Air Tours

Because of the Big Island’s vast size, an air tour is a great way to really appreciate its natural splendor. In fact sometimes it’s the only way to see the ongoing eruption of the Kilauea Volcano, the towering sea cliffs, waterfalls and hidden valleys. Flight-lovers can soar in either fixed-wing aircraft for 5-9 passengers or state-of-the-art touring helicopters with special two-way communication headsets, large viewing windows and video systems. These tours typically leave out of the Kona and Hilo Airports, though one company, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, operates its own helipad on the Kohala Coast. Three companies offer tours in fixed-wing aircraft and another half-dozen offer helicopter flightseeing tours.