Trip of many firsts! My wife and I always go on an annual Pre-Valentine's Day trip. This year, we chose to go to Hilo. This would be my wife's first time to Hilo and also first time on a helicopter tour. I previously worked in the helicopter tour Industry on Kauai, so I was already familiar with the top-notch operation at Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by Christian and Eric and led through a Safety briefing. After the safety briefing, we were introduced to our pilot, Ryan, And he took a moment to talk about his pilot experience and spoke about what we would experience on our tour. (This added personal touch helped calm my wife's nerves for her first flight.) we were then escorted to the helicopter for pre-flight photos and to board. The 50 minute "Discover Hilo" tour was smooth, scenic, educational and entertaining. Our pilot had a good selection of music that perfectly fit the different areas that we were flying over. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip and would recommend it! read more

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Kīlauea is currently erupting for its 28th cycle and we were fortunate enough to witness this with our fantastic pilot Chewy. Blue Hawaiian provided an excellent experience with the flight, music and info for our big island adventure. This is something we will always remember. Mahalo! read more

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Really great helicopter tour over the eruption sights. It was incredible to see this from the air. The crew was super nice and it felt incredibly safe. Would highly recommend this tour if you're on the island. read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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It was amazing! Beautiful helicopter, great staff, pilot/guide. It is a once in a lifetime tour. Handicapped friendly. read more

Not recommended. The company was focused on filling every seat, so our flight got rescheduled. In the end, there were 7 people onboard, and I was stuck on the wrong side -- I spent most of the flight staring at the ocean while all the interesting sights were on the opposite side. They didn't even show us the waterfall, which was supposed to be a highlight of the tour. It really didn't feel like a proper sightseeing flight -- more like just looking through the helicopter. They took our photos before the flight, but never offered them afterward. The staff clearly wanted to leave quickly and didn't bother with follow-up. A very disappointing experience. read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters was an amazing experience for our family. They have amazing staff and aircraft. They should be the preferred choice for anyone needing the island tour. You will enjoy every moment and cherish the experience. read more

This was an awesome experience. Beyond the incredible views, our pilot/guide, Kai, was very knowledgeable and gave some great insights while we were flying over the different areas of the island. 100% would recommend. read more

What an incredible flight! "Chewey" was our pilot, he is phenomenally he provided a ton of information. He walked me through all of the flights controls!! I loved that! He was able to show us probably more than 50 waterfalls. It was spectacular. read more

Great tour, great service and friendly staff. Awesome experience all around. Be sure to check out this amazing tour company

I will highly recommend blue Hawaiian helicopter My pilot Wesley was amazing, and knowledgeable Than you blue Hawaiian helicopter for a great experience!!!!! read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Our 5th helicopter tour and pilot Bastian was knowledgeable and made the tour thoroughly enjoyable. Felt safe throughout the trip and was a smooth flight. Amazing volcano and lava field views you can't see any other way. Don't hesitate to fly with the best! read more

This a must do on the big island. It's the only way to see this amazing natural wonder. They will take you across the lava fields and up close to the volcanos. You'll see the beautiful coast line and even the hidden water falls deep in the valleys of the rain forest. It's an indescribable experience and well worth the money. Our pilot Shane was especially knowledgeable and an amazing guide. read more

Are flight with Mike was amazing , he was knowledgeable, informative. I felt safe flying with him . Thank you so much Mary Schmidt

Live your life like an action hero and get in the Choppa!!! It's kinda like... nothing else in this world. Pilot Jeremy flew this bird like he never left The Nam. No matter how thick the shit got, he kept his promise; not to leave anyone behind. Even though we all begged him to drop those two bitchy tween kids into the mouth of Kilauea. read more

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To celebrate her Master's degree, I bought my daughter and her boyfriend the Creation Tour out of Hilo. My wife and I had previously flown out of Hilo when Kilauea was erupting and found the experience to be amazing. Blue Hawaiian did an outstanding job this time as well. Their pilot, Wesley, is an ideal customer-facing representative for BHH. Before the flight, he came out and greeted each passenger, getting to know their names and a little something about them, putting each one at ease about the upcoming flight. During the flight he was personable and knowledgeable. Wesley engaged each of his passengers by name, making the flight a personal experience for everyone. The entire staff at BHH was top shelf and we thank each and every one of them for making the tour and outstanding experience. We always stay at Waikoloa, but if you want to see the volcanoes, you need to travel over to Hilo and depart from there. It's worth it. Kudos to BHH for making our daughter's helicopter tour a lifetime memory! read more

