Reviews

Ne pouvant aller dans le Parc en raison de sa fermeture, nous avons voulu tester cette excursion. Et bien, nous en sommes plus que ravis. Une voiture est venue nous chercher à l'hôtel et nous y a ramenes. Nous sommes pesés avant de monter dans l'hélicoptère et ainsi placés. Le vol dure plus de 2h avec une escale à Hilo pour faire le plein. Nous avons survolé le volcan et vu la fumée s'élever puis avons tourné au dessus d' un cratère. Nous avons survolé la zone des habitations mais n'avons pas approché les fissures. Nous les avons vu fumer de loin. Puis apres l'escale, nous sommes rentrés par la côte et avons découvert de très nombreuses cascades vraiment magnifiques. Nous n'aurions jamais pu les découvrir sans ce vol meme en marchant. Personnel très sympathique et très attentif à nos demandes. Nous avons fait le vol de 7h, moment de la journée où il y a le moins de nuages. Budget conséquent donc à prévoir.

Family of four just had an awesome tour with our guide and pilot Kory on June 9th. We were able to see the lava spewing and lava flow from the volcano. The water is beautiful! Also saw amazing waterfalls near Hilo. Everyone is very nice and professional from check in to finish. We enjoyed our tour very much!

It's a fantastic activity and a must do. The pilot was super - took pains to brave the weather, safely, to show lava flows and then the coastline and the waterfall-side landing for a break was absolutely fabulous. Completely worth the time and money. The only thing is the seating is on weight distribution basis so if you're modestly heavy, you may get the front side seat which is fantastic! Although, everyone does get to see most things ...just that the window side in front gives a wider view of things.

We had a safe and relaxing flight to see nature in action. Our pilot demonstrated his commitment to our safety and our enjoyment throughout the flight. He worked hard around VOG and clouds to get as the best views of the erupting volcano and later the towering water falls along the Kohala Coast. The ground staff at the Blue Hawaiian helicopters were friendly and efficient. The whole operation is a class outfit. It is a little spendy but we think we got every dollars worth of experience. Try it you'll like it.

During our visit fissure 8 was pouring out lava with a stream all the way to the ocean. First off if you weigh anything near 260 pounds with your sandals on be prepared to pay 1.5 times the normal rate even if you are a pound over. And yes they do weigh you. If you signed up in advance and took advantage of the discount for doing so, you will not get the discount on the extra half you need to pay at the time of weigh in, so eat lightly if you are near 260, this cost me an additional $200. Oh but no one sat next to me on the helicopter. Now on to the flight. There is a mandatory safe video before you get into the helicopter. The team is very professional and safety oriented. We took off and were soon near fissure 8 where the pilot give us a very clear description of what was happening and made sure to follow a path out of the smoke but so that everybody got a great view out of their window. Very good music to give atmosphere to the ride. We made passes to see the fissure and the area where the lava is entering the ocean. The falls were interesting but not the reason we took the tour. Back at the airport we purchased the USB with our flight on it.

Went on a helicopter tour for the first time with our family, hoping to see some of the volcano activity. We were not disappointed!. Crazy! Great pilot (Corey) and great time.

This was a fun way to see the Lava! They defiantly make sure that everyone gets to see the lava. It is also interesting to see how much has been destroyed from the flow of the lava.

Do this tour - you won't regret it! Our tour was with Scott and he made it awesome. The views and scenery were already amazing, but his insightful commentary and responses to questions made it even better. He was great at making the tour exciting and balancing it with respect for those caught up in the lava destruction. Also, Scott looks a lot like James Hetfield (in disguise maybe?) and his choice in flying themed playlist was perfect (classic rock + disney, yes please) :)

The best parts of this adventure were the views and our pilot. The weather cooperated, light clouds above 3,000 ft. Hilo typically gets weather later in the day, over 200 inches of rain a year so try to book a morning flight. Our pilot was very professional with aptly timed humor. “First time flying in a helicopter?” “Yes!” “Mine too.” The flight was smooth but in order to get views from both sides, sharp turns are needed. If you are prone to motion sickness take some Dramamine. It’s not bad at all (I enjoyed it but by son got sick) We saw the beautiful coastline of Hilo, then the devastation of Leilani Estates, the lava entering the ocean, Fissure 8 with a small bit of lava inside, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, then a waterfall near the botanical gardens. Our pilot (I am terrible with names) was great. He pointed out all the sights with background info and welcomed any questions or comments. He even gave us a great suggestion where to eat lunch in Hilo. The staging before the flight could be a bit better. We walked out to the flight line and you have to wait for your turn. There is no shade but umbrellas are provided. I would suggest the staff hold us inside the covered terminal building (a short distance away) until the helicopter arrives, then walk us out. One concern I had was due to weight balance, the kids are loaded last. This means the kids are told to wait outside the running helicopter alone. Fortunately our kids follow directions, but a staff member should stay in close proximity to them until they are ready to load up. Overall, a great experience. I highly recommend going.

The views and lava flow pattern from the air give you a unique perspective on the path of the recent Volcano. Best way to see what the Volcano has done to the geology of the big island. Our pilot was very knowledgeable. Great ride. Thanks!

My wife and I scheduled a tour. We were warmly greeted and given safety instructions. The pilot introduced himself and readied us for the flight. We saw the new lava flow and fissure eight, but twenty minutes into the flight clouds rolled in. It was hard to see anything on the ground. The pilot told us he was canceling the rest of the flight because we would not be able to see anything. We were all sad but certainly understood his decision. When we returned to the heliport the agent gladly refunded our full fare. If we get back to the island we certainly would use Blue Hawaiian again.

The Circle of Fire tour is what you expect, an above air view of the recent volcano activity of Kilauea. Blue Hawaiian tours are very professional and all safety aspects attended to. My only criticism is if you are in the middle seat at the rear of the helicopter. Despite assurances from the company the view is not 360% and it does make the trip somewhat disappointing. As the pilot gasped at the scenes below, I was left blinded. Taking photos from this seat is almost impossible unless you keep reaching over the next person next to you! I would ask for a window or front row seat before booking. All lava flow has now ceased but still amazing to see the destruction.

Sarah the pilot was very knowledgeable about volcanoes to my surprise. So much so I even asked her about it. She said she has flown Volcano tours in Africa and Alaska before coming to Hawaii. She was great. There isn't any flowing lava right now so it was as exciting as it could have been. Which I guess is something that we should have taken into account before booking. My only real issue is the Tour title is a bit deceiving. Circle of Fire and Waterfalls Tour. We saw exactly ONE waterfall at the end. So for that reason I give it just average.

What an experience this was not only for myself, but especially for my teenage kids. Wesley was such a great guide in educating us about everything we saw from above. So well worth the experience and to be able to see such beauty from up in the sky. Would definitely love to do that again.

Our family flew twice with Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours. This tour was outstanding, the pilot explained about the volcanoes and geology of the area. He was very personable with all the members of the family. The only down side is that it was raining slightly in some areas of the island, so visibility wasn't the greatest! However, well worth the money! Highly recommend!