I would give this more than 5 stars if I could! What an absolutely amazing experience from start to…read morefinish. The check in process was well organized, and we got a clear and easy to understand safety briefing. The boarding procedure, based on where we sat, was also well organized. The ride itself was phenomenal. Our pilot, Robby, was very informative about Kauai, its landscapes, and its history. We saw many places that are only visible from air, such as the waterfalls used in Jurassic Park, Mount Waialele's crater, and some lush valleys. The experience of flying through Waimea Canyon was indescribable, as was flying along the Na Pali Coast. The views of both were absolutely priceless, and we got new angles and hidden areas that could never have been possible on the road or from the water. The soundtrack during the ride was also great. Overall, a highly recommended tour if you are in Kauai, especially as the majority of the island can only be viewed by air.

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.

I am my wife took the tour in December. Had a great time. I did wear a bright T-shirt. I do regret…read morethat , some of my pictures have my reflection glare my fault sorry I should've known better but other than that, the helicopter was smooth and stable the pilot ( James ) was very knowledgeable and gave good commentary throughout the tour. A big shout out to the staff at Safari took very good care of us and had a great time.

Do not use this company. Nor their Viator third party. Both companies overbook themselves. The sky…read moreis clear today, yesterday it was rainy and they decided to still confirm us and take our $1000. This morning although people are going to the beach, biking, and the sun is out ( sun is as out as any day in the winter can be in kauai) they chose another party and cancelled ours. Now we have $1000 in the air. Literally. They should have honestly and ethically not charge our reservation and cancel us yesterday. They overbook themselves. So be careful! They will come back with weather excuses but we are not buying it today. No winds, no rains. Clean skies. My sister is flying on another company right now!

Excellent pro-active staff, quickly respond, pleasant to deal with. The pilot was attentive and…read moreinformative. Just the right amount of narrative. Nice quality helicopter, roomy, with clean windows. They take care of you, safety, seating, strapping in, they cover it. We did the Grand Skies Island Tour. I liked how we dealt directly with the company and received a superior tour. It lasted about an hour. Don't forget to tip your pilot. Considering the prices of other tours, this is a better value and the pilot deserves it.

Island Helicopters was hands down worth every single penny! This tour is absolutely…read morebreathtaking--one of those rare experiences that actually brings tears to your eyes because of how magical Kauai truly is. You get up close, personal, and immersed in scenery you could never imagine. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by the most fabulous team. We had a slight delay due to a minor maintenance issue on one of the helicopters, but Aaron from the ground crew kept us constantly updated and even helped coordinate a plan to make sure we'd still make a reservation we had later that afternoon. Pua jumped in as well, working with Aaron and our pilot to ensure everything stayed on track. These two made the wait feel like no wait at all--true pros who kept us totally at ease. Huge kudos to both of them! Once we were in the air, our pilot Steven was incredible. He's extremely knowledgeable about the island, and his playlist made the flight feel like a scene straight out of a movie. He's an outstanding pilot, and if we had more time, we'd go back for round two in a heartbeat. Pua Aaron Steven You guys are perfect!!!!

We had seen Waimea canyon from water (catamaran) and from driving in and hiking but the views from…read moreabove of Kauai were out of this world. It was one of my favorite activities on the trip. I recommend it!! I was worried about motion sickness given the small plane but the flight itself was so smooth. Everything was wonderful!

Had the most amazing ride with Air Ventures Hawaii on Kauai…read more We got lucky to have the best weather for our flight. I would recommend this trip while on Kauai. Great way to see the island and its rich history.

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!

Great experience!…read more Bill was great, and my pilot Sean was a real pro and very knowledgeable! And it was an absolutely fun ride!

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.

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.

Am I still afraid of heights? Yes. Was it absolutely worth it? Yes!…read more I would say doing a helicopter tour is one of the best ways to experience Kauai and you'll get breathtaking views you'll never get to see otherwise. Check in was quick and easy, staff at the shop were super sweet and friendly, and the pilots were very informative and helped get us comfortable for our tour.