This is an overdue post but the memories are still fresh. After spending a few days of online…read moreresearch, I found that Rainbow Helicopter doesn't only do aerial tours but also offers a discovery course for those who want to learn how to fly. Purchased this package as a surprise for my husband and it's ranked one of our most memorable experiences. I took the backseat with the doors off, while the very experienced (read: female ) pilot /instructor carefully and patiently taught my husband how to communicate, navigate and fly the helicopter while in the air, up front. This was the perfect package as most helicopter schools only offer instruction for those who are pursuing a flying license, and has minimum required hours of flight instruction time. Look no further than Rainbow Helicopter if you're interested in doing a tour on (above) O'ahu. The views from the air are unbeatable. I recommend this company if you're looking for a doors on or off tour.. and if you're wanting a bit more of an adrenaline rush -- a discovery flight course for an introduction to flying.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning on the day of my helicopter tour! Prior to boarding, you watch a…read moreshort info./safety video, receive a life vest, and a clear phone case on a lanyard to use on the ride. After that, you take a short golf cart ride to the helicopter. Friendly staff directs you where to stand for photos and where to enter the helicopter. Once all passengers had their seatbelts fastened, Pilot Conor started our tour. (*Staff member Malia recommended doors off. ) Conor gave interesting commentary throughout the tour as we experienced the beauty of Oahu. It was breathtaking to have an aerial view of the "nooks and crannies" of the island from the island's coastline to the mountains! Highly recommend Rainbow Helicopters! Staff was professional and friendly from start to finish. This was truly a 5-star experience!

Amazing all around. The best in the business. Incredible doorless and private experience.read more

Absolutely gorgeous. A one of a kind experience to see the massiveness of the ocean, yet quaintness…read moreof the islands. very unique experience.

The tour was excellent. Crew and pilot were wonderful. Only negative was tour scheduled weeks ago…read moreand week before, we were notified we needed to reschedule due to scheduled maintenance. Hmm

This was one of the most thrilling helicopter rides I have ever been on. While driving from the…read moreairport, I noticed a sign about Magnum Helicopters advertising they did "doors off" helicopter flights. I was intrigued by that. Earlier that week, I had done another helicopter tour with another company that was more sedate but good as well. The day b4 my flight back to the states, I decided to give Magnum a try. I was looking for a thrilling ride that could rival skydiving (I used to skydive many years ago). This ride gave me the thrill I was looking for. It was so fun to have the doors off, be strapped in, and hear the wind rushing by. This place is very very conscientious about safety. You watch a safety briefing on a video, etc. The ground crew takes good care of you and makes sure you are strapped in well, etc. Our pilot was Josh and he made the whole trip fun. He was an excellent pilot, took us to see all the important sights, and had great banter with the passengers. You can tell he is very experienced with piloting a helicopter and very safe too. Feeling the wind blow in your face, mussing up your hair as you fly around was a lot of fun. We could bring our phones with us to take pics and videos but they had to be in a plastic bag case tethered to our wrist (case and tether is available for rent or purchase). Magnum Helicopters is also based upon the Magnum PI show. The helicopter is painted in those colors and there is a Ferrari that one can sit in (in the waiting area) and gets pics in. I am hoping to come back to Oahu later this year so I can visit the other islands. If I do, I'll be sure to come back to Magnum Helicopters to get another thrilling ride

What a great experience - my first with a charter flight…read more A group of us chartered a plane to Kalaupapa to tour the peninsula. I did not book the flight, so I can't speak to that process, but our experience from airport to airport and back again was excellent. There isn't a big sign for Pacific Air Charters, but the building is clearly marked with the address, so we knew we were in the right place. Lots of parking out front on a Saturday morning, even though the spaces are not all striped. Lucy met us and escorted us up to the office and restrooms. We hung out with complimentary tea/coffee while our pilot finished up his final checks. She was very gracious and welcoming. Lucy then escorted us down to the aircraft, and I was pleasantly surprised - twin-engine Piper Super Chieftain. Some in our group were a little nervous about such a small aircraft but it was a lot nicer than some commercial planes I've been on. No TSA theatre, no lines. Our pilot came out to greet us - his name was Ace and he was a total Captain-Sully type. Very professional and left me feeling like we were in capable hands. He did a quick safety briefing for us, then placed us row by row for weight and balance. Every seat had headphones, which was good for noise reduction, but aviation geeks will enjoy listening to the radio communications with the tower and other aircraft. We had a quick taxi and takeoff, and we had such a smooth ride. Visibility got worse later in the day with vog, which was a bummer, but we even got to chase a couple whales in the morning on our way over to Kalaupapa. Fast flight - 25 minutes, max. Ace hung out at the airport while we did our tour, which was surprising; I figured he'd run back to Honolulu or at least go topside Molokai. But, when we were finished that afternoon, we did a repeat safety briefing, sat back in our assigned seats, trundled down the runway and we were off. We had a lot of sea-breeze convection and lightning over Oahu, but it wasn't a problem, thankfully - we stayed out to sea and came in from over the water instead of a town-side approach. The headsets were a bit static-y on the return, I suspect as a result of the weather, so I couldn't hear as well. An overall great experience. We filled the plane with 9 of us, and I thought the price was very reasonable per person, considering we had charter service to an isolated airstrip. Will definitely consider them again if travels warrant!

