but having a career of flying helicopters (not sightseeing) that is a rare occurrence. In addition to their experiences another option would be Kauai's Na Pali remote coastline.

If lava is flowing into the ocean from the Big Island's Kilauea area, helicopter rides will be in great demand. If not flowing, it wouldn't be my first choice as you could drive through VNP and/or to waterfalls such as Akaka & Rainbow. Kauai is a lush green island but that's because Mt Waialeale has the highest recorded rainfall totals & has the Alakai swamp. The Na Pali coast is only accessible by aircraft, boat or hiking.

If choosing one island, my choice would be Maui because of the varying terrain from the dormant volcano Haleakala to the Hana coast rainforests.

What type of helicopter would be another consideration for me & I would only fly in a turbine powered (AS-350, EC-135, Bell 206 or MD/Hughes 500) and not in a piston powered helicopter. Turbine (AKA jet) engines are more reliable & powerful. I've flown in helicopters without doors & it was fine for me but isn't for everyone & is exposed to the elements unlike air conditioned helicopters with closed doors.

I've read posts from people who were happy with a generally less expensive airplane sightseeing tour. You lose the helicopters maneuverability but it's also more affordable. As I recall, helicopters & airplanes have similar altitude restrictions to minimize noise on the ground but you could research further to determine if that's a factor for you.

Thanks! I have not really considered much in the way of anything else but scenery. This means I definitely need to do more research.

I am trying to plan out my excursions for my Hawaiian cruise. I want to do a helicopter tour on one of the islands and was just wondering which one might be the best. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

We just used Jack Harter Helicopter in Kauai. We did the doors off 60 minute excursion. It was fantastic! They picked us up at the cruiseport, and afterwards dropped us off back off. Their safety record is phenomenal. The copter went places humans couldn't go. Pilot gave great commentary. Look them up on TripAdvisor. We used them 33 years ago on our honeymoon, and had Jack himself take us up. (he still owns company and runs day to day business in the office) I guess for a company to still be in business 33 years later is a great testimonial!

All aircraft tours are just about equally safe because the FAA requirements are pretty strict as far as safety procedures and maintenance. And because the tours are so competitive, tour operators can't afford bad publicity as a result of bad procedures.

The airplanes give very good tours and their narrow fuselage design allows a better view than the helicopters. But they are more limited on flight paths near some of popular sites. We personally didn't see much of difference between the helicopter and airplane flight paths, but flight paths are dependent on the weather and we may not have flown the helicopter on an optimal day.

If you want a really good view (especially if you are photographer), then choose the helicopters that remove the doors. It might sound a little intimidating at first, but you get comfortable with the open air pretty quickly and what a view. Take a jacket because the breeze can be a little cool.

The other helicopters with doors provide a great tour, but their bigger structural design limits the visibility for the passengers sitting in the middle seats. If you happen to be seated in the middle, well you will be reliant on the generosity of the passengers by the windows sitting back and not blocking the view with too many pictures. You don't really have a choice of seats because aircraft design limits require the heavier passengers sit in the middle. I weigh 170 lbs and was seated in the middle.

One last bit of advice, place your cameras as close to the windows as possible to limit the reflection off the glass. If pictures are important for your experience, then tour with the helicopters without doors or consider the airplane tour. The windows in the airplane have less reflection because they are flat, and every passenger sits next to the window.

Burt

All aircraft tours are just about equally safe because the FAA requirements are pretty strict as far as safety procedures and maintenance. And because the tours are so competitive, tour operators can't afford bad publicity as a result of bad procedures.

 

The airplanes give very good tours and their narrow fuselage design allows a better view than the helicopters. But they are more limited on flight paths near some of popular sites. We personally didn't see much of difference between the helicopter and airplane flight paths, but flight paths are dependent on the weather and we may not have flown the helicopter on an optimal day.

 

If you want a really good view (especially if you are photographer), then choose the helicopters that remove the doors. It might sound a little intimidating at first, but you get comfortable with the open air pretty quickly and what a view. Take a jacket because the breeze can be a little cool.

 

The other helicopters with doors provide a great tour, but their bigger structural design limits the visibility for the passengers sitting in the middle seats. If you happen to be seated in the middle, well you will be reliant on the generosity of the passengers by the windows sitting back and not blocking the view with too many pictures. You don't really have a choice of seats because aircraft design limits require the heavier passengers sit in the middle. I weigh 170 lbs and was seated in the middle.

 

One last bit of advice, place your cameras as close to the windows as possible to limit the reflection off the glass. If pictures are important for your experience, then tour with the helicopters without doors or consider the airplane tour. The windows in the airplane have less reflection because they are flat, and every passenger sits next to the window.

 

Burt

Even though I am not the author of this thread I thank you for your detailed description. I have found it very helpful in my search of determining whether I do a helicopter tour or a plane tour of Kauai. Appreciate your input

If anyone does the doors-off tour - just be warned- it gets really windy and chilly once in the air. It was also raining as we went over parts of Kauai. We wore pants, windbreakers with long sleeves under them and were still chilly! We saw some people go on the door-off with shorts and t-shirts - they were frozen when they got back on the ground!

I'm extremely thankful for all the replies. This has really helped me decide the type of tour I want

What helicopter co. or plane co would anyone recommend for Hilo?

We will be there in May. Is it as cool then when in the air?

Kamokuna Ocean Entry. (1.29.17) PC: USGS/HVO

The US Coast Guard is ramping up enforcement in response to a perceived increase in illegal tour boat charters operating in the area of the Kīlauea lava ocean entry at Kamokuna on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.

In the last 24 hours, the Coast Guard reports that it has identified two tour boats operating illegally out of Pohoiki Boat Ramp.

