This was PART of a full day tour - certainly did not disappoint - do not miss the helicopter tour over the volcanoes when you visit the Big Island - I am still buzzing 24 hours later.. From check in through, everything was handled with ease - even a couple of problems with the chopper were handled well and we were only too happy to step off whilst they were rectified.
We had a wonderful trip in the skies over Kaua'i with Mark -- appreciated his commentary and the information he shared the island. We flew over places on the island not accessible by foot or car. This is a wonderful experience, if funds permit (but not essential to appreciate the island).
Although the lava wasn't flowing like we'd hoped (no control over that), the ride, view and pilot interaction was very nice. Great perspective of the island and area. Great to see the flows and history. Wish it was longer, went very quickly. Might pay extra for more sites to visit like the other falls, etc. Wear cool clothes! Would suggest it on each island it's available.
Great flight from Hilo to the volcano. It was really scary to see how close the lave flows got to the local properties. The pilot was great, and made sure everyone gets to see everything. Well organized, pickup from ship included. They record the flight from 3 external and 1 internal cameras with pilot and passenger comments and conversations.
Wow these guys know what they are doing. Very courteous, very helpful and a very stable flight. Our pilot was an ex-marine with over a decade of experience and you could tell, he went out of his way to ensure each side of the helicopter was able to get a great view of the lava and the skylights. Highly recommend using them, would gladly fly again. Try to book an early am flight to beat the clouds.
I and my husband had booked a 9 am Lava Helicopter tour. The check-in and briefing was very professional. We took off in a clear weather but within 10 minutes the weather got worse in the volcano area. Our pilot took us over the falls but had to turn back as the weather didn't improve. So we missed the volcanic activity. The company asked us if we would like to reschedule our tour but as we had a flight to catch, we didn't. The full price was refunded without any questions asked. Very professional. Our Pilot, Timothy, was good to talk to but didn't come across as very knowledgeable about the area.
What an amazing tour. Our pilot Glenda was very knowledgeable and gave us a wonderful commentary on the island
You are making a big investment in your helicopter tour so don't slouch. Blue Hawaiian offers the very best in all things involving helicopter tours. I have toured a few times over the last 15 years with this company and others, and would no longer consider using any other company.
We flied this helicopter tour to witness the once in a lifetime experience of the volcanic lava view. It turned out to be one of our truly once in a lifetime experience. The overall service feom the start to check in to the vdo tour guide and to take the helicopter with an experience guide all were superb and most importantly the company emphasizes on the highest safety standard compare to other companies that we took the helicopter tour. So this tour is highly recommended for the helicopter tour in Maui.
Great experience .....got to see Volcanos Waterfalls ....ride was smooth and pilot.was.great. Would do again.
My husband and I did as our first tour of the island the helicopter tour around Hilo and Kilauea. We loved it! Neither of us had ever been in a helicopter before, and the safety briefing made us feel comfortable. Our pilot was very professional and knowledgeable, so she told us all about what we were looking at. We got a good view of the Hilo coast, then went to a small caldera on Kilauea that had running lava (the big one is a no fly zone). She circled both directions around the caldera around several spots with visible lava and around the caldera itself so we could all get pictures, then we went to look at Akaka Falls before heading back to Hilo. The flight lasted about 50 minutes and they took video of the whole thing, along with audio from the interior, so now we have a record of all the history she gave us. We'd do it again in a minute!
The secret to this tour out of Hilo at least is you can save some money by booking passage on their older helicopters, which are not quite as luxurious but still totally comfortable. Pilot was very knowledgeable and easygoing. We saw plenty of lava flows, waterfalls and other attractions, though the weather can be iffy.
We decided to try a helicopter tour during our Hawaiian vacation. No one in my family had ever been on a helicopter, so we thought it would be a great "family memory" to share. We chose Blue Hawaiian from the online website. I am so happy that we did!! We went on the "Ring of Fire/Waterfalls" tour around the Hilo area, and it was breathtaking. Our pilot, Coleen, was the best. She is quite knowledgable, and put us all at ease from takeoff through the entire tour. Admittedly a bit pricey, but overall well worth the money for such vacation highlight. If you are ever in Hawaii, and thinking about a helicopter tour, trust me, try Blue Hawaiian. You will absolutely not be disappointed.
We took off from Waikoloa. Downside is we had the check in at 615 am and were not in flight until 715am. Lots of waiting. Also weather did not allow us to see the volcanoes but they refunded half the money. However my kids age 10 and 15 loved it. So beautiful to get so close to the waterfalls and see the greenness of the Island. Also shout out to our pilot Ian who was very knowledgeable, kind and funny. Most importantly he was a very experienced pilot and we had a smooth ride.
It was a great experience. Our pilot Scott was very friendly, knowledgable, everything was timely and the ride was smooth. Weather did not allow us to see the volcanoes but they refunded the money. My kids age 10 and 14 totally loved the entire experience, it was our first helicopter ride and we did the ' Eco-star Circle of Fire plus Waterfalls' tour from Hilo. We also visited the National Volcano Park later the same day to see the lava glow/crater at dusk, a fantastic day overall!