Reviews

My husband and I did the Big Island Spectacular and it's just that! If you're on the fence about spending the money for this, do it! You won't be disappointed. The sights that you are able to see will stick with you forever. And, it's just so different seeing them from an aerial perspective. Toshi our pilot was awesome and we had the best time! Loved it and would most certainly do it again!

We choose the Blue Hawaian Helicopter Company because of the good reviews and previous trip to M'aui. Our pilot Gale was great! The Eco-Star helicopter is worth more money. We had the Spectacular flight and could see A Volcanic National Park, craters with the smoke plum and lava! Right now it is the only way to see the lava. Then you can see a beautiful waterfalls so close...you think you can touch it! Don't forget to buy the DVD from your flight- the memories for life.

What a wonderful way to see the diversity of the Big Island! The rugged coastline, the breathtaking waterfalls, and the volcanoes. The helicopters had large windows and were very quiet. The best part was our informative and entertaining pilot, Toshi!!! Would recommend this company to everyone.

It's hard to emphasise just how good this product is! Each and every member of the staff we encountered was genuinely friendly and helpful and the bus transfer from our hotel to the airport and back was gratefully accepted and immensely welcome. We did the 'Blue Skies of O'ahu' trip with Julie and a delay caused by refuelling problems was handled thoroughly professionally as was the pre-flight briefing. Once airborne Julie gave us a tremendous tour which literally left me speechless (a first!) and we were thrilled to spot some turtles swimming. Julie manoevred the EcoStar into some marvelloussly remote locations and the views we enjoyed were nothing less than spectacular. This is the best £120 I have ever spent. Take my word for it: If you don't do this trip, you are truly missing out on one of the best experiences in Hawaii.

Overall a great trip! I really was the best way to see the island, and you will see many things you can't see otherwise. Pilot Julie was fantastic and the staff was very courteous and friendly. It was my first time on a helicopter and overall a pretty good experience, the only thing i could say and I saw this in another review is that I was in the back right seat which doesn't get the great views they did go around back for me a few times, my mom and sister rode in the front seats and pad a great views, I will say I think they weigh less than me so maybe the moral of the story is the light ones get the better seats ;). Again very good experience and nothing but good things to say about the service and guide and the video of your tour is $25 which isn't bad and was pretty good quality, great experience next time i will lose some weight and make get a front seat! Or you can pay for better seats on certain flights as well.

It's pricey to do a helicopter ride but I highly recommend it. The view is spectacular and really worth it. i was there for an erupting volcano which was incredible to see. The pilot was great--knowledgeable and very nice to guests. I just can't describe how important it is to see that view if there is any way you can afford it.

We were picked up at our hotel by a driver who was in a bad mood or something, so the trip started out on a sour note. Our pilot, Tom, was great, some of his jokes were a bit lame, but he did a great job and salvaged the experience. But seriously, a smile at the outset of a trip goes a long way and and getting picked up by a rude employee shouldn't be how the trip begins. Also lost a sentimental item on the shuttle which was never returned. So kind of a bummer. Hopefully not the norm for this operation.

My wife and I had the extreme pleasure of taking the 2 hour "Big Island Spectacular" tour this morning, 4/21/2015. Scott was our pilot and he did an excellent job of making us feel at ease in the EcoStar Helicopter as well as educating us about the sights we hoped to see today. We had virtually ideal flight conditions throughout our tour that began with our 9am departure. We were able to easily see plenty of lava at Kilauea and its associated lava flows this morning as well as the valleys that comprise the Kohala coast. Scott exhibited his finesse of the chopper given his Blackhawk experience in the Army (thank you again for your service!). Blue Hawaiian is an impressive company and there was never any doubt about their commitment to safety, service and meeting our expectations. As one of the other passengers on our tour commented, "this helicopter is so much smoother and quieter than others that I have flown on." If in doubt, spring for the EcoStar, you won't be disappointed. As others have already said, it is worth every penny.