Highly recommend!! We enjoyed our tour with Ethan. He was very knowledgeable and charming! I think this company is very thorough- you feel safe from beginning to end. It was also my first helicopter experience and I feel that it was a very smooth ride. Ethan gave us a heads up each time he turned, etc so I really appreciated that. It was really cool getting to see the volcanos from an aerial point of view. There is also video footage from your flight that you can view if you wanted to purchase as well. This was the highlight of my trip! read more

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My brother-in-law and I took a ride on Blue Hawaiian Helicopters before the latest big eruption. We invited the wives along, but watching lava flow wasn't their idea of a Big Island Vacation. Now they're kicking themselves. I never get tired of observing anything volcanic. I've been to Iceland and Nicaragua on volcano expeditions and love the adventure. In this particular case, the ride was informative, eye-opening, and safe. It was well worth the drive from the other side of the Island and what initially seemed like a dear price to pay. read more

I took the amazing tour over the big island. My pilot was really funny. He was very talkative, and told us facts about the island. We flew over molten lava, waterfalls , and circled the island. This was my first helicopter ride since childhood. It was a tad awkward having to be weighed before the flight to make sure everything balanced out. Having the birds eye view was really neat. Our helicopter had a glass bottom, so we could view from more angles . Blue Hawaiian Helicopters has a high safety record and a professional flight crew. They provide a great service. read more

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Ever since we decided to honeymoon in Hawaii (probably about a year ago) my husband has been talking about going on a helicopter ride. I wasn't so fond of the idea....I'd rather live through the honeymoon. We made it through Maui with both feet on the ground, but when we got to the Big Island the concierge at our hotel insisted that the best way to see the island was by helicopter....thanks lady. And after dragging my husband to the spa I figured I owed him one so I agreed to the helicopter ride. The concierge told us the price was approximately $1050 for the 2 of us, which was the same price as the fabulous bottega purse I had been admiring earlier that day. I sighed thinking I'd so much rather have the purse...at least that wouldn't kill me! We decided to do an early morning helicopter ride so that we'd have the rest of the day to enjoy the resort (that is, if we lived to make it back to the resort). Tom, who works for Blue Hawaiian, picked us up and was so friendly that he eased my fears (at least a bit) about flying. Once there we met up with 2 other couples who'd be joining us on the ride. They weighed us and since I was the lightest I had the "privilege" of being the co-pilot...probably the one time I wished I was heavier (i should have had an extra dessert at Alan Wong's restaurant the night before). Dave was our pilot and when I hopped in right next to him I nervously asked him "so you've done this before, right???" Dave rolled his eyes and said "Nope, first time. Did you ask your pilot that on the 757 you took over here?" Oh great, I already pissed off the pilot... The take off was a bit scary (my husband has it on video and I'm gripping his leg), but once in the air I found it quite enjoyable. And we weren't that high in the air so I figured if anything happened I could easily jump and swim to shore. Ok, maybe not. I have to admit that this really is a great way to see the entire island...it was beautiful: waterfalls, rainbows, and very cool to see the lava! Pissy Dave happened to be very knowledgeable about the island as well. We made a quick stop in the middle of our 2 hour trip to refuel because I guess the helicopter needs more fuel than about an hour...kind of scary it can't make it through an hour, but landing and then taking off the 2nd time wasn't a big deal at all. I do recommend wearing a tank top and shorts...I had a hoodie on over my tank (it was a bit chilly that morning) and i was dying of heat and couldn't get it off after I was all strapped in. And your ears will hurt from the pressure, but it really is worth it...and this is coming from anti helicopter girl! And if you're not an early morning person Blue Hawaiian makes 4 trips a day and they have 5 helicopters going out at once. We were there during a slow time in Hawaii (right before schools get out) so we had no problem getting a last minute reservation, but I'd suggest booking it ahead of time during busy season. They do sell you a dvd after your trip (for the money you pay they really should give you one), but apparently our dvd player was broken so they gave us a highlights dvd to watch from other trips. Oh, and in case you're wondering...we survived! read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - ready for take off! - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I had a nice flight with family. We got lucky and were able to see lava flowing into the sea and also a new breakout flowing on land. Not a lot mind you, but enough to make it worth the flight in my mind. We took the a- star on our trip. It is a bit crowded, however the pilot told us that it is able to bank more steeply and we got some good shots because of it. The waterfall portion isn't worth too much in my mind. It's on the way back to the airport. It's a bit of a jaunt over to the lava flows and there aren't rivers of glowing lava, but I knew that going in and was satisfied with what we got. read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Lava flow into the ocean - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We booked a ring of fire helicopter tour with Blue Hawaii for two on 7/3. The check in was easily since we were first group scheduled to fly out at 9 AM. The staff is courteous and friendly. We went through their safety video and debriefing. Then, when we were ready to board, we were told our flight is cancelled due to poor visibility. We were told the ring of fire tours all sold out but we could book different helicopter tours. It was not clear whether we could transfer our fee to another booking. However, the refund for the cancelled tour will take up to 10 days to be refunded. Since most of us have to make plan to get to Big Islands (flight, hotels, rental cars, etc.) It will be difficult to put another $1000 on credit card while waiting for the refund. We know the risk of cancellation depending on FAA clearance, weather, etc.. but here are few things Blue Hawaiin could have changed in their policy. 1. The fee should not be charged until the customers get on the helicopter! Paradise Helicopter tour offers this policy. 2. There is no effort to accommodate or offer later tours. We found out that they were able to fly the next tour scheduled at 10 AM on the same day! We were not offered to wait to see whether the visibility would improve! 3. There was no information regarding how many flights were cancelled or took off in the past week on the website. From reading some reviews on TripAdvisor, it seems they do cancel their flights often. (We should have read these reviews before booking.) The only reason why they did not get one star because their staff seems to be professional and courteous! The check-in process is organized... and we understand that they probably hate to cancel the flight as much as we do.. but we probably will go with Paradise Helicopter tour in stead (when we called Paradise and spoke with their booking agent, they do have extra flights later on of the week... unfortunately, we could not make it!) read more

