クチコミ

This was a thrill. First time up and the copter was comfortable even with the pilot and 5 passengers. We all could see and the headphones cut out all the sound of the rotor. The pilot was very knowledgeable and we had mics so we could ask questions. Great way to see the PU'u O'o crater and the flow into the ocean. Very nice operation and good people to work with. Saw the water falls also.

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is very good. Their tours are top notch. This is my second trip with them and they do a great job with ensuring all seated in the helicopter (our family of 5, another couple and the pilot) can see everything. The pilot moved the helicopter and made 4-8 sweeps of certain areas to ensure everyone got equal views. They will also do a DVD or BluRay of the trip for $25. We saw flowing lava from the crater on the Big Island and followed it to the ocean. Amazing. My kids loved it. A little bit pricey though. About $200 each after some early booking discounts (need to book online, minimum 5 days in advance for 15% off). The drive to Hilo from Kona or Waikoloa is about 2 hours each way.

Taking a helicopter ride to see the volancoes has always been on my bucket list. Now it has been crossed off. My husband and I took the Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour of the volcanoes and waterfalls. There was a lot of cloud with some rain in the area which made the ride quite choppy and the helicopter shook a lot. My stomach was not feeling too good at times. You have to check in 45 minutes prior to your flight in order to view a show and receive safety instructions, etc. You are not allowed to take any purses or bags (only cameras with no cases) on the flight but there is a place to store them (free of charge) just in case you don't want to leave valuables in the car. There is a charge for parking. The tour company takes every precaution to ensure your safety which I totally appreciated. They are a very friendly group. Oh and when you take this tour, be sure to wear dark clothing so that there is no reflection on the windows. If you forget, they do have t-shirts to lend you before you get on the tour. The lift off was smooth and not all that scary from what I thought it may be (I was sitting in front row by pilot next to the door). We took off towards the ocean to where the lava goes into same. We hovered around a bit and then we were taken to a place where the lava had covered a town. Next we flew to see where lava was on its way to the ocean (it was still hot) and finally over to Kilaeua where you could actually see the lava pulsing in the crater. Unfortunately none of this was spectacular as the volcano was quiet but still we were able to say we saw a lava flow. Our pilot made sure that all of us were able to see what was below us. If one of us did not, he would circle again. He also answered all questions and gave us quite a bit of information. From here we flew over to the waterfalls. This was a bit of a let down - not all that much to see here and everyone thought we would get lower and see more. After the falls our pilot took us out over the ocean where we saw humpback whales playing in the water. As we got closer they went under the water and we were only able to make out their shapes in the water. All in all, it was a good experience but I am not sure for the price (about $225 pp plus a bunch of taxes when you pay at airport) I would recommend same. I am glad I did it but for 50 minutes it is costly. We were lucky to have, for some reason, been upgraded from the helicopter I booked to another one. If you are planning on doing a helicopter ride in any case, this is a very good company. They take good care of you. If you have a weak stomach, do not eat before you take the tour. It may also be wise to take some medication for nausea if your stomach is really bad. They do have what they call "comfort bags" which on normal airlines is called an "air sickness bag". Happy travels!

After a horrible experience of attempting to book an ocean lava tour, we booked this helicopter ride. The staff was great. Super friendly and very professional. We booked a flight for the following afternoon. It took off from the airport and was super easy to find. We did have to get on a scale. Of you are more than 350 lbs, you're required to pay a bit more for extra room. After check in, we watched a safety video then followed re staff out to the helicopters. They took our photos with the helicopter (yay) and then helped us to get into our seats. Our pilot, Jeremy, was great. He talked the whole time, telling us what we were seeing and giving us history and trivia information about lava flows. Great personality and super personable. He took the time to fly by points of interest slowly, and then would fly by again so the people seated on the other side could see it, too. We had plenty of photo ops and he had a great eye for catching the elusive lava. We got to see lava bubbling up from a crater, as well as pouring into the ocean - more than we had hoped. Super fun experience. After we landed, we purchased the video from our actual flight. Can't wait to get home and relive this experience. Highly recommended.

We did the Circle of Fire and Waterfall tour. Our pilot, Rodger, made sure everyone on board had an opportunity to see the sights and take plenty of pictures. The seating was very comfortable. Rodger was very informative and personable. This is my second adventure with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, and I was very pleased with both tours. I would highly recommend taking the tour when visiting Hawaii.

Wish the flight could have been MUCH longer! Even though it rained the whole time, it was an awesome experience. Great view of the volcano and surrounds including a couple of whales. We'd certainly come back and do it again.

I read in a guide book that Blue Hawaiian was THE best helicopter tour and was worth the price so I decided to go for it. The two hours went by quickly. James was our pilot and he was very informative and engaging. We were able to speak to him and ask questions, which was nice. I've been on other tours where the pilot simply flies around and doesn't say much but James gave a lot of narrative and history, explaining a lot of how the island was formed, etc. I didn't have time to drive to the volcano so this was a great way to see it and the scenery was incredible. I felt very safe in the helicopter. I chose the Eco-Star (more expensive than the A-Star) and didn't pay attention that they put me in an A-Star. At the end, one of the staff told me what had happened and told me that they would refund the difference. I think that speaks volumes, as I would not have known (my fault) but the whole operation seems to be a well-run, class act. I would recommend this. It's pricey, but it's worth it!

