Wow, what can I say other than fantastic? Maybe awe-inspiring, beautiful, fun, exhilarating,…read moreonce-in-a-lifetime, etc, and on and on! THAT'S what my wife and I experienced on this utterly stupendous helicopter flight!! From the moment I booked with Jana, who answered all our questions and briefed us before the flight, I knew this was the absolute best helicopter tour in Maui! And Nick with his 20,000 hours and 37 years of flying (20 years in Maui) was safe, professional, knowledgeable, friendly, and fun! I'm a retired Air Force pilot with 22 years of experience. He was absolutely outstanding and made my wife and I feel totally at ease! We saw waterfalls and valleys that are not accessible any other way than a helicopter. And having the doors off made it a premier experience and epitome of "free" flying. Thanks Jana and Nick - you made this flight a highlight of our travels!!

We started our day off a little early because we wanted to be out in the air as the air was still…read morefresh. We had Nick as our pilot and boy what a treat. My son who is 10 opted to do doors off and Nick approved because of his maturity level. Doors off is absolutely the way to go but please come prepared in addition to wear in the flight suit it was pretty chilly up there. Being cold was just a small sacrifice to pay for the absolute beautiful creations you will see well up in the aircraft. We chose the road to Hana and what a treat! Don't forget to tip and bring your patience's!

From the start we were greeted with a smile and helpful staff…read more We were supposed to do a 3 island tour however they could not get enough people to book it so they put us on the molokai 2 island tour with 3 other people. The 3 other people did not show so we got a private tour with our pilot Josh. Josh was safe, informative, and made my wife feel at ease for her first time! Josh took us through canyons for awesome waterfalls, over the coral reef, and whale watching on our way back. By far worth every penny! When we returned the staff was very helpful and we learned of a new breakfast place called Baked on Maui. It was off the beaten path and a perfect recommendation. I did not get the name of the young lady at the desk, but thank you very much for all your help! You are awesome!

This morning commenced the undisputed highlight of our trip: a three-island aerial spectacle…read morecourtesy of Maverick Helicopters. Our 11:00 AM departure was aboard an EC-130, configured for four passengers plus one additional pilot from Maverick who was aboard purely as an observer to gain route familiarization. Reassuringly, he remained a passenger throughout--no hands on the controls, just enjoying the view like the rest of us. The ground crew delivered impeccable service: warm welcomes, streamlined procedures, and not a single indication that we were about to star in an unsolicited adventure film. For my wife, this marked her very first helicopter flight. She admitted to pre-flight nerves substantial enough to generate renewable energy. I, of course, congratulated myself on arranging this exhilarating vertical ascent. Fortunately, the moment we lifted off and the earth receded gracefully, her anxiety evaporated, giving way to unfiltered astonishment. The 75-minute flight enjoyed weather so flawless it seemed custom-ordered. Our pilot, Ethan--undisputed champion of the day and recipient of our profound gratitude--navigated us over Maui, Molokai, and Lanai with the serene authority of someone who unmistakably knew exactly what he was doing. We began with panoramic sweeps of West Maui and Kapalua, then crossed the Pailolo Channel for an intimate view of Elephant Rock--a geological formation resembling an elephant that clearly lost an argument with erosion. Circling Molokai, we admired the world's tallest sea cliffs (surpassing most personal regrets in height), ancient Hawaiian fish ponds, and the longest continuous fringing reef in the United States--nature flexing every possible asset. Next, we proceeded to Lanai's north shore and the aptly named Shipwreck Beach, featuring its photogenic WWII shipwreck that has been picturesquely deteriorating since 1944. Consider it the ocean's original unfinished project. The return over Maui--the Valley Isle--offered enchanting aerial perspectives of historic Lahaina, immaculate beaches, and verdant valleys. The finale routed us through the rugged West Maui Mountains: razor-sharp ridges capable of slicing envelopes, precipitous drops prompting existential reflection, concealed waterfalls engaged in eternal hide-and-seek, and the iconic Iao Valley resembling Mother Nature's grand cathedral. In a delightful cinematic twist, parts of this very West Maui mountain region--including remote valleys and waterfalls accessible only by air--served as stand-in shots for the helicopter approach sequence in Steven Spielberg's original Jurassic Park (1993). Due to a hurricane disrupting primary filming on Kauai, the production captured these lush, misty valleys on Maui to evoke the prehistoric wonder of Isla Nublar. Flying low through the hidden canyons felt uncannily like recreating that iconic arrival--minus the dinosaurs, thankfully, though Ilona half-expected a T-Rex to poke its head out from behind a ridge. The experience was breathtaking; the immense scale and beauty of Hawaii from above left us nearly speechless. Nearly--Ilona still produced a few delighted exclamations once assured we would not become the day's impromptu attraction. 5 "Keopuka Rock (Jurassic Rock) on Maui, featured in the original Jurassic Park helicopter scenes." Following a flawless landing (no theatrics or spontaneous applause required), we expressed heartfelt thanks to the crew, captured the mandatory "we survived" photographs, and departed buoyed by adrenaline and a touch of lingering dizziness. Thanks Team Maverick for a wonderful experience.