**I recommend it for any seeking a helicopter adventure** My family and I have always had a positive experience with Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tours. First, they are focused on safety which includes passengers wearing their property flotation devices, guiding passengers to and from the helicopter, etc. We felt very safe during the entire flight, including ascending, descending, banking, and turning. Each passenger will get an opportunity to view the Hawaiian beauty. The seats are better by the front and the windows if sitting in the back. Sitting in the middle doesn't give you a similar viewing experience. Unfortunately, you're at the mercy of balance. Staff will need to properly balance the helicopter, so you can't easily swap seats at a whim. Great music during the tour. Our pilot was Kai. Great pilot. Easy going and casual. Ground staff provides excellent customer service. They even gave me great Hilo restaurant recommendations. It's better to ask the locals to find the best meals ever. read more

Scott was great. Helicopter ride over the volcano? Sure that sounds incredibly safe... but Scott made it just that! Amazing pilot with cool music tracks that matches the scenery creating this magical moment that'll left me breathless. This is a must do in Big Island, plus swimming with stingray, swimming with wild dolphins and stargazing tour. read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

We had a fantastic tour this morning over the circle of fire! The pilot was very friendly and knowledgeable about the volcanic activity. Made it enjoyable for everyone. We were in the air for about 45-50 min and he made sure everyone had a great view! read more

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Absolutely the most fun on our Island trip! Wesley was our pilot; he was fun, funny, and full of information! Amazing day, and fantastic tour! A must-do when in the Islands! read more

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I am really sorry to have to give such a serious mark against this company, since the "Spectacular" flight I took really was fine in and of itself. But they made a serious error in my booking, and have not responded to my complaint about it. What happened was that my first chosen flight on their calendar did not allow me to book it online, and said I should call. When I called, I learned that this is because in addition to the person limit there is a total weight limit, and so if full-sized adults have already booked several seats, the remainder can only be filled by small adults or children. But when I asked about one alternative flight, I learned that while some "Spectacular" flights included a landing at a waterfall, this one did not. I asked about a third flight, and was told yes, there was a waterfall landing at that time. From their website I learned I could book this one online, so I did so and thanked the operator. But what I learned the day of the flight is that there were both a "Spectacular" flight and a "Spectacular with waterfall landing" flight that day, and the latter was already full so it had been removed from the calendar. Nothing about the title of the other flight indicated that I had booked the one without the waterfall landing, and I was hence mislead by the telephone agent. Hence I missed my one chance to see that waterfall in person, since I am hardly likely to pay $700 for another flight just to see the waterfall. If it had been made clear that I was booking the waterfall-less flight, I would have booked for another day. Blue Hawaiian facilitated this mistake by (1) calling both flights by the same name, "Spectacular," (2) not marking the one w/o the waterfall landing "without waterfall", (3) removing full flights from their calendar--had they left it there but marked it as unavailable the difference would have been clear. I complained to them about this later that day, but 5 days later they have made no response. I think they just took my money and are done with me. read more

