Reviews

Very professional, courteous, and pleasant staff & pilots. A bit pricey for about a 45 min trip, but what a view, especially if you are limited on your time for your island visit. Easy access right at the Hilo airport terminal.

This my first time on a helicopter, and it was surprisingly not scary. We flew up and saw some towns that were threatened by previous lava flow. We saw the volcano including actively boiling lava. We saw trees catching on fire. We learned that another big eruption is predicted for the next 7 years. The helicopter circles a lot to give everyone a good view, so expect to feel a little nauseous. Brian was our guide and he was amazing! They video tape your flight including your voices. It costs $25-40 depending on which media they record to. It is worth it to be able to just enjoy the experience. The picture I took with my camera were not so good due to glare. It was a little warm in the helicopter and if you wear a sweater you can't take it off. Wear dark clothes to avoid glare.

To see live flowing lava and into the inside of a lava tube is something I thought I would never see but it is truly amazing for a science freak like me! We had such a great experience and a pretty comfortable ride at that to see the top of the crater and lava flowing out of it...something that you can't truly imagine seeing until you actually do it. Our pilot Chad was amazing in explaining things to us about the volcano and the history of the lava flow, plus going around multiple times to get great camera angles from all sides of the copter. He even spent extra time out on the water to fly us over certain waterfalls and scenic outlooks, which was just icing on the cake for a great experience. If you are ever on Hawai'i (Kona or Hilo side), it is worth every penny to see the lava flows. Getting used to the helicopter takes a couple of minutes but is not scary in the least, and the views you will get to see are worth it! Thanks a lot guys!

Go to Costco in Kona and buy the Blue Hawaiian giftcards. It cost $80.00 for $100.00 giftcards. We bought our excursion in Waikoloa and drove to Hilo for the Circle of Fire tour! Our pilot was very friendly and shared many stories about Hilo and the five volcanos on the island. It was about 50 minutes and worth every penny. We flew over the crater and saw a lava tube with flowing lava. After the volcano, we flew over the river and saw many waterfalls. It was awesome!!!

I was alittle nervous in the beginning our pilot explained everything and off we went. From the volcano national park we did not see much lava. On the helicopter we flew over miles of it. We say great views of the coast, erupting lava. Learned a bunch and added bonus flew over waterfalls

We booked the volcano and waterfalls trip and it exceeded all our expectations. The views are amazing and the pilot's commentary great. Could have kept going.

My goal for going to the big island was to see the volcanoes, and what better way than by air. The staff ran this excursion very well. We were greeted, then had to watch a safety briefing. We were given life vests to wear and were then escorted to our helicopter. The staff got us secure in our seats, put on our head sets and gave us our buttons that would allow us to communicate with the pilot, Ethan. Off we went. Ethan was very knowledgeable about all we were seeing. We did see lots of lava fields and lava flow, but were disappointed not to see red lava flowing. This was probably my ignorance as I didn't realize that unless the volcano is actively erupting, the black/silver slow moving lava flow is what you do see. The best part was we saw a little area of red lava flowing in a lava tube as we approached Puuoo. Puuoo was so impressive! It was steaming, and when we flew over it, we could look down into the opening and see the red lava bubbling. So Cool!!! We didn't find out until later that they are not allowed to fly over Volcano National Park where Kiluea is. The only way to see Kiluea's lava is by viewing it from land-which we did later in the day. The helicopter ride was very smooth and fun. On the way back to the airport, Ethan flew us over waterfalls that were pretty. When we landed, we went into their little store and purchased the memory stick with the video of our flight. Apparently there are 4? cameras on the helicopter that records not just the view, but our conversations with the pilot too. We haven't viewed it yet as we just got home. We paid $41 for this, but on the other helicopter, I think I heard it was $26-depends on if the helicopter is outfitted with HD etc. We flew on the newer helicopter, the Eco Star, which I would recommend. The windows are bigger than the A Star and from what I understand, the Eco Star is quieter. The Eco Star is a bit more expensive though. It was a great experience.

Great flight from Hilo, over waterfalls then up to the volcano. Very informative pilot - Colleen- and her flying skills were exceptional! Apart from the rain limiting visibility a little we had fabulous views of the extensiveness of the volcanic activity. Highly recommended !!

We went on the circle of fire tour. It was incredible to get that close to a volcano. Wesley our pilot was very informative and funny. The whole staff was very professional. The whole experience was worth it. I can't wait to take another helicopter tour. There is a good reason why they are always ranked the best.

We went on the volcanoes/waterfalls tour out of Hilo (50 minutes). We booked ahead of time. We went on a Hilton timeshare tour, so our price was discounted through a Holo Holo card. Our family of 5 included 2 adults/3 kids ages 11-17. Check-in was easy at the Hilo airport. They weighed each of us. If your weight is over 250 they will charge you more. They use the weight to select optimal seating for balance. Our pilot, Scotty, made our daughters feel at ease. He told our 11 year old she was his co-pilot. Sweet! He explained what he was doing and first took us toward the volcano's Puu Oo vent. We were able to fly right over it for some great pictures. He explained previous flows, how to spot active flows, and other facts about the volcano. Then, we flew toward waterfalls. They were beautiful from the air. It had just rained, so they were full of rushing water. Then, he flew us over Hilo and back to the airport. Scotty had a great personality, and he made our experience fun!

Exciting, felt safe the whole time and the only wheelchair accessible helicopter operation on any of the HI islands. The views from the helicopter are extraordinary;lava flows, water falls-parts of the island that can not be seen any other way!

We took the circle of fire tour and loved it. Our pilot was very informative and ensured that all of us saw the sites. We saw some active lava flows. We bought the video of our trip and would recommend that to all. Can't get a better view.

This tour was worth every penny. Not too expensive and the scenery was breath taking. Our pilot was Colleen and she was very knowlegeable about volcanoes and the geology of the area. You would be crazy to skip this tour on the big island!

Professional organization. Well organized. My first helicopter ride so I was a little nervous. Everyone was great however, and I enjoyed it immensely. Fantastic way to see the volcano and lava flows. Much better than trying to see it from the land, and they don't let you get very close. Took several spins around the volcano, and well as beautiful scenic views of landscape, waterfalls, etc.

Cannot praise them high enough! Great service, including safety training, our pilot Ethan was wonderful, very informational. We saw the lava, the coast, and the start of the Wainaku River. Our tour included gorgeous blue skies, clouds, and a little rain. The clouds allowed us to see some of the glowing, flowing lava. It was a thrill being in dark clouds and rain, high above the ground. All seven of us highly enjoyed!!