Reviews

Our flight was early morning, but it wasn't bad because we were staying close. The moon was still our for part of flight which was really interesting to see. All the staff was amazing. Our pilot Tom was very nice and we could tell he was a great pilot. We did the Big Island Spectacular so it was 2 hours. It was a highlight to our trip. It was amazing to fly over the caldera and see down into it, and then shortly after fly to an uninhabited part of the island and fly right up to some of the tallest waterfalls I have ever seen. It was a great way to see the island.

Okay, so it costs an arm and a leg - but it's the only way you will see the things that you really should see on the Big Island. The two hour tour is fantastic, covering the volcanoes, coastline and valleys. Our pilot knew a lot about the island and managed to get us close to everything.

Let me start by saying that we had the best flight/tour of Hawaii I could possibly imagine. The weather was perfect, our pilot (Greg) was a wealth of knowledge, appeared to know what he was doing (thank goodness for that, right?) and had a very calm demeanor. It's clear he loves what he does and loves the island he lives on. I'd have to say that the company has many different faces. We booked a different tour (all Maui tour) for the week prior, but weather limited the flying to only the west side, so they changed the tour we were supposed to be on to a different tour (which, I'm sure would have been very nice, but we really wanted to get an overview of the island we were going to spend the next week on). Because they changed the flight, we were allowed to transfer our credit to a similar flight on the Big Island one week hence so that it would coincide w/ our arrival on the Big Island. The only problem we encountered was a small language barrier at the north Maui location. Originally, we felt like we were being railroaded into taking a Maui tour we didn't want because we were told that there Blue Hawaiian didn't fly on the Big Island, so we finally resigned ourselves to do just take the different Maui flight. We sat through the video briefing and were waiting for the helicopter to arrive, when my wife pointed out a poster which showed Blue Hawaiian on the Big Island. We asked a different staff member about taking a flight on the Big Island and she couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating. So, it really was just a language barrier. We were 5 minutes from stepping onto a helicopter for one tour and they allowed us to change to the Big Island all-island tour. Frankly, we went from being unhappy about spending $650 to being thrilled to spend $950 (let the business owners sink their teeth into that one!). Our Big Island Tour was 2 hours long and covered the entire island of Hawaii. We flew over and around every sort of lava field, crater, steaming vent, Pu-u O'o, etc...you can think of. We flew along the east cliffs and into the deep valleys on the north east side at the Waipo valley area and saw (literally) dozens and dozens of massive waterfalls, lush green hills, farmlands, etc... We saw (from a reasonable distance) the observatories on Mauna Kea (it appeared that we were below them the entire time....pretty sure we never got over 10,000 feet...and at times...in the valleys, the land was certainly higher than the helicopter. All the while, a soothing/fun soundtrack plays on your headphones. The sound fades out whenever someone wants to speak. There were 6 passengers and Greg, the pilot and everyone could talk w/ one another. Everyone was comfortable with shorts and tee's or light tops because the aircraft is climate controlled. It's hard to believe that you can spend just about $1,000 for 2 hours of entertainment, sightseeing and education and leave thinking it was worth every penny....but it was. This may put a finer point on it: two of the passengers were regulars on Hawaii for what appeared to be about 30 years....he's certified to fly and he still goes with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters when he comes to the island. I think that says quite a bit about the value here.

Greg was our pilot and was extremely knowledgeable and gave us plently of time to take pictures and explained the territory to us as we flew. Very calm and enjoyable journey. Wonderful experience Angela and Kevin

This was a fantastic experience and our pilot, Tim, was phenomenal. There is no way to see what we saw on the Circle of Fire and Waterfalls tour without being in the air. Spectacular is all we can say! Mahalo to Tim for his amazing flying skills and commentary.

We took a Family Vacation to HI and of course we had to take a helicopter ride over the volcano. Blue HI Helicopter was great and our pilot Eric was great very smooth flight and very informative. Always felt safe and secure and the staff was so nice and professional. Highly recommend using them. Someone in our group loved them so much she booked another flight the next day over the next island. Thanks Here is what I wrote minutes after getting off the helicopter. Eric was so entertaining, comforting, funny and made me feel safe. His narrations were great. Very persona able. Very smooth flight. I want to go again! Thank you Eric I would highly recommend this tour!

Family of five and we had our own helicopter with pilot Eric. He was a great guide, making the trip fun and special. I am afraid of heights and did not think I would do this, but I'm really glad I did! It is the best (and maybe only) way to see the volcano and hot lava. We did not rode in the A-Star and everyone could see great. They put the 13 and 16 year old in the front, 10 year old in the back with mom and dad. It was a perfect fit. Highly recommend this adventure.

Safe, expert, fun experience with a seasoned pilot/guide. The modern helicopter was airconditioned and fit 5 of us. Part of the helo floor was see-thru so we had a fantastic view of everything. We went over the erupting volcano (spectacular - worth every penny just to see this), the waterfalls near Hilo, plantations and forest area. This tour was well organized, accommodating, gave safety training before hand and was better then we expected. Helicopter rides are expensive but this was worth it, in every way. Cannot say enough wonderful things about this company. They handled my kids very well!

We got a helicopter for our family of 4. Our pilot was Jeremy, very experienced and skilled. He always kept us comfortable and safe and gave us very interesting information. The view was stunning and flying over the lava was an experience we will never forget. Great Job!!

Excellent. Our pilot, Eric, was so friendly and professional. He was very informative about the area and shared personal stories about his family. The whole staff was very friendly and accommodating. We had 6 people in our group, 2 who were in their 80's, and they made sure we were all together. Great job!!

We had a picture perfect day...which I gather is not easy when this is the wettest city in the USA! Our Pilot Greg, was very friendly, informative and ensured that all of us were mentioned by name (this is a great touch) Greg provided us with great information about the volcano and surrounds and provided above and beyond the standard of what is required. What a spectacular little adventure and made our visit to Hilo perfect. :o)

A great flight over the big Island, fantastic views of the volcano. Our pilot was very informative and friendly, he made sure that he past anything of interest at least twice so that you could have a clear view and take photos no matter what side of the helicopter you were on. You got to see views of the volcanoes inaccessible by road, I would really recommend this.

This was a lot of fun! The pilot was very knowledgeable, and the ride was great. We were able to see the many different landscapes and ecosystems that the Big Island has to offer, flowing lava included! Truly, and once in a lifetime experience.

Our first ride was clouded out after 20 minutes, so they gave us the option for full refund or reschedule. We rescheduled and it was amazing! All the seats are great, I was able to take great pictures from the middle rear and the front. We saw some great waterfalls then searched around the lava fields for fresh, glowing lava. Both our pilots were friendly, funny, and knowledgeable.

I enjoyed the ride we took - it was the Circle of Fire plus Waterfalls from Helio. It was worth the drive to go over from Kona rather than take the 2hr tour from that side of the island. Our pilot was Greg, he was great and knowledgeable. Everyone enjoyed it but some in our party were expecting something a little more spectacular, as there brochure does feature photos of helicopters with red lava in the background. This is not what you see. You do see the lava flows and the active vent, but they aren't red lava spewing out, and the current flow crusts over very fast. So temper your expectations and you will have a great time.