Helicopter Tours on the Big Island

[rotor91]

The wife and I are going in Aug., looking for some pros/cons on the tour companies on the Big Island. We'll be staying on the Kona side of the island. Any help would be great! The wife checked out the book: "Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed", and they didn't say nice things about the tour companies, it's expensive, and they're scattered on the island. Also, they start around $280 per person...YIKES! BTW, the book series from above, are excellent for any of the islands in Hawaii, they print at least one issue per year, because they update the books annually!

 

Thanks in advance!

R91

Rob

[Darkhorse]

I was stationed in Hawaii for 5 years but havent been there since 96'. I'm sure alot has changed since then but the "better" tour operator was Blue Hawaii. The MANY water falls and volcano is worth the price of admission. I took alot of video of the falls and volcano when I was a UH-1 crewchief if you decide the tour is to expensive .

[Kelly N.]

My wife took a tour on Kauai with Safari Helicopter Tours for under $200/person (she got the deal on the internet prior to leaving). She really enjoyed it and they were setup with a camera on the ship so she got to take back a video of the tour.

 

Not sure if they operate on the big island, but it's worth checking out. This was late last year so, the season might have affected the rate.

 

Kelly

[helichopperpirate]

The best way to save some $$$ is to get closer to the action. Starting from Hilo will get you that. The tours out of and around Kona are very big $$$, but booking online can save you a few dollars on most of them. I've done the Paradise Helicopters doors off tour from Hilo in the MD500 and had a great time. The pilot was very friendly and seemed to have lots of knowledge about the area we were flying over.

 

Check the Tropical helicopters link. It has the best price on a 45 minute tour. Funny thing about Tropical is that they operate as Paradise Helicopters?

http://www.tropicalhelicopters.com/index.php

http://paradisecopters.com/

 

http://www.safarihelicopters.com/bigislandtours.html

 

http://www.bluehawaiian.com/bigisland/video/

 

http://www.sunshinehelicopters.com/hawaii/tours/hawaii.html

[slick1537]

While the books are pretty good about most stuff, but it failed us on more than one occasion when we went to Kauai. If you have never been to Hawaii you are in for a real treat. We scheduled our tour online months in advance, however when we got to the island, we found that those little activity booths scattered all over the islands can usually do it for cheaper. What happened was we canceled the flight like a day before, then ended up getting the same exact time slot and operator through the little activity booth. My girlfriends parents got tickets for less than $100 a person for a 55 minute flight, but they had to do a 3 hour time share presentation the next day. Her dad says it wasn't that bad, they even fed them a nice free lunch there, but you just have to be ready to turn them down when they try to get you to buy. My girlfriend and I were not eligible for the time share, but even so we still got tickets through the activity booth for like 30-40 bucks cheaper per seat than reserving online through the companies website.

 

Then again some of the booths are better than others, we went to a different one at the condo we were staying at and they wanted to charge us a lot more. I would schedule online then cancel when you get there if you find a better deal.

[rotor91]

Thanks for the advice ALL! Found out today, the wife cancelled the trip to Kona! She wasn't into Kona, so we're looking into going back to Kauai...which we loved! Probably some time this year, but not sure when!

 

Tour in Kauai: Air Kauai..I believe!

Kauai

 

Closest I've come to flying as of LATE!

Pico

 

R91

[Chopperjess]

I LOVE Kauai! That is my favorite island. We took an ATV Tour out there... That was a blast (You WILL get muddy to no end).. I'll get you the name of it. It went right through all the greenery and it included a "lunch" type thingie. If I remember correctly, it wasn't very expensive either.

[Chopperjess]

Here you go

 

http://www.kauaiatv.com/

 

It was a blast when I went =D

[Kelly N.]

I LOVE Kauai! That is my favorite island. We took an ATV Tour out there... That was a blast (You WILL get muddy to no end).. I'll get you the name of it. It went right through all the greenery and it included a "lunch" type thingie. If I remember correctly, it wasn't very expensive either.

 

 

Another suggestion: My wife did a zip line tour while in Kauai that she really enjoyed. She also had a blast on the zodiac boat tours. She said it was a bit rough and might be a bit much for some people if the wind is stronger than normal, but that it was one of the most fun activities she did.

 

Hope you have fun (I'm sure you will).

 

Kelly - hoping to go to Kauai with the wife later this year if I can get the grandparents to watch the kids

[Chopperjess]

I did the zodiac as well. That was definetely fun!

