Reviews

The Blue Hawaiin Helicopters offers a great view of the Big Island. We opted for the shorter Kohala Coast tour (vs. longer trip from Waikaloa to the volcano, which is lucky because it was not active that day anyway and most of that trip is just travelling TO the volcano). Being IN the valleys, up close to the many waterfalls, travelling along the dramatic coastline, above and through the clouds was like being in an IMax movie. Stupendous. Our pilot, Shane, added his own words and perspective to the stunning views.

Blue Hawaiian in Hilo canceled our flight bc the helicopter door was malfunctioning. While we were upset bc we couldn't do the flight and had driven all the way to Hilo, they made up for it by rescheduling our 45 min flight to a 2 hr flight over the entire island. They also picked us up and dropped us off and gave us a DVD of the entire flight! The 2 hour flight was amazing. Our pilot was knowledgable and made us feel super safe. The time flew by and we got to see lava pouring out of the ground, we flew into canyons and right up to the waterfalls. You experience the kohala coast over the ocean. Awesome! If you have the funds it is worth every penny. Parking: they have a lot Kids: can go Seating: is by weight, no requests Dress: warm in helicopter Air sick factor: "comfort bags avail" very little turbulence so you should be good Cost: $$$$

We took the small helicopter over the northern part of the Big Island -- Mountains and Waterfalls - about a 45 min flight. The office staff and pilot were professional, personable, and informative. I felt very safe. The seats are a little tight and I am a normal sized person, but you won't notice any discomfort because you will be spellbound by the scenery and flying in a helicopter. Each person has a headset so you can communicate with each other and the pilot. Even though it was a very windy day, you could not feel it while flying -- just a little bumpy getting from the lower elevation of the island over the higher ridge into the mountain area. You will go from dry desert landscape to the greenest green lush landscape in only a few moments. A truly unforgetable and exciting experience.

We took the Blue Hawaiian "spectacular tour" around the Big Island. It left from Waikoloa and covered a large part of the island. There was a brief re-fueling/bathroom stop in Hilo. The name of the tour doesn't even come close to describing the experience! Shane was our pilot and did an outstanding job of showing us the sights and educating us about Hawaii. We've taken many helicopter trips, and this was by far and away the best ever...right down to Shane's choice of music over the headsets. He ensured we saw the "important stuff" by making several passes over Pu'u O'o, the active crater we visited. The tour isn't inexpensive, but it was worth every penny.

One of the most expensive trips on the Big Island, but well worth the money and 2 hours of time. Noah was an excellent pilot, the views of volcanic flow, rainbows flying through clouds, and flying near to cliffside water falls - totally magnificent! It's a shame they charge an additional $25 for the DVD of your flight (could leave "a bad taste in your mouth" for the experience).

We took the Big Island Spectacular on the Eco Star Helicopter and it was worth every cent!This tour was without question the highlight of our vacation. You get to experience the beauty of the island in the most captivating way - from the air. Seeing the Kilauea volcano with lava flowing into the ocean was amazing. Flying deep into the valleys of the Kohala Mountains with beautiful waterfalls cascading thousands of feet is the most captivating experience you can ever imagine! We will never forget it!

Our pilot Dave was fantastic. Navy Coast Guard trained provided an excellent safe trip. He was very attentive to everyone's needs. He showed us great sights ...lava , waterfalls, and awesome scenery. Great background music selections were added to our ride. Ask for Dave and have a great trip . It is worth the price.

Blue Hawaiian was recommended by the concierge at the Royal Hawaiian hotel. We took a 50 minute “Circle of Fire” tour from Hilo airport to see the volcano on the big island of Hawaii. We flew from Honolulu to Hilo just for the tour, and this worked out very well. The tour was great value: we saw steam coming up from the Pu’u O’o vent and from where the magma was flowing from the vent down to the ocean. We saw magma flowing through one of the holes, and the magma flowing into the ocean exploding in a hydromagmatic explosion was very impressive. Our pilot James was great, providing well-informed commentary on what we were seeing. We chose the eco-star helicopter, and even from a middle seat in the back the view was excellent. We bought the DVD of our flight, which was available about 20 minutes after we landed, and are very happy with the quality of it.

This is the best way to see the volcano activity on the Big Island. Our pilot/guide Julie was very good. We really enjoyed this activity. We will remember this experience for a long time.

I was worried that my fear of heights would ruin this event for me, I have never been able to do "virtual" helicopter tours. I shouldn't have been concerned, the sights were so amazing that I never had a chance to worry about heights. Our pilot was very knowledgeable of the entire area and history. I would recommend this to everyone.

Blue Hawaiian has a nice trip flying out of Hilo airport and taking over some of the waterfalls on the way to flying over Kilauea volcano. The flight was smooth and very stimulating. Flying over the active volcano, seeing flowing lava as well as lave meeting the sea was something we will remember for the rest of our lives!

My husband and I took the Circle of Fire tour of the volcano out of Hilo on the eco-star helicopter and had a great time. We had hiked in the Kilauea crater back in 1991, but had never seen it from above. The views of the volcano itself and the area where it empties into the ocean were fantastic and our pilot Julie got us in close for many photo opportunities. The staff was very professional and gave a thorough safety program for the flight before we left, and they made sure we were properly strapped in before we left. I'd repeat what others have said: Wear darker colors. Everyone on our flight did, except the person sitting in front of me. I had to constantly make sure his shirt wasn't reflected in my photos. The tour was a great opportunity to see some of the areas from the air that we'd planned to hike during the next week of our trip. We were really glad we splurged on taking the tour and would highly recommend it to visitors to the Big Island!!

What a fantastic tour!! I would highly recommend this tour. Our pilot, Cullen, was very entertaining. Please understand that they can not do anything about the amount of lava available to be seen. They will fly you to where the hot spots are so there should be some to see. Check the lava flow before you go. It was very interesting to fly over the only surviving home at the lava flow. We watched a documentary about the man that still lives there several months ago.

I was contacted at the hotel because of a cancellation by another person. When I arrived the flight was full and I proceeded to embark on what I perceived later as an overpriced tour. I had been to the volcanoes on foot several times before, so when flying over the same, I was not overly impressed. It was bad day for lava flow. I have had more scenic choppero rides in Vietnam, courtesy of Uncle Sam. I think the thing that really ticked me off about the tour was the CD that was provided was pretty much blank when I proceeded to play it for friends and family after returning home from my vacation.

Our flight was also canceled when we got there. Seems this must happen a lot especially in the rainy season. I'm glad however that they take safety so seriously. And since the lava is no longer flowing into the ocean, it wasn't as big a disappointment.