“Safety is always our top priority,” said Capt. David McClellan, chief of prevention, Coast Guard 14th District. “For boat operators, it is important to maintain situational awareness and not unnecessarily put yourself, your passengers or your boat in danger. For visitors, it’s important they check that their hired boat operators are licensed ensuring they possess the experience and training required to get them to the viewing area and back safely.”

Commercial tour boat and charter operators must possess the appropriate merchant mariner credential to operate. Masters of commercial charters operating in state waters are also required by the State of Hawaiʻi to have a permit from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and to keep that permit on the vessel.

For vessels carrying six or fewer passengers for hire, the operator must possess a Coast Guard-issued operator of uninspected passenger vessel license and operate on near coastal waters not more than 100 miles offshore, as defined in 46 U.S.C. 2101 (42)(B).

For vessels carrying seven or more passengers for hire on vessels less than 100 gross tons (not including auxiliary sail), the operator must possess a Coast Guard-issued master of self-propelled vessel license to operate on near coastal waters. The vessel must also have a Coast Guard-issued certificate of inspection posted in a visible location.

According to the National Park Service, the spot where lava meets the ocean is one of the most dangerous areas of the park because it could potentially collapse, sending dangerous projectiles into the air. The steam emitted where lava meets the water contains hydrochloric acid and glass particles. Tour boat operators are urged to maintain a safe distance from both to ensure their safety as well as that of their passengers.

http://mauinow.com/2017/02/08/coast-guard-cracking-down-on-illegal-lava-boat-tours/

The state says only four legal boat tours can ferry visitors to lava. They are:

Lava Ocean Tours

Moku Nui Lava Tours

Kalapana Cultural Tours

Hawaiian Lava Boat Tours

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/34461176/coast-guard-seeks-to-stop-illegal-lava-tours

Has anyone done Safari Helicopters in Hilo?

Hi, Am wondering the same thing! Will be in Hilo Oct. 9.

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My wife and I did a Blue Hawaiian tour of Kauai. Definitely one of the most memorable things I have done in my life. The pilot did an incredible job of describing the sights. Helicopter was equipped with 4 cameras (front, left, right, and cabin) that recorded the flight. When you landed, you had the option to purchase a BluRay disk of your flight. I still watch that movie every few months. In Kauai, the helicopter flight is definitely the way to see the island as you can fly over private property and to areas that don't have roads.

We did two helicopter flights on our trip last year. On both flights it was just us and we had the doors off. For both we chose companies where we didn't have to share the helicopter with other people and everybody gets a window seat.

In Hilo we did the flight over the Pu'u O'o steam vent and it was amazing. With the doors off you could feel the heat of the lava, this was my favourite of the two flights. The other flight was in Kauai which was also amazing but was just pipped by the Hilo flight.

In my signature is a link to my blog where I wrote about the flights, among other things, including plenty of photos of each flight.

Thx for the input, folks! Have helicoptered in both Alaska, and the Grand Canyon, so thinking Hawaii is a must do, too!

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Do the Helicopter tours pick you up at cruise port? How far are the airports from ships? deciding to book tour on my own or with Princess (which I think is $$$) although if taxi's are super expensive to airport it may be worth it. Thanks. On my bucket list to do a helicopter tour

We were picked up just outside the ship at Nawiliwili Harbor. It's been a few years since we went but my memory is the drive to the airport was 10 minutes or less. My wife booked our trip outside of NCL since it was cheaper.

We have booked Safari Helicopter tour in Hilo in May. They pick up and drop off at port.

They were a really good price online!

I think it is important to tell you that if you are claustrophobic, a helicopter ride is a bad idea unless you are guaranteed a seat in the front. I know this from my own experience. I hate to be a wet blanket, but claustrophobic individuals need to know this before they get on the helicopter. On my ride, they initially had me squished into the back area. I begged to get off, but the tour van had already left. The pilot recognized my problem, and he put me in the front. The panic subsided immediately when I had some space. I'll never know if my panic would have eventually subsided in the back seat....but I do know that I won't ever do it again unless I have assurance that I will get a seat in the front. [since I'll probably never have that guarantee, it's doubtful I'll ever get up in a helicopter again].

Do the Helicopter tours pick you up at cruise port? How far are the airports from ships? deciding to book tour on my own or with Princess (which I think is $$$) although if taxi's are super expensive to airport it may be worth it. Thanks. On my bucket list to do a helicopter tour

What port are you sailing into ? With our POA cruise, Blue Hawaiian picked us up and returned us to the pier.

Make sure you check the ships tour price versus online with the helicopter company. You will see a big difference in price and not favouring the cruise line.

We will be on the Star Princess; Hilo,Maui, Kauai and Honolulu. Thanks.

We did Jack Harter on Kauai, which was AMAZING.

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I am taking my first trip to Hawaii and am looking to take a Helicopter tour, and will be on the POA. I am looking at Blue Hawaiian and the island of Kauai. It offers an AM and PM trip, which would be the best?

Cindy

I am taking my first trip to Hawaii and am looking to take a Helicopter tour, and will be on the POA. I am looking at Blue Hawaiian and the island of Kauai. It offers an AM and PM trip, which would be the best?

 

Cindy

In terms of weather and visibility, a morning reservation is best. I think we took the first time slot of the am. In Hawaii, clouds tend to start gathering in the upper elevations in the early afternoon and often there can be showers. I'm sure Blue Hawaii won't fly if it's not safe, but they may take you up in light showers. I read a trip report from someone who flew in those conditions, into and out of light showers, clouds and mist, rainbows everywhere and they were quite pleased. The weather is unpredictable, so I'd just go with the time which best fits your other plans for the two days there. Barring a complete washout, it will be a breathtaking flight regardless.