[adam32]

I did a tour with Heli-USA (A-Star) out of the Princeville Airport on Kauai. It was really pretty nice. The pilot was great and very knowledgeable about the Island. We just went right out to the Airport and told them we wanted to do a tour. Then we got there and the bumped us up a level for the same price. No complaints about Heli-USA.

 

Oh, and while your there, don't forget to eat at The Beach House, and the Blue Dolphin. Both GREAT places!

[slick1537]

When we went to Kauai it was like a week after they had 2 helicopter crashes in the same week, so that was a big buzz around the island. Heli-USA was one of them, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17526915/ inter-island helicopters was the other company that had a fatality about a week later. Needless to say, all operators have accidents, but I don't know I would want to fly with them.

 

Having been to Maui, and also Kauai I would go to Maui again. I would consider going to Maui or Oahu if you haven't been there. I really want to visit Oahu sometime.

 

On a side note, does anyone else want to fly in Hawaii as part of their career?

[Wannabe1]

Hey Slick1537...

 

I was also on Kauai shortly after the crashes. We were scheduled to go up on Inter-Island. Well, of course my wife was already pretty reluctant to go up, but it was still a maybe. We got there and kept calling Inter-Island and they would say it was too windy today and weren't flying, but that they were planning to be flying on our scheduled day. Hmmm, everyone else was flying every day we were there. Finally drove down to the airport and the front of the place was closed up. Drove around back and two 'dudes were having a couple of beers in the hanger, okay more than a couple of beers. One came down and visited, nice guy, let the wife and kid sit in the 500. Told us several wonderful tales from his Vietnam days and stories of pulling wires across spans. He was a bit murky about flight status, but it sure seemed that they were grounded yet. Just before we left, a guy in an old pick-up did some doughnuts in the front parking lot. Our 'dude pulls a semi-auto out of his belt and waves it around, which of course caused the truck to race off. That, along with his hair raising stories and the crashes pretty much reduced to zero any chance I had of getting the wife to go up in a helicopter that week. And this was to have been my wifes intro to helicopters which was to be followed by getting her to let me get lessons. It has been a long hard slog of convincing and crashes aren't helpful, but she finally let me start my training for my PPL-helo this past Feb and now that I have the PPL, I am working on approval from her for some sort of purchase.

 

Anyway rotor91, I'm envious of your upcoming trip. Have a great time! That canyon really provides for some unbelievable hikes.

 

Tom

[slick1537]

Whats even more interesting is that the dude had a handgun in Hawaii, citizens can't pack there.

[rotor91]

Thanks for advice guys n' gals!

 

I think we're going to back to Kauai in September! We were there for 11 days for our honeymoon, stayed at the Grand Hyatt.....AWESOME HOTEL....expensive...but AWESOME!

 

We pretty much did everything while we were there, but we're going to do the Zodiac trip, and for sure the zip line....the wife's been wanting do that! Maybe a helicopter ride, but that's up in the air...no biggie if we do or don't! When we went on the helicopter tour, coming out of Waimea Canyon, the pilot put on Louie Armstrong...and the wife had tears in her eye's...pilot was startled to see this, and asked her if she was OK....and she just nodded...and said....it's just so beautiful HERE! She's a big softie! That was the best vacation I've ever had......we did what we want, ate whereever, drank whatever, and not to toot my horn, I planned all of the activities for the honeymoon....and it just turned out awesome!

 

Cheers...and happy Friday ALL!

R91

[Wannabe1]

Slick1537...

 

I'm not sure you are right on this. A couple of years ago I was looking at moving to Hawaii and was worried about how to ship my 44 mag and rifles to the big Island. They do allow handguns and and there was a way to get it there legally. I don't know if they have/are issuing carry permits in Hawaii, probably not many if any;

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_2061094_get-permit...led-weapon.html

 

http://www.magnum50.com/

 

 

But they do allow handguns so maybe this fellow would have been legal if the gun was visible in his belt (it wasn't) or if he did have a permit (not likely).

 

 

Whats even more interesting is that the dude had a handgun in Hawaii, citizens can't pack there.

