We took the Kauai island tour out of Lihue on May 23. The tour was spooktacular and I cannot think…read moreof a better way to see ALL of Kauai's beautiful landscape including the Nāpali Coast and Waimea Canyon. In addition, the recent rains provided dozens of waterfalls that the pilot was surprised to see., Speaking of the pilot he was fantastic and tlaked history of the island and pointed out all the sights and valleys. We always get the USB recording of the flight because they have multiple cameras around the bottom of the helicopter and it includes the audio. We have flown Blue Hawaiian on the Big Island twice and now Kauai. They are by far the best in the business in our opinion. We flew a competitor on Maui and were very disappointed. Blue Hawaiian helicopters are limousines that fly.

Our group absolutely LOVED our first-ever helicopter ride, and Kauai was the perfect location to…read moreexperience it! We have perfect views of Hanalei Bay, Poipu, Waimea Canyon, and the Napali Coast. The entire team at Blue Hawaiian, from check-in, safety briefing, and the flight itself were great. The process moved quickly but efficiently, and we felt safe the whole time. Highly, highly recommend, especially if you only have a short time to spend in Hawaii.

10/10 experience with Safari Helicopters! Aiden was very skilled, energetic, and an experienced…read morepilot! He provided helpful commentary and gave us a great tour! Would definitely come back if I return to Kauai!

Office staff, shuttle driver and pilot were all so friendly and professional. Will tell my family…read moreand friends this is a definite "must do" when in Kauai!

We had an unforgettable helicopter ride with Island Helicopters Kauai. The entire team from front…read moredesk, ground instructors and captain are just warm and professional. We are honored to fly with Captain Steve, whose knowledge of the terrain and local history made every moment richer. His phenomenal playlist set the perfect tone as we flew over some of the most breathtaking landscapes I've ever seen. Honopū Valley especially, left me in absolute awe. It was a privilege to soar above such untouched nature and ancient valleys. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants to witness one of the most beautiful and remarkable geographic landscape from above.

Amazing tour! Our pilot was very professional and well trained. He knew so much about the island…read morewhich helped us plan other island adventures. I definitely recommend seeing the island by air. You'll see much more than you can ever see on the ground.

The entire tour and experience was Excellent! Asa was our pilot and he put us at ease immediately…read more The views were spectacular. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous to take the flight as it was my entire family in one small plane but Air Ventures safety rating and the care that I witness Asa reviewing the plane and doing safety checks when he returned from his first trip, and prior to starting ours, again put me at ease. I'm so glad we did this excursion it was amazing!

The whole experience was a once in an lifetime experience. Highly recommend it! Their team is…read morefantastic and very friendly. Great for kids- we took our 4 year old and she had a blast too! Make this apart of your trip. You wont be sorry. Nick, Kim, Liz - thank you guys for a wonderful time. Many blessings!

It was amazing. So glad I book a full 30min. Time really flys…read more You really do feel like you are soaring.

Bill and his guys are excellent. Safe, fun and absolutely stunning to see and experience. My son…read moresaw two whales this week while in the glider. This is a must do when on Oahu!

I am a current private pilot and decided to add a glider rating. It has been 20+ years since I…read morefirst flew a glider. Brian and Yuko have a fantastic operation. This is the only winch tow at the airfield and is by far my favorite way to get to release altitude. This is an amazing place to add a rating. I am looking forward to my ongoing training here!