We did the 50 minutes circle of fire and waterfalls tour, which is a great way to get close to the volcano, to see non accessible waterfalls and get a great view of the coast on the way back. The tour was very well organised, we felt safe and our pilot would give us information during the flight. Highly recommended! read more

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If I could give them a zero I would. We flew from another island & paid $969 for 3 including a child. I get it that it was unsafe to fly at the time they booked us but then keep times open for other times of the day. Others got in at different times & we couldn't get in. Well we spent $700 on hotel & $200 on plane tickets & $300 on car rental & not to mention food. So it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. Something should be planned or done differently. I am sure if you get lucky & go on it, it's great. read more

We went several weeks ago for a lava and waterfalls helicopter tour on our last day in hawaii before flying back. It's a 40 minute tour from Hilo and it was everything we had hoped for--great red lava views and waterfalls galore. Even though there was some rain we had great visibility for photos and videos! It is possible to bring children although you will need pay full fare for a seat if they are 2 years old or over. We were able to bring my 8 month baby too he sat in my lap & even had little tiny headphones to protect from helicopter noise. This tour company is pretty good with timely departments & safety briefings. I would definitely use them again. Helicopter tours are always expensive but a great option for seeing red lava up close when small kids make 8 hour lava hikes impossible. read more

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I really cannot recommend Blue Hawaiian enough. Riding in a helicopter is amazing within itself, but the company goes above and beyond to really make your experience unforgettable. They prepare you with necessary safety information ahead of time, and they even tell you to wear muted colors to make for better photos (we actually ended up doing a second tour with a different company who did not advise this and it was hard to get shots because I was seated behind someone who was wearing white and struggled because of the reflection). We did a volcano tour with Wesley and it was incredible! He took us through so many awesome places and even took us inside of a crater! He offered so many fun facts and played so many great songs during downtime. After we landed, they offered us some water and a cold towel, which was a nice touch! Cannot recommend them enough! read more

Incredible. We took the waterfalls tour with Shane. He's awesome and so is his music. What a beautifully powerful view you get from the sky. No other way to truly enjoy what this what an amazing planet we live on! read more

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10/10 recommend to everyone visiting the Big Island!! We opted for the 50 minute flight and although we wished we could have done the 2 hour flight, this was nothing short of spectacular! Absolutely amazing views of the ocean, volcano, and all of Hilo! We had booked a day earlier but our flight was cancelled right before we were to head to the helicopters, but the staff was quick to rebook us and get us ready for the next day! Very glad we decided to give it another try! Our tour guide Jeremy was full of information and made the trip super fun and gave us all the details! Although we didn't see active lava, we flew right over the fissures and saw several spots where the volcano is open! Quite a spectacular sight! Both eerie and amazing! read more