My first time riding in a helicopter was with Air Maui Helicopter Tours and it was an amazing…read moreexperience. It went very smooth and there was no weird feeling since I am afraid of heights. The plane went up and landed smoothly without a stomach dropping feeling. We were instructed to wear headphones that blocked the helicopter sounds and listen to the tour guide. He explained and told us what we were looking at. We also had to share the helicopter with another couple. The helicopter had a front row for the pilot and assistant. Then after that there were two rows for tourists. I wished the tour was private and only for my group but then that would have been more money. The views were so cool! I got to see the floor and land shrinking and all the houses small like lines when I was up in the sky. The ocean looked so clean and blue! We also got to fly above mountains. There was so much grass everywhere. I got to take a lot of pictures. The bad thing was that the window of the plane had a reflection from the sun so my pictures got reflections. The whole tour was kind of short. We got to purchase a picture next to the helicopter as a memento. I had to pay for the picture and it was pricey. They framed the picture in a thick folding pcard

I had never been on a helicopter before. It was absolutely fantastic. These guys are the real deal…read more I would recommend them all day!!!

Had a great time with Captain Mike. Saw some amazing views on Molokai and Maui. The highlight…read morethough was seeing a whale shark swimming by the reef. The company had good customer service, helicopter was clean, and I felt safe the whole trip.

Excellent communication and a great tour! They provided all the info needed prior to the tour and…read morecalled to confirm the details the day before. They did end up swapping our tour time a couple times, but I didn't have anything else planned that day so I had the flexibility. The waiting room hospitality was quite good, with coffee, tea, and water. The wall decor and infographics were interesting to look at too. The safety briefing was concise but to the point and they provided clear and direct instruction prior to heading out to the airfield. They tooks photos of us with the heli and also took a photo with one of our phones. The pilot/tour guide was very engaging, informative, and made sure to warn us of any possible turbulence so we wouldn't get startled.

The flight we took with Andy was amazing! Felt safe and excellent tour! The tour should us close up…read moreon mountains and everything.

So cool! It's a…read morelive tour of the islands and the coastal waves up close with waterfalls in between valleys. Love the view and different perspective of Maui and neighboring islands! Spencer was a great pilot and nice fun facts of the history and landscape.

Maui Plane Rides is located in Maui Hawaii at a small airport deep in the island near the Costco…read more We were out enjoying happy hour in Maui when we met a young couple originally from Colorado. The female half was a pilot. While talking she recommended to us that we should take a sunset flight over Maui with her old boss at Maui Plane Rides. She said it was truly a life changing experience. Well, that was enough for us, we booked one and embarked on our journey a few days later. We arrived to the small airport and met our pilot, Eric was his name maybe? He was originally from New York and was a very friendly fellow. He did his pre flight checks and we loaded into the plane and away we went. The pilot flew us all over the island and he was a very informative with his knowledge of the island and local history. The flight path he took was truly EPIC! He let my wife fly the plane for about 5 minutes, which was super cool of him. The flight was absolutely a must do if you have the opportunity and the funds. You will never see a sunset quite like the sunset over Maui from a plane. It was the most beautiful sunset ever. And I have seen many sunsets in many locales. The experience was top notch, the pilot was A+++++ and the night was truly incredible as our newly met Colorado friends stated it would be. I cannot recommend Maui Plane Rides enough, the experience was truly like nothing we've ever done before.

Had a wonderful panoramic view of Maui and the surrounding Islands with an engaging and informative…read morepilot.

