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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!

We took the Circle of Fire and Waterfalls trip and loved it. The weather had been a little overcast and rainy, but it cleared, and we were off. Everything is done at a highly professional level, and it's obvious safety is their first concern. The helicopter itself is well set up for viewing, and there are really no bad seats. the pilot will make sure that both sides of the aircraft get to see the view. It is a bit humbling to see the power of a volcano. Kilauea is not your typical crater, but rather a field of small lava eruptions. Viewing the lava flows below is fascinating. And, our pilot was a first rate font of information. After the volcano, off to the waterfalls, and some beautiful views. The helicopter is set up with a video system that will document your entire tour, including shots of you inside the aircraft. The video makes a great souvenir.

We did a flight with BH in Kaua'i (my first time) and this trip didn't hold a candle to it. We did see some active lava which was cool, but spent the majority of the flight over ugly brown land. We flew over the waterfalls only for a small part of the trip. I don't know what I expected to see but I was underwhelmed. At least our pilot was very friendly and fun!

We had two experiences with Blue Hawaiian Hilo. We were originally scheduled to fly on a Wednesday. We did take off and get about 5 minutes into the flight before we had to turn around and land due to lightening in an incoming storm. I was totally fine with that, wouldn't want to risk it! Gregg was our pilot that day. Thanks for the short flight Gregg! When we landed the desk staff was able to help us rebook a flight for two days later. Although this meant another drive over from our hotel in Kona, this was the one thing we HAD to do on this vacation so we made the trek. Friday we had a great flight with Jeremy. It was something to see lava seeping through and burning the surrounding trees. It was awesome to get up over the vent and see the lava inside as well. Jeremy was very knowledgable about the volcanic activity and we all loved our trip! We did purchase a flash drive of the flight so the kids could show their friends! Thank you Blue Hawaiian Helicopters for an unforgettable family experience.

We flew the new Ecostar with Greg at the helm. We had our 11 year old grandson with us who was more than a bit hesitant but Greg was wonderful and put him (and all of us) right at ease. The Ecostar is great!!! Full glass cabin with raised seats in the back row so there is no such thing as a bad seat. We got to see live volcanic activity along with some spectacular overviews of the area and waterfalls. It was truly memorable and an absolute highlight of the trip! Plus Blue Hawaii has THE top safety certifications possible!

We hired a car (approx $US80) and drove from the Kona side of the island over to Hilo because the prices over there are so much cheaper. All the photos of lava running into the ocean are quite misleading because whilst the volcano is still very active, there is definitely no red lava flowing anywhere. However, saying that, it was a brilliant flight with a very experienced pilot, Wesley, and for us Aussies we will never have the opportunity to see anything like this again. There was myself, my daughter and my 5-year old grandson and my sister-in-law and her adult daughter on the flight - we were warned in the pre flight briefing that small children often fall asleep, and as soon as he'd seen the volcano my grandson promptly fell asleep! So he missed out on the coastline, the waterfalls and the frolicking whales, but with his fascination for volcanoes it was still a highlight for him, and for us. With regard to young children, seats are allocated according to passengers' weight and my young grandson was in the front in the best seat in the helicopter. This was his first helicopter flight and I could see he was apprehensive as the helicopter started up, he had a really good grip on my niece's hand for a little while, but he is a very experienced plane traveller and I had told him previously what to expect. Other little ones may be frightened however.

There were 3 of us off a cruise ship. We absolutely loved this. The pilot (I think her name was Colleen) was wonderful. So knowledgeable and definitely was a good pilot. The view of the volcano and the lava was amazing as was the brush fires that were started by the lava. We all agreed that this was one of the best things we have ever done. Definitely worth the money. We would go again.

It is definitely worth checking the local weather before you book a flight. We got so lucky because it was consistantly raining for several days and we picked a day that had 30% chance of rain in the afternoon...and we were so lucky we did. It stayed dry the whole 50 minute flight and we saw several lava breakouts as we approached smoldering treelines and smokey craters. There is no other way to get so close to the volcano activity. Definitely worth the experience! If you don't want to spend the extra money on the video, I highly suggest wearing dark clothes and use a smart phone with a good camera. GoPros are great too, but just remember on some models you can't zoom....and views from the helicopter are just so magnificent it's difficult to capture on film. I used my new cell phone and it worked great! I have purchased a personalized DVD before on another island helicopter tour (also with Blue Hawaiian...they're just great) and honestly...I didn't watch it more than twice. I don't even know where that thing is anymore. But depending on your lifestyle and excitement, 25 bucks is a great deal for a personalized recording of your flight!