The pilots and staff at Pacific air charters are what makes this experience so smooth an enjoyable…read more I regularly use them to travel interisland to avoid waiting around and having to deal with TSA. They are always on time and do everything they can to make my travel plans work and are incredibly flexible to my needs. Thank you Lucy for always looking after me so well.

Probably Will Be The Best Part Of Your Vacation! Excellent Tour! Some Important Details If Your…read moreTaking 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!

We were supposed to do a helicopter tour on The Big Island, when that fell through we decided to…read morestill schedule one when we made it back to Oahu. So with our time constraints and trying to stay somewhat in budget we decided on a last minute tour with Blue Hawaiian. The morning of, received a notification that our tour had been upgraded to the full island tour. The aircraft was in excellent condition and the pilot was very knowledgeable and personable. The one disappointment was that the Secret Falls part of the tour turned out to not be visually what we were expecting. With waterfalls being one of the big reasons we wanted to take a helicopter tour. I would recommend them for a tour just temper your expectations somewhat.

I've had the opportunity to train at various schools in Southern California and here in Hawaii. And…read moreI can wholeheartedly say, training at George's Aviation has been a very positive experience. Their updated facility, advance simulator, friendly staff, knowledgeable CFIs, and varied planes to choose from are perfect for any flight school student, from the casual pilot to someone focused on a future at the airlines or corporate aviation. One aspect I appreciate is the personalized approach to instruction from their large network of CFIs. Not every student is the same and I appreciate their efforts in tailoring their instruction to fit my schedule and needs to become a competent and confident pilot. Lastly, the reality of the situation is the cost of training is high anywhere you go, but the experience gained while flying out of a busy Class Bravo airport like Honolulu International is uniquely invaluable. As a student, you'll learn more and be better equipped to tackle flying in a truly faced-paced professional environment. Look no further than George's for your flight training goals! -Joe Sillaman

George's aviation took me from .9 hours (I had previously had a discovery flight with a different…read morecompany) to private pilot in less than 50 days and that includes the check-ride. I was in Hawaii for work on a 50 day temporary assignment. I wanted to get in a flight or two while in Hawaii just to see the sights. Once I went up, I was hooked. George mentioned that he thought I could solo in Hawaii if I worked hard. Well, I got to solo at around three weeks. When that happened, George mentioned that I might be able to finish my PPL before I left the island. I thought he was crazy, but HE made it happen! George along with the rest of the team at George's Aviation treated me like family. I spent a lot of time with these folks and it never felt transactional. As a matter of fact, I'd have to ask them to pay so my bill wouldn't be so large at any given time! I got to know them very well and they got to know me. They all had a vested interest in my future as a pilot and I spent time outside the hanger with several of them going to dinner, sporting events and other local places having a great time! I was able to make some great friends while in Honolulu - especially at George's Aviation. George has several planes to choose from. He has everything from a six pack Cessna 150 for the budget conscious pilot all the way up to a nearly new Cirrus SR-20. I chose to fly in the newer Cessna 172S equipped with the G1000. He has three to choose from, so I never had to wait on a plane to be available. His maintenance staff is on-site and are constantly working to keep each plane airworthy and safe. Again, I never had to wait for a plane while in maintenance. I made several trips to check out his maintenance shop over the 50 days I was there and I can say that I trust the planes being worked on by George's Aviation to be safe and dependable. Now, back to the instructors. I had about five instructors helping me along the way, with two main instructors ensuring I was able to fly as often as my schedule allowed. These people worked day and night to ensure that I was safe and proficient. I had three instructors with me the night before my check-ride to make sure I was fully prepared. I was also able to knock out my high performance endorsement while I was in town also. I can't recommend George's Aviation enough. Thanks so much to George and Donna, along with Bianca and Spencer for making my dreams a reality. Also, a special thanks to Elan, Brandon, Dane, Jasmine and Jimmy for helping me throughout my journey to becoming a private pilot! And thanks to all those who I didn't mention specifically as there are many I connected with at George's and everyone there made me feel like a long time friend and welcomed me into their Ohana. Next stop instrument training!

