First time to fly and had a blast. Thanks Pete!
What a GREAT way to end the perfect trip. Wonderful experience. Very first class.
This was the best thing we did on the trip. And we saw the 50th eruption of Kīlauea, hiked the Kīlauea Iki crater, ran the Kona half marathon, went to the Farimont Orchid luau, and did the manta ray night dive. So saying it’s the best is saying a lot. We got pilot Greg. I’m sure all of the pilots are wonderful but Greg was made to give these tours. He found his calling. Greg programmed his own playlist for the flight. We took off to James Bond and returned to these are the days. He waited just a beat before dipping into a canyon so it coincided with a swell of the music. He answered every question, asked each guest about their lives and found a way to connect with everyone. “My uncle played football there” and to someone from the Midwest “welcome to topography” with a good natured smile. He really personalized the experience. We sprang for the first class seats which just means you pay more to sit upfront. There are two seats plus the pilot in the front row and four in the back. I can’t speak to the view in the back so it might be just as amazing, but with windows from the floor level on up, I felt the extra money for the front row was worth it. We could look down below us with ease, and of course out the front, sides, and up. He was safe, friendly, and gave tips on how to enjoy the rest of the island (take his advice on going to the butcher shop in Waimea for lunch). 10/10 no notes. It could not have been a better experience. Shout out to the staff who checked us in, went over safety regulations, and took pictures of us near the helicopter. I hope the company takes care of their workers because they all took care of us.
Expensive but great experience. Views of the island were incredible
Probably Will Be The Best Part Of Your Vacation! Excellent Tour! Some Important Details If Your Taking Photos. I was the solo admission, but was paired with another family of course. The company team allocated everyone fairly. One person from the family in the front. The rest of the family sat in the back. I was solo, so I was the other person nominated in the front. The helicopter can seat 6 passengers. 2 in front, which have full view of the front of course and sides. 4 in back, only the two passengers on the sides have windows. We had 5 passengers total, not including the pilot. You can bring camera equipment like a mirrorless camera or DSLR with a long lens, but make sure it is not extremely long and intrusive. I highly advise against bringing very large camera gear. You are only allowed your one camera with the lens attached at all times, no camera bags, no extra lens. Please be mindful of this. Nicole was our pilot. She is excellent! If you get her as a pilot you are in good hands! She is patient and mindful of all passengers during and after the flight. She gives everyone on the flight multiple chances and opportunities to see everything by performing multiple turns to allow all passengers on all sides to see while keeping it smooth. She narrated the key points while also allowing periods of quiet ambience to enjoy the breath taking views of Oahu. Whatever questions you asked, she answered professionally and with courtesy. Every pilot has their own unique music playlist in the background. Nicole had Deadmau5 - Ghosts N Stuff (Nero Remix); Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i - We Know The Way (Finale); Weezer - Island In the Sun; Coldplay - Clocks; Chicago - Saturday In the Park. There are a few others I didn't list or I don't recognize, but also I am being bias and I'm just recognizing the songs I personally enjoyed and listened to. The flight was about 55 minutes approximately, based on video you can purchase at the end, from take off to landing. My vacation was not very long in Hawaii, approximately a week. Out of everything I have done from hiking, driving, dining, and so on this was probably the number one highlight out of the whole trip! If you are able to do this helicopter tour, please do it, it is something you really don't want to miss. And if you can bring a "nice" camera, your smartphone won't capture some of the impressive details you will miss. This was by far the best experience ever! Mahalo, Nicole and Blue Hawaiian Helicopters!
Amazing experience! Top notch pilot and crew!
We booked the Maui Nui flight in Lanai. We are staying in Maui and going to take a puddle jumper over for the day, because this flight went everywhere we wanted to see. They called and had to cancel the flight because there wasn’t anyone else to fly with us that day…. You would assume this would lower the star rating…. NO SIR. I spoke to Todd and gave him my thoughts, and we book a private flight out of Maui seeing all the things we wanted. We really appreciated them working with us to accommodate us! We flew with Pete, and he was a pleasure to be around, and very knowledgeable about the island and the ups and downs of the helicopter worlds. :-). This was the #2 best thing we did on the island, #1 was in the condo ;-)!! Check them out to be amazed and see things most traveler never get to glimpse. We have also did the Big Island flight before as well, it was equally amazing!
It was an amazing experience! Our pilot was very knowledgeable. We would definitely recommend this tour to others.
Great ride and tour. Highly recommend Pete! Thanks!
We had a fantastic time in the helicopter. Flew by the volcano which was erupting. Saw many waterfalls and a good part of the island
Sarah, our pilot, was incredible! We had such an amazing time and this is just one of those things that you cannot miss while in Hawaii
This was a truly amazing experience. We’ve done many helicopter tours in Canada, the USA and Africa, but this one is the best by far! It is not cheap, but good value for money. The sights were truly breathtaking. The helicopter was comfortable and in great condition. The pilot flew expertly and hosted us royally and was very well versed with the narrative. A special touch was the inspirational soundtrack that played as we flew over the magnificent sights. It felt at times like an out of body experience. We can’t recommend this tour enough!
Excellent guide (James) had a lot of facts to impart about Hawaiian and geological history. I felt safe flying with him at the controls. He made a wonderful soundtrack of music to listen to during the flight. Very enjoyable!
We enjoyed the amazing views on the island of moloka’i and also the dormant volcanos on the northern part of Maui! It was a fun ride and our pilot Herb did a great job of explaining what we were seeing! They also have a video of the flight you can buy at the end which was nice.
A memorable experience we won’t soon forget!