Reviews

8 people packed like sardines into a helicopter flying very high above the island. Overall the least fun helicopter ride I've been on. The whole experience was still educational as the views provided some perspective as to the ongoing dangers in various lava zones. The pilot was helpful responding to questions. I would save money for the open door Kauai tour through Waimea and Na Pali. Probably go with different group.

My first flight had to be cut short due to weather:( However the second flight with Coleen was spectacular! She is very knowledgeable and is an awesome pilot! Go Girl!! As a science teacher I learned soooo much about the area, volcano, and flying a copter. Thanks for the memories!

No doubt, this was a pricey activity, but considering the rareness of getting to see an active volcano, my kids and I all agree it was worth it. Our pilot, Colleen, was terrific - knowledgeable, affable, kind and overall a very chill person. We paid for the higher quality helicopter, and although I was given the "worst" seat for viewing, all seven passengers could get great views. I just let my two kids take most of the pictures. Colleen was very careful to give equal time to view elements from both sides of the vehicle, and very interested in hearing and responding to any and all questions. Classy person and made the trip better.

The overall experience was great. Staff and pilot everyone was so friendly. We booked our tour for 11am slot to avoid rain earlier in the morning. The view from the helicopter was amazing. We saw black lava flowing towards a community. At that point, you feel so vulnerable that you are flying 100ft above lava. The only "catch" that I felt was, during the day the lava looks black and we didn't see what we wanted to see (red hot lava flowing). This has nothing to do with Blue Hawaiian service, I would recommend taking evening tour so you can see red lava glowing out of crater. The pilot was very friendly and knowledgeable, my wife was so scared of flying but she wasn't scared a bit. The ride was smooth. They flew us close to the crater and some other important sites. Again, great tour, great services but choose your time carefully.

Had a great time. The views was spectacular. The pilot was very helpful and knowledgeable even at times i was feeling dizzy and a bit sick he would check up on me and give me some ginger sweets to take my mind off vomiting. Overall a great experience with a funny and helpful staff.

This was the highlight of our trip - all 4 of us agree. Our pilot, Greg, was awesome (and it turns out we went to the same summer camp in NC as kids). He showed us waterfalls, rainbows, and lava! Greg made sure that everyone on board could see - turning the helicopter to capture the best views for both sides of the helicopter. I know this was an experience that my kids will always remember.

My wife and I took the 12:30pm trip that left from near the Kona airport. An amazing experience, that while expensive, was worth it as we consider it to be one of those once in a lifetime experiences. We had a great pilot (Toshi) who was informative and entertaining. The views of the lava fields (flows were light but that's just timing), waterfalls, and coastline views were spectacular.

This was our first activity on the Big Island and it was a perfect way to get a good overview of the land and some of the culture. Our pilot, Colleen, was very knowledgeable about both and provided history and anecdotes about some of the waterfalls and lava fields as we passed. She was very professional and made sure that everyone felt relaxed and secure and enabled us to take photos throughout. The entire staff ensured that everyone was safe before, during and after the flight, and I would definitely fly with Blue Helicopter again. We saw sights that can only be seen from the air- worth it!

We did the EcoStar volcano tour. My kids (12 and 16) really enjoyed it. Very smooth ride. Our pilot (Colleen?) was great, very informative. She may have one of the best jobs on the island. Got to see flowing lava in the fields and a bird's eye view into an active volcano. Not something we could have seen otherwise. Only negative is now my son wants to take helicopter lessons!

The helicopters seat 6, so we had it to ourselves. One of our family is a pilot, so the helicopter pilot let us listen to the tower and pilot conversations - how they avoid each other with multiple helicopters over the volcano at once. He also answered our questions and made sure both sides had a great view. Exceptional experience to appreciate the power of the volcano!

We took a tour in the first couple of days on Kauai to get a scope of the island. It was our kids first helicopter ride and it could not have been more smooth. They had many safety checks in place, which I appreciated a great deal. The building and office staff were very professional. It was an extremely smooth take off and landing and that's coming from someone prone to motion sickness.

I was hesitant to do but my husband was persistent. We both enjoyed the experience. Our pilot was very informative about the sites we were seeing. We went over the volcano and did some activity but was hoping for more but that's nature! Waterfalls were beautiful. Everyone on staff was very professional and friendly.

Our family of four was very happy with the Circle of Fire tour (we chose the Eco-Star helicopter). We were able to see the volcano and the recent lava flows, including a couple of locations where the lava was actively flowing. There's no other way to get such a great view of the volcanic activity. Colleen, our pilot, was very knowledgeable about the island and the volcano in particular. The flight was very smooth and comfortable (even though we flew through some rain).

We have used Blue Hawaiian Helicopters multiple times while visiting the big island and their trips never cease to amaze. We always enjoy their pilots as well. They are professional, courteus, knowledgeble, and fun to be with. We have actually been able to see one of the volcanoes erupting a couple times while taking a trip on Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and that is an incredible experience. Going on a helicopter tour on the big island is a must at least once in your life, and you will not be disappointed if you do it with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. They also fly out of Waikoloa if you are staying on the Kona/dry side of the island.

We chose the Circle of Fire tour in an Eco-Star helicopter. You never know what you are going to get when you go up in the air. The lava flows change all the time so by the time you read this the conditions will be different. Its a fun time no matter what.