Reviews

Friends convinced us we should do a helicopter tour of the Big Island. After reading reviews of the competitors we opted for the Blue Hawaiian Big Island Spectacular Tour in an Eco-Star helicopter leaving from Waikoloa Heliport. It proved to be a great decision and well worth the price tag. The pilot, Scott, was very skilled; having flown in the US military for many years and he ensured we had a smooth flight. Scott's commentary throughout the flight was both entertaining and informative as a result of his local knowledge. I sat in one of the middle 4 rear seats but still had an excellent view out the front and to both sides so I didn't miss seeing anything. Scott offered the passengers the option of a pit stop at Hilo half way through the tour for anyone who needed it. I definitely recommend this tour and suggest that you pay the extra $25 for the DVD of your actual flight.

The flight with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters was the highlight of a wonderful holiday. We had booked a one hour flight from Hilo to fly over the volcano but after driving there from the other side of the island, it was cancelled because of the weather. there really is nothing they can do in these circumstances. We wanted to go so much that we re booked for the next day but from Waikoloa, on our side of the island. All we could get was the 2 hour flight but we took it anyway and we were so pleased we did! Not only did we fly over the volcano (an awesome sight) but the rest of the island too. We flew up sacred valleys, over the coast and mountains, and we looked down on waterfalls in places you'd never get to on foot. Our pilot was fantastic, as were all the people who worked at Blue Hawaiian. If you're there, DO IT!

Blue skies, very little wind, lava flowing...perfect conditions for our trip. If there had been 6 on our trip, perhaps the views wouldn't have been so great, especially for the middle 2 in back, but there were 4 in the eco-star we were in so all got great views. Unlike some of the reviewers, I thought the music added to the tour, especially on take-off. Our pilot did a great job of commentary, and made sure that we all got great views of the major sights. Due to the expense, we wouldn't do the tour again, but are glad we went once!

Booked to fly over the volcano and what a great trip. Pilot Roger was very knowledgable and the flight was very smooth. Saw what we could as the volcano is'nt very active right now but what we did see was spectacular. Don't miss this opportunity if you're on the Big Island. Try to go in the morning as it's smoother ride.

Our pilot, Greg, was great. The whole experience was awesome. This was not our first flight to view the volcanos on the Big Island, but it was by far the best experience. You definitely don't want to miss out on this!!!

I went on the helicopter trip with my partner just before Christmas and it must be the best thing I did on my holiday. It first sounded a pricey thing to do but it was worth every penny. Our pilot Justin was very friendly and informative and took us over lava flows, waterfalls, craters etc effortlessly. Basically was saw things would probably have been inaccessible over land or water. The trip made me appreciate the true scale and beauty of Big Island. The staff were friendly,efficient and informative. The trip got cancelled on out first day due to weather conditions but the staff were very professional and booked us in for the following day which worked out for us as the day was glorious.I also liked the fact that the price included pick up and drop off from the hotel. I would recommend it and would probably do it all over again

My sons have forever been asking to do a "helicopter tour" when we are on vacation, but I always cringe at the cost. Finally, I thought since you really can't get to the hot lava flow you should fly over it. The trip was great. We enjoyed the helicopter ride all by itself. We picked the eco star and were glad we did. Based on the weight distribution you don't know where you will sit so the extra window space in the copter is worth it. Our pilot Jeremy was very nice. It was a mixed morning of rain/sun/rain/sun so we didn't quite know what we would see. The lava flow (as you see from other posts) is pretty minimal right now but we did see some hot lava, red color/flow breaking through the surface and the remnants of homes lost in the current lava movement. I am a huge waterfall fan and was sad not to get to waterfalls. I didn't specifically ask for that and both at take off and as we approached to land it was raining in Hilo so not sure would have seen anything anyway -- but if you absolutely want to see waterfalls I would mention it so they know and you know in advance if not going to happen.

Our tour with Blue Hawaiian helicopter out of Hilo was terrific. The pilot was very informative and he was able to get us very close to some lava as well as showing us other sites within the lava field and waterfalls. The staff was professional and very helpful, thouroughly enjoyed the trip

We took the tour called the Circle of Fire plus Waterfalls. Our pilot, Rodger, was very knowledgeable about the Kilauea volcano and the surrounding area. There were six passengers, including me and my wife. As we got close to the active lava vent, Rodger kept passing over the vent so both sides of the copter could get some good pictures. This was nice of him, but it made both of us VERY sick. We used every sickness bag he had on board. I don't blame him for us getting sick. But we purchased the DVD of the flight, hoping we would see more of the sights than we did because we were ill. Unfortunately, we were disappointed that so much of the DVD had video of the inside of the cabin during the flight. We couldn't understand why he would choose to include so much of that footage when he knew we were sick. You could see my wife vomiting in the back seat on the video. I'm sure the other family that was with us wouldn't want to see it, either. My wife contacted Blue Hawaiian after coming home, to tell them of our dissatisfaction. Chelsea, one of the managers, not only apologized for our unhappiness, but she also refunded the cost of the DVD and the shirts we had to purchase after the flight (our original shirts were ruined). We have done a flight with Blue Hawaiian before, on Kauai, and had no problems. We appreciate their willingness to help us out.

