Reviews

Having already seen the best of Oahu and Kauai from the air it was our delight to fly with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters to visit the active volcanoes on Hilo...what a wonderful flight, amazing views of the Circle of Fire, with a bonus of flying over spectacular waterfalls...and all of this recorded on DVD. The Hawaiian Islands are so visually spectacular, and so expensive to visit from Australia, that seeing and recording them from a chopper is well worth the money...memories for a lifetime. Thanks to all at Blue Hawaii, we are returning in 2017 and look forward to another flight over beautiful Hilo. Aloha and Mahalo from Sam!

Thoroughly enjoyed the trip up and around one of Hawaii's active volcanoes and seeing the surrounding environment which has been affected by the eruptions. Amazing to see. DON'T expect to see raging inferno's and eruptions as on the brochure, volcanoes are unpredictable so sometimes you will and sometimes you won't. We also did the ground tour with another company which complimented the Helicopter trip well. Scott our pilot was very friendly and knowledgeable. Felt at ease and comfortable the whole journey.

A classy outfit. Called a couple of times to inquire and found it to be very expensive. And did not book. But staff was very friendly. I finally called back late in the evening about 7:30pm for next day circle of fire out of Hilo and we greater by a very nice lady. Told her that I wanted to go on the trip but needed a special and she said I was in luck! They put 2 of us on the most expensive helicopter they had the next morning for the price of the cheaper one and did it for much less due to a discount card from out Hilton hotel called a ho Lo ho Lo card. Brian was our pilot. Remembered everyone's names throughout the flight. Made us feel welcome and warm. Would highly recommend this is a class act outfit. Was told by concierge and tour guide at Hilton. Only choose Blue Hawaiian!

We did this trip as part of our honeymoon, it was reccomended by our hotel. The company was very professional and friendly. Our pilot was great and the whole trip was excellent. We purchased the USB and our only criticism is that from what we have seen this was our trip, I can only imagine that this was. "Perfect" trip that they have replicated on film. Don't let this dissuade you from using Blue Hawiian as overall the trip was a fantastic way to see the island and Pearl Harbour from the air.

We took off from Kona in the big Island. The pilot , Eric was very friendly and knowledgable We had great time , almost 2 hours with stop in Hilo for oil Amazing views . Don't miss it

Our Volcanos and Waterfalls tour from Hilo was a fantastic experience from start to finish. We had an amazing pilot/guide who made sure that we saw the active lava flow (what there was of it) and gave a great rundown of the history of the volcanic activity on the island. Blue Hawaiian offered the newest and most comfortable Helicopters. It is not a cheap tour but was one of the highlights of our stay in Hilo.

We've been to the Big Island several times and had always wanted to do this. We finally decided to splurge and just go for it. We're so glad we did! We did the "Circle of Fire" tour with Scott as our pilot in the A-4. We were in the front seats and the view was great. Seeing the volcano from the air was amazing, plus it's really the only (easy) way to see the Pu'u O'o crater. We saw a lot of lava in the crater and on the ground, burning trees. Even if there was no lava to see, I would still recommend this tour. Seeing the flows from the air really gives you a different perspective on the power of this volcano. You also get nice views of nearby waterfalls and Hilo bay. The helicopter itself was very smooth and Scott provided great commentary and a fun music soundtrack throughout the flight!

This was our second time on this "Fire and Falls" tour. We actually saw several breakouts(surface lava flows). Also was able to get a glimpse of the Pu'u O'O lava lake. Also a great view of the Wailuku River and it's endless waterfalls. Wear dark clothes to cut down on the reflection in the window. I even wear long sleeve so your skin does not reflect. You cannot bring any loose items, or purses. I suggest to put on a zoom lens (55+) you will get some great shots. They do sell a thumbdrive of the tour. You need to arrive an hour before the start time. The tour last about an hour.