Highly recommend this tour if you want to see the Big Island by air. We saw active volcanoes, red lava, lava fields, deep valleys and amazing waterfalls. Our pilot was informative and very knowledgable. A lot of what we saw is only accessible by helicopter.

We booked a 2 hrs tour on the bigger helicopter. We were seated on the back seats (4 seats), me on the window, my friend next to me.The flight above the volcano was impressive. The pilot turned several times around so that guests from both sides of the helicopter could view. The view on the waterfalls was mind blowing. I could not believe it, and could not even take photographs as was so stunned. Earth is so beautiful. On the helicopter, passengers are allowed to take onboard 1 bottle of water, camera and sunglasses only. It is not allowed to have GoPro pods (extended) in the helicopter. If it is a sunny day the windows of the helicopter will reflect any bright coloured items inside the heli (T-shirts) which makes it difficult to film from inside.You can buy film material of your own flight after landing (on USB or DVD). A matter of timing and luck, we saw small bits of glowing lava on the huge lava fields and the weather was a little bit cloudy. The first 40 min of the flight, starting from Kahalui are through the plains. The views were fantastic, but the volcano and the waterfalls were the highlights. It is definitely better from the front seats.

My husband and I had never been on a helicopter before and weren't sure if we would experience air sickness. The ride is amazingly smooth that you feel you are floating. The day of our tour there was high gusting winds and that didn't even impact the smoothness of the flight. We opted for the Eco Star based on the reviews, I got the window and my husband got the middle, we were in the back. I didn't realize that you could have requested the front row and/or paid more. The flight is pricey enough but the seats in the front definitely had a better overall view. Our pilot Tom did make an effort to circle around certain sites so everyone had the opportunity to see the views. We took the 2-hour Big Island Spectacular and were glad we did. We started off on the west side of the island in Waikoloa and saw the caldera of the Kilauea volcano. Our pilot had to ascend to 8000 ft by regulations, but it was an awesome site. The volcano was actively and we were able to see some hot spots on its flowing lava. We made a pit stop in Hilo and then headed to the lush side of the island (on the east side). The waterfalls and valleys are literally breath-taking. I admit, I was so emotionally moved that it brought me to tears. It had rained quite a bit the night before so we saw tons of different falls. The pilot was great about making sure both sides of the chopper could view the various falls. We were able to use our Sony video cam just not on a stick. We got some great pictures, but also opted into buying the video for $40. If this isn't on your bucket list, it should be!

Had a great flight experience it was fun and exiting. It was awesome seeing all of Oahu and Julie was a great pilot.

I am not a great flyer, getting into a helicopter was not top of my bucket list. It turns out they are far smoother than planes. The tour was great, it didn't really matter what the guide said as the scenery was ridiculously beautiful, although I think she was pretty good. We just happened to fly over groups of Manta Rays and Turtles. I can't think of a better way to start a tour of the island as it allows you to see everything, judge distances and plan what you want to see close up.

The helicoptor flight is well worth the money. Our pilot was absolutely fantastic which made the flight even better. The views of Waikiki, Diamond crater and Pearl Harbor were brilliant. The highlight of the flight was the views of the sea turtles that were swimming off the coast near the reefs....they could be clearly seen from the chopper. The pilot gives excellent commentary of what is being flown over and points out land marks and tourist attractions. The flight was very smooth and I would highly recommend this activity whilst you are on holidays. I doubt that you will be disappointed.

Blue Hawaiian's service was excellent. They fly more eco-friendly helicopters than typical, which is a plus in my book. The views were impressive throughout the flight. Note that anyone over 250 lbs. will be required to book 2 seats, although the added charge is not double the price. As others have mentioned, seat 7 (rear right) gets the worst views of the island, particularly when leaving Honolulu, but even so the views are gorgeous. The flight was very smooth, the pilot was professional and knowledgeable, and we enjoyed the trip. It's a great way to get a sense of the whole island in about an hour.