We signed-up for this one hour chopper tour with Blue Hawaiian on the Big Island, flying out of Hilo Airport. My wife and I had done this when we were there twelve years ago and enjoyed it tremendously so we decided to take our ten-year old daughter for this trip. At around $280 a person it was pretty expensive, but this isn't something you do every year so we decided to spring for it. The trip we went on was called Circle of Fire and it was in the bigger EcoStar chopper. It is a little cheaper if you opt for the smaller chopper. After a safety briefing and putting on our individual floaties, we were asked to walk out to the area where we'll be boarding the choppers. As we were taking pictures and the choppers returned from their previous flight. After the passengers were unloaded we were asked to line up in front of the choppers in the order we were told to during the safety briefing. I got the front seat with another lady and my wife and daughter, and the lady's husband and son were loaded in the rear. They have to worry about people's weights so they load people in a certain way. It would be nice to be able to sit with your family but you don't wanna ignore safety while you're on top of an active volcano! Plus the choppers aren't huge like military choppers so you can still turn your head just a little and be able to see your family. Anyways, our pilot was James, who did a great job of welcoming us and calling some of us by name to point out which side of the chopper to look. This was a great touch to personalize things. About 20 minutes after the takeoff we arrived over the volcano where the lava was oozing out. Apparently the volcanoes in Hawaii ooze out rather than blow out, which is nice if you happen to be flying over it in a chopper. After banking the chopper over the volcano and circling it from both sides of the chopper, we headed to the ocean where we saw where the new land had been created by the magma. The whole time James the pilot is giving us all kinds of information and keeping us entertained. Then we headed over to the northeast side of the island and saw a few waterfalls. They don't bring you all the way down in front of the waterfalls, but you get a decent view from probably around 1,500 feet or so. I think they have another trip just for the waterfalls. Then we headed back to the airport. Oh, they also video record the whole trip, along with the music that is playing and the pilot's commentary, along with your questions and his answers. You can buy those DVDs for 25 bucks. We did end up buying it as we don't plan on doing this again anytime soon. I strongly recommend Blue Hawaiian and this trip. There are two or three other companies right at Hilo airport. Not sure how much they charge or what kind of choppers they have. Enjoy.

Everyone was very friendly, especially our pilot, Adam who answered all of our questions and was very knowledgeable of the area. He made sure everyone was able to see all of the interesting sites and lava activity. The Lava may not currently be flowing like some of the brochures and videos show, but it was definitely worth it. The only other option to see any lava activity is a 2-3 hour hike in over not so nice conditions. There was plenty of lava activity in the Pu'u ‘O’o crater which we flew around several times. My family would definitely recommend this tour with Blue Hawaiian.

Our family took the Blue Hawaiian Circle of Fire Tour in August. It is an amazing way to see the Hilo side of the Big Island. Our pilot, Ethan, was informative and answered all our questions. The highlights of our trip were seeing: the remains of a residential community destroyed by lava, ACTUAL LAVA FLOW, and beautiful waterfalls. We debated this excursion because of the price, but it was an unbelievable experience and totally worth it! By the way, in case this is of concern, there are no bad seats in the helicopter. We took an ECO helicopter, and even though I did not have a window seat, I had NO PROBLEMS seeing the sites.

All around great time, James the pilot was great and answered all questions appropriately. I was not able to investigate the company's reputation prior to taking the flight. However, they made me very comfortable with safety. There was a safety brief before the ride and they made us all wear life vests in case of a water ditching. The views were breathtaking. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I would come back if I had the opportunity... I hope I do someday....

Great ride. Hated for it stop. Tim was great as a guide and as a pilot. Could hardly tell we were moving. Gave us all good time over all the sites. Great for taking pictures. Would recommend this flight for everyone!

This was the trip of a lifetime! Noah our pilot was fabulous ! Lava flowing into the ocean, beautiful waterfalls,and fun facts about Hawaii from the pilot!! Would do it agaon in a heart beat!!