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I've got mixed feelings about this review. Writing this as a local who dropped $1200 on a two hour helicopter ride for two. On the plus side - the most important thing was that we came back alive! At no time did I feel endangered or my safety at risk. The crew was a little lax on the safety orientation and buckle in but the pilot covered everything just fine. Also on the plus side we got a fantastic opportunity to see red hot molten lava in an open caldera! Whee! Unfortunately we were on the pilots side of the chopper in the back row. He tended to favor giving the passenger side better angles and more of the good approach shots. It's a small thing but when there's a family of four and two of them got to sit up front and sit on the side with the better view, I felt like we were shortchanged in the experience. The other gripe I had was that we went to a tall towering waterfall with fantastic photo opportunities. But In a two hour tour did we have to land at the exact time that the other Blue Hawaiian chopper was gonna be there? I wouldn't think that was such a problem but the entire time we were there, the folks from the other tour hung out in the pool of water and had to be in all of the scenic pics we tried to take. Pretty inconsiderate but really why did we have to land at the same time as the other Wayerfall tour - we had two hours and you're in radio contact with the other pilots??? One great thing was that the pilot ‍Tim was great! (Not really his name but he was so personable and talkative I'm naming him :) The other very cool thing was that upon checkin, the registering person gave us the kamaaina locals discount without our asking. Hawaii is pricey for vacay but try living here - it's redonkculous so every little bit of help helps :) Overall we were satisfied but it could have been a homerun. If you're gonna take he tour, drop $550 + $150 for the waterfall landing - you might want to know if your sitting in a middle seat. Those folks should get a discount and the front seat with the ultimate view pay 5% more. I'd have paid the full $1500 price or more for front seats but back seat middle? I woulda waited to at least get a window view. Or get a $300 discount or something. read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Don't sit in the back, two center seats. Trust me, you'll feel cheated... - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Jeremy was our Pilot, a great one too! We enjoyed his narrative and the time he took to explain the reasons of different topologies and agricultural lands there on Hilo. Front staff was pretty cold and didn't understand Yelpers were entitled to a free key chain. Never mind, it was a great experience! read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Waiting on the shop.for our copter! - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

We took an amazing 45 minute helicopter ride over the lava fields and active crater which has shaped the island of Hawaii for many years. Our pilot Jeremy shared his vast knowledge of the area as well as making our ride smooth and comfortable. It was one of the highlights of our vacation read more

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The cost does not match the value. Especially if you are placed on the pilots side. Be aware that there are limited views and the pilot focuses on the people seated in the front. I felt like a second class citizen on bird. The views are focused on the right side of the helicopter. You will pay the same price and get a significantly diminished experience based on the seat you are assigned. Don't complain. They won't do anything about it. read more

Taking a helicopter tour to see spewing red lava from one of the most active volcanoes in the world should be on everyone's bucket list. And when you take Blue Hawaiian for the ride, you can happily check that off your list with no regrets! There are several tours around the Big Island itself, including a waterfall landing - will have to use that as an excuse to come back to Hawaii and do the Big Island Spectacular tour for that one. They have tours on every island, so this really is a great way to enjoy Hawaii from the air. We experienced the Circle Of Fire Plus Waterfalls tour from Hilo. Staying in Maui, we took a quick flight over for the day just for this! Paying a little more to fly in the Eco-star helicopter is worth it because it has bigger windows! I like that you can speak back to the pilot if you have any questions. They're very informative and friendly. Have fun up there! read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Waterfalls from above - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Awesome Helicopter tour above the volcano. They are well organized and run on schedule. No need to pay the extra for the waterfalls as they are not that great at all. Our pilot was really knowledgeable and friendly. He made sure everyone could see very well from every angle. A must to see the volcano from above! Worth it! read more

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The best adventure you could imagine. Such a beautiful hour gently cruising over the active volcano outside of Hilo Love love love this entire team. From check in to check out everyone is so friendly and professional. A special thanks to captain Adolf for his perfect blend of allowing silence and telling just the right story all the while doing his amazing piloting. Very much a highlight of our trip! read more

Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - Heading to the lava flow! So amazing! - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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My hubby and I decided to take a short cut to the the Kilauea Volcano by taking a helicopter to it. I have to say what a neat experience we had! The staff at Blue Hawaiian Helicopters were top notch! Unfortunately, during the time we took our helicopter tour (September 2012), there was not much activity from the Kilauea Volcano. I have learned now, that for some reason, the volcano seems to be most active around December/January/February. So be sure, to research the volcanic activity and weather conditions before heading out on a helicopter adventure as they are not cheap! However, we did get to see the orange glow of lava and some smoke, but nothing grand a spectacular like I had hoped. But it was still really cool experience to see and be able to fly over one of the most active volcanoes in the world! We also had the opportunity to get a really great aerial view of the eastern side of the big island which included dozens of waterfalls! The land on the eastern side of the Big Island you will notice is completely green, lush and almost seems wild and untouched, with the exception of the areas of blackened lava where the island continues to expand. It is absolutely gorgeous when compared to the almost desert like conditions on the Kona side (west side) of the island. Overall, a really cool experience and I have no regrets! I hope to to do it again, in my life time especially when Kilauea is more active. read more

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