Front desk staff was very friendly and helpful and set the very Aloha feel for the whole experience. Be aware that you can't carry anything onto the helicopter other than a camera and plan accordingly. They will lock up all your stuff for you so no worries there. If you aren't wearing dark clothing, as they request in all their detailed information--including their reminder phone call--they will loan you a dark t-shirt to wear. Our pilot, Brad, who is a retired veteran, was great. Very relaxed and friendly, learned all our names immediately, and extremely knowledgeable about the geology and geography. He definitely added to our experience. The lava, currently flowing in what's called the East Rift Zone, is not as exciting as past flows as it is not flowing into, or anywhere near, the ocean. That said, a helicopter tour is the best way to get an overview of how Hawaii's volcanoes work and is extremely interesting even if it isn't dramatic. We circled around a recent surface break through and were able to see some splashing lava in very small calderas. We also saw how the lava is consuming the trees and flew over a couple of places where they were burning. Before returning to the airport we flew over some very pretty waterfalls. Had I done a little more advance research and realized we could have added on the $150 per person option to fly to and land at Punalulu Falls, I definitely would have. At this point, we're already in a couple of hundred per person so what the heck! It sounds like it would have been a great addition. Next time!

We did the Big Island Spectacular tour. Saw bubbling lava, rain forests burning from lava, steam vents, lava flow fields and the most stunning waterfalls we've ever seen. We even saw humpback whales breaching. Chris was our pilot, he answered all of our questions. Highly recommend this!

Very well organized and friendly. Tour took us over the jungle to see a beautiful waterfall. But what made the trip worthwhile was getting to look directly down a volcanic vent to see steaming hot lava. That rocked! Then to be able to film the whole thing too! Definitely worth the price for a lifetime long memory

Bucket-list item, and you are flying with the best. We saw lava flows, waterfalls, humpback whales, and rainbows. Wesley, our pilot, had the music choreographed to cool music like, "Top Gun" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to make you feel like you're in a live production! So much fun.

We enjoyed this excursion on the last day of our island trip. Our Hilo helicopter trip had been cancelled because of weather, the Arizona Memorial had been closed on Oahu because of weather, and we approached this excursion with some concern that we might leave Hawaii without seeing those things that we had anticipated those many months. The helicopter tour was excellent and the pilot was exceptional, I do wish that he would have rotated the helicopter at some of the more scenic waterfalls so that both sides of the ship would have more photo ops. The land tour was unbelievable. Domi entertained us from the time we left the pier until our return. He went out of his way to share his island heritage and culture with us and, although I had been to the island before 25 yrs ago, this time I returned home believing in my heart that I understood something about the people of Hawaii. The singing, the ukelele serenade, and the hula lesson on the beach in a moderate gale was something to remember a lifetime. Finally, Domi sharing from his heart about his upbringing and lessons learned on the knee of his "tutu man", grandfather, challenged me to be a better grandparent on my return home. OUTSTANDING TOUR!!!

This was my first time in a Helicopter. It starts with a very professional safety briefing and then with every one aboard the tour lasts around 50 minutes. Flying over the plantations of macadamia nuts, the devastation caused by the lava flow, the waterfalls and then Hilo. The pilot gives great information, we saw molten lava. fires caused by the lava, the volcano and much more. There are 50 square miles of lava like a huge black scab. I recommend this to anyone going to Big Island. Book before hand as it is cheaper on line. It is one of those "Once in a Lifetime" things. Do it.

Our family of four, including a 5 and 7 year old, took the volcano and waterfall flight out of Hilo with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. What an amazing experience! Our pilot, Coleen, was confident, friendly and very knowledgeable. We felt very safe with her and the entire crew. Coleen tailored our flight based on the weather (we flew over the waterfalls first while the rain was cleared out) which was great. We flew in the A-Star helicopter and it was completely adequate. I'm not sure how much you gain at an additional $50/person for a 45-50 minute flight with the Eco-Star. It is awe inspiring to fly over the active volcano area. I would definitely recommend Blue Hawaiian Helicopters for this adventure!