This Helicopter experience was a blast. We did the Big Island Spectactular, and though it is a higher price, it was everything we hoped for. Flowing Lava, Volcanic land being created, The different topography on the island and so much more. The pilot did a wonderful job explaining everything we saw and we could ask questions. The DVD is also well worth is as is the Eco Star heli. More expensive but more stable and lots of room for all of the passengers. The waterfalls, valleys and Cattle country on the north side show how the volcano cut the land. What a sight to see and we even got so see some whales just jumping and playing. The pictures were one of a kind and you could see everything. Our pilot did a great job at making sure we saw everything from every vantage point. It was also amazing to see the bridges and farms on the other side of the island from where we stayed. If you are hesitant, don't be--it fulfilled our dream of seeing flowing lava and so much more!! It is what Hawaii is all about.

Fabulous to see the lava and the magnificent water falls and valleys. To see the diversity on one island is amazing. Scott our pilot gave us a very informative and humorous commentary. The DVD will leave us with lasting memories.

Professional, safe, fun, relaxed, interactive... No complaints! Our group included a small kid and a teen and us (middle age) and a senior citizen, and all loved the trip. We did the 2 hr volcano/waterfall trip with Justin as our pilot. Whole team there was nice. Even saw some whales. :) skip a few other activities to save up enough for this tour... It's worth it!

If your going to the Big Island a helicopter tour of the Kohala Coast is not to be missed. We missed a chance to do the valley and waterfall tour during our visit in 2011 due to weather. We made the mistake of booking it for our last day on the island so we could not reschedule. Don't make the same mistake as we did the fist time and book this tour for early in your stay. Keep in mind that the Big Island has 11 of the world's 13 climate zones so even though it may be bright and sunny in Waikoloa the tour may still be canceled due to weather on other parts of the island. To be sure that we had the best seating and quality photos we booked a private charter for a 7am departure on March 7th to the Kohala Coast, with one of the doors off. If you are serious about getting the best images possible this is the only way to go, its extra exhilarating with the door off as well. Our pilot Jason was fantastic. His flying skills made us feel safe and his knowledge of the island greatly furthered our education of this wonderful place. All of the base staff were very curteous and friendly, just as they were in 2011. Overall a great experience that is highly recommended. A word of advise to people planning to do the Big island Spectacular to see lava, keep your expectations realistic and you will be very satisfied. Weather and active lava flows are beyond the operators control. First, lava flows can disappear overnight. Secondly flights over the national park are restricted and finally the FAA mandates a minimum allowable altitude of 500 feet over the island. Do some research on the lava to check current conditions prior to booking and keep your fingers crossed that Pele cooperates on the day of your flight. Tom.

We did the two hour spectacular on an Eco Star. Worth the extra cost, as even the middle back seats had a good view. We were really lucky, it was a beautiful day and our pilot (Scott) was great, he spun around a lot to make sure everyone on board saw everything several times. And he did a detour out to sea when a whale breached right in front of us, amazing. The volcano was very cool, but the flight through the valleys was the best, the waterfalls are incredible.

We decided to splurge, so we took the "Big Island Spectacular". At sunrise we toured the entire island for two hours in one of Blue Hawaiian's Eurocopter EC130s. We decided to do this since Mount Kilauea (the most active volcano on earth) is still in active eruption from its Pu'u 'O'o vent. The current flow has been going on now for an unexpected 4 months (surface lava visible) and could stop at any time. What they say is true: "You may never see anything like this again in your lifetime." You can't really see this unless from the air. Walking takes a considerable effort, distance, like twenty miles and you are unlikely to see much, particularly flowing lava. You can go by boat but you see mostly steam except at night, except sometimes when you see the red hot lava pouring into the sea. We looked into the boat thing but it was going to be a pain, had to drive clean over to the other side of the island, the best way was to make a two day trip out of it and stay overnight. The current eruption began in 1983 with flows starting and stopping from various vents every since and periods where surface lava is visible, like now, may only be of short duration. In 1988 my wife and and I were here and drove over to witness the action, at the time the 1986 to 1992 flow was really getting with it. We drove as far as we could on the Chain of Craters road until we ran into a blockade as the lava had destroyed the road ahead, then we walked. We got fairly close but all you really could see was steam pouring up from the ocean where the lava was entering it. Since then there has been four other big flows, the current one started in 2007. It is interesting for me to note, that from the point where the road ended in 1988 due lava, when we were there, to where it ends now, another 7 miles of road has been wiped out by these flows. It was a beautiful day, but even at that, due all the hot gas and stuff from the vents the volcano sort of makes its own weather. So there were stretches where the smog was rather thick. We stopped in Hilo to refuel, then continued on along the coast. Very spectacular waterfalls, one after another, all set in the beautiful rain forests on that side of the island, then you come to Waimanu Valley, wow. I've only been on a chopper once before and that was when I was 15 or 16. No wonder helicopters are taking over visitor flight seeing the world over. Blue Hawaiian gets an A plus in my book and I was in the airplane game all my life. Ask for pilot Greg. Excellent pilot with a personality and one who not only knows flying but island history and geography and isn't afraid to share.

Well worth the expense as you could never see these sights from the ground. Flew over volcanoes, coastline & fantastic valleys. Our pilot Scott was very knowledgeable & friendly & made sure all passengers got a great view by doing circuits over the sights as we went. The weather on our way back from Hilo wasn't too kind & it rained in patches but this in no way spoilt the trip. Would highly recommend this adventure no matter what the price!

Our pilot Grant was both highly skilled and informative. Best way to see The Big Island especially hot lava flows and dozens of waterfalls. Would recommend it highly.