Although I visit one of the islands every year, it's been many, many years since my last visit to…read moreOahu. On this visit, there was one definite item on my list of things to do...and that was to go soaring! As a power and glider pilot, I've been lucky enough to be exposed and get training under various conditions. But the one condition that has always eluded me was ridge soaring. But here on Oahu (in particular, Dillingham Airfield) ridge soaring is fairly predictable and common. On a scouting drive to the airport, I met up with Brian who courteously gave me all the information I needed to set up a lesson in the following days. He stayed in touch with me by phone as minor changes detoured our arrangement slightly. Arriving at the airport a few days later, I got to watch sailplane operations...both winch and aerotow. Brian next introduced me to the flight instructor that would accompany me on my flight..."JJ." After the standard discussion about my piloting experience, JJ and I were buckled in and ready for our winch launch in a Grob103. Now most of my glider experience is through winch launching. But when I was told they typically winch to just 900 ft, I was a little skeptical as that is the altitude I'd usually be at when preparing to land. But this is their turf and I completely trusted in their professionalism and expertise. Releasing at 1100 ft (we got a little extra altitude), JJ had me bee-line directly for the ridge on the south side of the runway...and just like that...lift! So up we went! After just a couple passes up and down the ridge line, we'd gained just over a 1000 ft of altitude. With altitude, we could now extend our soaring range along the ridge. On this particular day, we found some really strong lift and some sink as well. But we worked a couple areas that had really strong lift and eventually made it up to 3800 ft. Besides seeing a few other sailplanes, you get a spectacular view of the coastline that stretches north (AKA North Shore)....waves as far as the eye can see! We also spotted a few whales breaching and making big splashes just off shore. But for me, the real beauty is awesome views in all directions...like the large windmills in the distance and clouds right above you. Even the green treeline on the ridge we soared above was a true sight to see from the air. Seeing everything from the air, is just better in my book! Of all the things I did on my vacation to Oahu, this tops my list of fun things I did! As we flew, I had numerous questions about ridge soaring which JJ promptly answered and explained. It was great to meet and fly with people that knew the game so well. If you are ever on Oahu, I'd strongly suggest you take a ride with HGSA. If you're a pilot too, take a formal lesson...you might be amazed at what you can learn from the unique conditions this area offers. Much thanks...Brian and JJ! If either of you are ever in Prescott, Arizona, come check out our winch operations!

Steve no-called and no-showed for a reservation we booked six weeks in advance. Suzy never bothered…read moreto call or email me about the cancellation - when I managed to track them down, she simply mumbled "something came up, thanks" and hung up on me. I rented a car and drove across the island specifically for this reservation and it's utterly disrespectful and rude to not even bother to call, text or email me that he didn't want to show up. I wasted $100 on the car and 3 hours of my brief vacation. Steve and Suzy are extremely elderly and seem to be struggling with maintaining their operations. This is an unprofessional and unsafe operation.

Steve, our pilot walked up, ready to fly. With fifty-three years of flight experience and a calm…read moredemeanor, I felt at ease. He later revealed that in 1958 his first solo flight took place at the age of fifteen. It was a glider towed behind a car with 400 feet of rope! He walked over to JW and after a brief conversation, we were ready to go.

For my husband's birthday on 7/24 we decided to fly with Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours doors off…read moreadventure over Kauai. While my husband had flown before, it was my first time. I was quite nervous, but more from excitement. I was the one who chose doors off. We checked in at the NEW LOCATION at 3748 Ahukini Rd. Lihue, HI 96766. Kalei welcomed us and gave us our time to come back to get ready for our flight. She then directed us to a lounge with restrooms across the street. Preflight preparation with Kalei. First, we watched a short safety video. Next, we strapped a flotation device around our waists. Kalei had us remove our phones from their cases to properly secure them in a holder with a wrist strap. Then we waited on the front bench for our pilot. Within moments, our pilot WALT, walked over and greeted us with a big smile and a hearty handshake. After chatting with Walt, all my fears vanished. He was happy, friendly, and confident. He truly was a cool guy that you do not mind hanging out with for an hour in helicopter. He shared lots of interesting facts about the island and we had a lot of fun laughs. Walt as a pilot was gentle but effective with necessary safety information. His instructions were clear and easy to follow. Getting in and secure was remarkably easy. The flight itself was smooth. We did have some light rainfall during the flight which made for a spectacular rainbow. The entire experience was magical. If you want to know what we saw on the tour, you will need to book the tour and find out. You will not be disappointed. If you end up with Walt as your pilot, you are in great hands. Have fun! Mahalo nui loa Walt, Kalei, & Mauna Loa Helicopter Tours. We have amazing memories, and photos that will last a lifetime. PS - wear the heavy sweatshirt you brought. You will need it.

First: our pilot, Julian, was incredible!…read more If you are unsure if this island flight is worth the money or not, I can say that it 10000% is! You are going to be able to see perspectives you can't get anywhere else. This is one of the most beautiful islands in the world but, it's hard to see its beauty while you are attached to it! I highly recommend going "doorless". The ability to take photos without the softening glare of a window is what really makes one of these flights worthwhile. It's also such an incredible rush to constantly blasted with fresh tropical air. When we got off the helicopter we felt like boring land people and yearned to get back into the skies.