 

Regards,

Tom

[Linc]

Kiowa Warrior Tours was pretty good. I've seen every single island in the state, although not the chain. I've seen Waipio Valley (think Jurassic Park and the S-76 descending vertically next to the waterfall), Kilauea Crater, Devil's Throat, and actual lava flowing on the Big Island. I've seen almost every inch of Oahu. I've seen Waiamea Canyon on Kuaui (led the tour, on the controls) and dropped off the edge of the world at the other end of it. In fact, it was on the North Shore of Kuaui that I saw the only whales that I've seen while flying, although I'd seen tons of dolphins, rays, sharks, and sea turtles. The cost is only slightly prohibitive; it was a six-year initial buy-in with an extensive vetting process. Not for everyone, but for having gone through it, I totally enjoyed flying in Hawaii. I know that tours in Hawaii can be expensive, but if you choose to afford it, you will enjoy the perspective shift.

 

Remembering Waipio Valley: The other aircraft flying with me decided to turn back closer to the mouth of the valley. That Valley is so huge that there is no way to truly appreciate its size from the air unless you see another aircraft in there. To the pilot, even though it is large, I perceived it as being tight, until I turned and saw I was still a quarter mile from the other aircraft and he was a safe distance from the western wall of the valley.

 

And after seeing our four aircraft flying around the Devil's Throat, a tour operator remarked on the CTAF, "It's like Apocalypse Now around here today."

 

Good times.

[Kelly N.]

Kiowa Warrior Tours was pretty good. I've seen every single island in the state, although not the chain. I've seen Waipio Valley (think Jurassic Park and the S-76 descending vertically next to the waterfall), Kilauea Crater, Devil's Throat, and actual lava flowing on the Big Island. I've seen almost every inch of Oahu. I've seen Waiamea Canyon on Kuaui (led the tour, on the controls) and dropped off the edge of the world at the other end of it. In fact, it was on the North Shore of Kuaui that I saw the only whales that I've seen while flying, although I'd seen tons of dolphins, rays, sharks, and sea turtles. The cost is only slightly prohibitive; it was a six-year initial buy-in with an extensive vetting process. Not for everyone, but for having gone through it, I totally enjoyed flying in Hawaii. I know that tours in Hawaii can be expensive, but if you choose to afford it, you will enjoy the perspective shift.

 

Remembering Waipio Valley: The other aircraft flying with me decided to turn back closer to the mouth of the valley. That Valley is so huge that there is no way to truly appreciate its size from the air unless you see another aircraft in there. To the pilot, even though it is large, I perceived it as being tight, until I turned and saw I was still a quarter mile from the other aircraft and he was a safe distance from the western wall of the valley.

 

And after seeing our four aircraft flying around the Devil's Throat, a tour operator remarked on the CTAF, "It's like Apocalypse Now around here today."

 

Good times.

 

 

Hey Linc,

 

The wife and I have discussed a tour business in Hawaii or perhaps the Bahamas/Belize after I've established myself in the industry and have built up experience (obviously a ways off in the future at this point). Is there any more specific information you could provide on the requirements, gotchas, other useful info to know about operating a potential tour business in Hawaii?

 

Thanks,

Kelly

[Linc]

Kelly,

 

Methinks you missed my tongue in my cheek there. I was stationed at Schofield Barracks, flying out of Wheeler Army Airfield on Oahu. I got to fly the aircraft all over the islands as an Army pilot. Hence the six-year buy in, etc. I couldn't tell you what it takes to build a successful tour company based on any experience. Sorry that I didn't come across the way I intended.

[RkyMtnHI]

Hi Folks, there are no, that's NO with the big letters, permits to carry in Hawaii. Even if you know somebody, like the chief of police, you STILL can't get one. you can get a permit to own, but that is complicated for handguns; you have to take the course, pay for the background check, wait two weeks, take your weapon in to be gone over, then pick it all up later when they are thru with you. And you have to do this with each handgun. Long guns are diff, after you go thru the check you can buy more than one of them. (i've been gone for two years, may have changed).

 

Now as for most things in Hawaii, if you are Local things are MUCH different, especially if you went to school with the person of authority.

 

aloha,

 

dp

 

 

 

Slick1537...

 

I'm not sure you are right on this. A couple of years ago I was looking at moving to Hawaii and was worried about how to ship my 44 mag and rifles to the big Island. They do allow handguns and and there was a way to get it there legally. I don't know if they have/are issuing carry permits in Hawaii, probably not many if any;

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_2061094_get-permit...led-weapon.html

 

http://www.magnum50.com/

 

 

But they do allow handguns so maybe this fellow would have been legal if the gun was visible in his belt (it wasn't) or if he did have a permit (not likely).

 

 

 

 

Regards,

Tom