We joined the 6 hour trip with Wild Side and it was amazing!!! The communication and preparations…read morebefore the trip was top notch, and the trip itself was unbeatable. We started at 6am and the morning was a tranquil visit to all the animals in the ocean. Our guides were Connor and Bethany, and they are knowledgeable naturalists and wonderful guides who took good care of us inside and outside of the water. Captain Kim knew we were birders and wanted to take photos of the shearwaters, boobys, and albatrosses and she always positioned the boat while giving us the best and most stable view for photography, while maintaining a respectful distance to the animals to avoid stressing them. We went out to Ka'ena point and had a great view of the Laysan albatross colony. There is truly nothing like having an albatross fly overhead. Along the way, we saw spotted dolphins actively feeding and playing, and also saw spinner dolphins! Seeing the monk seal lounging on the beach was a bonus. The wedge tail shearwaters had just returned so they were busy on the water. We also found masked boobys and brown booby feeding. We also saw turtles at their cleaning station! Connor and Bethany were knowledgeable about the landscape and the ecology and shared wonderful information. They are genuinely the nicest people! Highly recommended. The boat is comfortable and we were taking care of by the team (beverages, snacks, fruits, pastries). Thank you!

We did the 6 hour sea'fari with Bethany and crew and had just the most amazing experience. Our…read moredaughter is interested in marine biology so I emailed Wild Side to see which of their tours would be the best fit. We went out with 3 different boat charter companies during our time in Oahu and this was by far the absolute best. The west side is so much calmer than the other sides of the island and we got to see and do so much! We swam with spotted eagle rays, turtles, spotted dolphins, and got to see lots of living coral reef. We located and sent in coordinates for a "ghost net" that was too big for us to bring on board so that it could be collected to make sure that it didn't harm any creatures. Their ethics are so spot on - before we left the debris they used the gopro to make sure that there wasn't anything actively entangled. In deeper water we saw false killer whales - tons of them - and spent time watching them and learning about their behaviors. While another boat sent their crew in with them, we did not send anyone into the water with them and there was definitely a change in their behavior when people were in the water with them. We felt like we were part of marine biology on the island while also getting once in a lifetime experiences and photos. The photos are so amazing - definitely worth it to purchase! I can't imagine us going back to Oahu and not doing this again. Obviously the ocean is going to be different every time, but Wild Side's team was just so wonderful and we learned so much. Highly highly recommend!

Jay was great but he failed to mention that the video that you can purchase from them, is not of…read morethe whole flight. You only get a video that is 1 1/2 MINUTES long..... and you dont get it right then either.... it takes approx. 24-72 hours to receive via email. Oh yeah one other thing.....you are not up in the air for the full 30 minutes.... time starts when you get in it...

From the owner: Skyland Air offers open-cockpit gyroplane flights over Oahu's world-famous North Shore — no flying…read moreexperience needed! Departing from Dillingham Airfield, guests can take the controls themselves on a one-on-one flight with an FAA-certified instructor What makes us unique: Breathtaking aerial views — Fly over Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, Turtle Bay, Kaʻena Point, and the Waianae volcanic range You can fly the aircraft — Guests have the option to take the controls at altitude with instructor guidance, making this far more interactive than a typical helicopter tour Open-cockpit experience — Feel the ocean breeze with unobstructed panoramic views, unlike enclosed helicopter or airplane flights Flexible flight options — Choose from 30-minute, 45-minute, or full 1-hour North Shore tours starting at just $249 HD photo & video add-on available for $109 Gift cards available — Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or anyone visiting the island Free rescheduling up to 48 hours before your flight Guests call it "the highlight of their whole trip." Open 7 days a week, 9 AM – 6 PM | By reservation only Dillingham Airfield, North Shore (~55 minutes from Waikīkī)

Great service. Their website is in Japanese only, but for you English speakers just give them a…read morecall. Emi scheduled our helicopter tour, and even picked us up from our hotel on-time. She was super nice. What a great experience - ask them for their specials.

AWESOME helicopter tour! I did this on my 25th birthday as a present to myself (2nd present…read moreactually - Hawaii was my first present!) I booked and the person picked me up and dropped me off promptly. There was another couple from the mainland on the helicopter tour with me and the pilot was nice enough to let me sit next to him in front (although the husband seemed pissy when the pilot asked him if I could sit in front). Anyway, the pilot was really cool. I told him I was afraid of heights and when we were going through some turbulence, he kept talking to me to make sure I wouldn't freak out. We veered off course and got to see more than what was planned for. He also pointed out every landmark and some whales (or what he thought were whales!) as well as gave some interesting facts/history about the things he was pointing out. If you're ever in Oahu, give them a call! They are super friendly and super professional!!!