As a PP on the mainland, I was excited to have the opportunity to not only see Maui from the air,…read morebut to log some SR22 time too. Just because I do have flight experience, if you don't, do not let that sway you away from this experience. The views of the island are stunning and it's something you wouldn't otherwise experience. For my GA friends who are looking to say they "flew in the islands" this is a must do. The landscape, the weather, and the overall experience absolutely worth it.

What an experience! Laurence is a pleasure to work with, my husband and I had SO much fun on a…read morebeautiful day OVER Maui, Molokai and Lanai! My husband flew to Lanai, our driver was there waiting to pick us up(arranged by Laurence of course!), drove us to the Four Seasons for lunch and I flew back to Maui. Hubby got his logbook and on his way to pursue his Private Pilot license! Thanks Laurence!

I had an extremely good experience with Maui Aviators and highly recommend them…read more I wanted to get some "dual time" to renew my Private Pilot license and see Maui from the air with my wife. We got a pilot and plane at Maui Aviators that were perfect. Our pilot (Lewis) was professional, efficient, understand what we wanted and was also humorous. He gave me confidence to do pretty much all of the taxiing, takeoff, flight, maneuvers, approach and most of the landing/flare. The winds were pretty gusty.

I'd flown with Maui Aviators a few years back and didn't think I could top that experience - then I…read moregot to fly with Ian a few weeks ago! Ian is a fantastic CFI who did a spectacular job given that I was a rusty pilot who hasn't flown much during the pandemic. He balanced my need to gawk at the sites, take pictures, and gauged my skill and comfort levels to give the perfect level of guidance for me to log some cool landings. Due to a scheduling issue we were also in a bit of a time crunch and he did a great job tailoring our route to make the most of our time. Thank you another amazing experience and motivating me to become more current now that I'm home - if I had an instructor like that here I'm pretty sure I'd be punching through a lot of ratings. Looking forward to flying with Maui Aviators again!

We're on Maui, my new service dog is on Hawaii, after looking at the well known commercial airlines…read morewhose schedules didn't work for us, I found Mokulele. I needed to go from Kahalui to Waimea and boy was this easy. Small planes, with really nice staff, from counter to pilots. Our flights were easy, quick and fun. You can no longer watch the cockpit on regular flights, but you can watch the take off and landing on these flights, so much FUN. We met our dog in Waimea and came right back to Maui. So simple. The only negative is that our schedule changed several times but nothing that really made a difference for us. I will definitely use them again in the future. So easy to get from island to island without having to go through Oahu.

Garbage all the way around nowadays. If 0 stars were an option, I'd still go lower. Flew with them…read moreyears ago and everything was as reasonable as one could expect. Way too many ownership changes over the years for one to expect quality to still be in the top 5 company goals. I had multiple reservations/flights cancelled for BS reasons and then customer service was terrible every fricken time I called - no idea where the call center is, but it's crap too. The last time, they didn't even bother to process the refund I had called to request in the first place so I had to call back and burn another 30 minutes on the phone to do it all over again. Wasted more than 5 hours of my life between setting up flights with the transport of an animal between the islands and then having to request refunds because they would cancel the flights 24-36 hours in advance for one of a multitude of reasons which was different depending on who I talked to. First it was an "unscheduled maintenance", then it was "staffing", then it was "regular maintenance with no back up plane planned" and finally "weather related" and "unforeseen circumstances". And each and every time, the flights were cancelled more than 24 hours in advance...what in the actual FFF? Over and over again during the course of a week of flights, they'll happily sell you tickets on flights they just continually (planned to) cancel. STOP SELLING TICKETS if you can't actually supply the flights. Get your sh*t together or close up shop. Don't waste your time booking and just avoid the nightmare.

Awesome experience highly recommended, Eric Gilbert is an amazing instructor is worth every penny.read more

From the owner: Our helicopter academy pivots a lifetime of exploration and adventure. Our educators are eager to…read moregive you the tools needed to explore the corners of the earth most don't get to see. From magnificent Hawaiin waterfalls to lush rainforests, these are only a few spectacular sights to see when you take lessons. At our school, we believe aviation is for everyone -- so if you're looking for something new, safe, and exciting to do, we welcome you to give flying a try! You'll never have to worry knowing you've been trained by the best instructors around. With that being said, doors off, lenses out! The experience of a lifetime awaits.