Helicopter tours in Kauai......advice / opinions needed

[Amandancrx]

Hi everyone! I am looking to take a helicopter tour of Kauai and would love to hear any of your experiences about trips and companies used by you or your loved ones. I have been researching for weeks and cannot figure out which company to choose. I can tell you it will be for both my husband and i, and we are thinking of a doors off trip just to add to the adventure. I do get motion sickness but do plan on wearing a transderm scop patch, and fingers crossed we will have a safe, bump free flight I know... It's a helicopter so I won't hold my breath. Thanks in advance

 

[goodeats]

We honeymooned on Kauai in 2004 and I can't remember the name of the company we used. I want to say Ace was in the name? Our helicopter definitely didn't have doors, though! The views were awesome, but it was crazy loud. We all got to/had to wear headphones so we could communicate with the pilot. We actually did a timeshare tour over in Hanalei that got us a significant savings.

I remember they weighed all of us and sat us so the copter would be balanced. I was able to sit by my DH, but I would imagine depending on who else was on the flight you might not be able to. I was really nervous (crying actually) before we took off, but once we were in the air I was fine.

I am *very* prone to motion sickness (I got sea sick from snorkeling in shallow water once!), but I did not get very dizzy/nauseated at all. I would not want to use anything that would make me sleepy.

 

[epfootballcutie04]

my family, my fiance and I all went to kauai in January. IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!! We went on a hellicopter ride as well. I want to say it was blue hawaiian?!? I can't remember exactly. Ours had doors on them, and they do weigh you as another poster had mentioned. I went on a tour on the big island with my mom a few years back and didn't get to sit by her but as luck had it, my fiancee and I got to sit by each other in the front this time which was AMAZING!!!

I don't get motion sick so the flying didn't bother me. It is a bit different then flying in a plane... hard to describe, but I loved it. They flew us all over the place and the company we went through recorded your specific tour which has the conversations between you and the pilot and anything the pilot says. The music you hear on your tour is also on there. They sell them for like 20-30 bucks but it's good quality, considering it's a hellacopter ride They have like4 or 5 different shots they can take throughout the hellacopter.

For the most part, both the big island and on kauai were actually pretty smooth rides. The only thing that gets me a bit in the tummy is when the hellacopter kind of goes nose first and you lean forward. But even that is more fun then anything, for me.

My next tour I go on will be a doors off one to see what that is like!! What ever you chose i'm sure you will have an AMAZING time!!
I would do it again. In a heartbeat!

 

[Amandancrx]

I am really excited about the tour but have a feeling I will cry a bit while on the helicopter too goodeats! Helicopter with no doors is definitely pushing the envelope for me but I thought it would be a fun, new adventure. Thanks for the heads up on weighing us before the trip. I experience that at Disney before the wild Africa trek too, but still no fun.

 

[Amandancrx]

Epfootball cutie04..... Nose first?!?!! Lol! I have actually heard of blue Hawaiian and will definitely look into them as soon as I sign off of here, so thank you for that info. I am 100% sure we are doing doors off.. Might as well go big if we are going to do it! I will let you know when we come back how it was. We haven't been to Kauai in a few years, so I don't really remember the specifics about it. Anything you recommend to do, go see, or place to eat at since you were just there? And congratulations on your upcoming wedding! It will be here before you know it!

 

[wdwpluto]

DBF and I flew with Jack Harter Helicopters just last August. They have a doors off tour that was amazing.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

DBF and I flew with Jack Harter Helicopters just last August. They have a doors off tour that was amazing.

We flew with them on our honeymoon in 2008 and I agree, they were fantastic! We did the doors off tour too, and it was so worth it, the views were incredible. I was wedged in between DH and the pilot, so I wasn't by an open door but still got some great photos. DH isn't afraid of much, but he clung on to his seat belt and the handle above the door the entire ride - at one point I asked him to let go so I could get a better picture and he told me there was no way he was letting go!

I'm terrified of flying in planes (like, need Valium just so get on one scared!) but I'm fine with helicopters

 

[manning]

We watched them fly down the valley. They were coming one after another. They followed the length and did a fast rise at the end to get over the ridge.

 

[epfootballcutie04]

Epfootball cutie04..... Nose first?!?!! Lol! I have actually heard of blue Hawaiian and will definitely look into them as soon as I sign off of here, so thank you for that info. I am 100% sure we are doing doors off.. Might as well go big if we are going to do it! I will let you know when we come back how it was. We haven't been to Kauai in a few years, so I don't really remember the specifics about it. Anything you recommend to do, go see, or place to eat at since you were just there? And congratulations on your upcoming wedding! It will be here before you know it!

Thank you! I'm actually leaving for the airport in an hour to head down to Orlando for our wedding planning session <3 I can't wait to be back at Disney again!!!

Anyway...

Nose first probably sounds a lot worse then it is lol. You just kind of lean forward a little. You're strapped in... or at least we were lol. You have seatbelts that go over your shoulders, across your chest and across your lap. I always felt secure.

 

[manning]

Nose first probably sounds a lot worse then it is lol. You just kind of lean forward a little. You're strapped in... or at least we were lol. You have seatbelts that go over your shoulders, across your chest and across your lap. I always felt secure.

It does sound worse than it is. Back in the mid '60s I lived near Midway airport and had to fly out of O'Hare quite a few times. We used to have helecopter service between the two aitports. Nose down is nature of the beast. At least on takeoff.

 

[Amandancrx]

Just thought I would let you all know we decided to fo the doors off tour with Jack Harter Thank you for all your advice and stories as crazy as it sounds, I want a seat by the doors to take some amateur pictures. I have a Nikon DSL and am not sure which lens I should use, the regular one or the zoom lens.... Anyone have any advice about that?

 

[wdwpluto]

Just thought I would let you all know we decided to fo the doors off tour with Jack Harter Thank you for all your advice and stories as crazy as it sounds, I want a seat by the doors to take some amateur pictures. I have a Nikon DSL and am not sure which lens I should use, the regular one or the zoom lens.... Anyone have any advice about that?

You could use a mid-range lens, like the 24-70 (*disclaimer* I'm a Canon girl, not sure if Nikon makes a 24-70 ) I would definitely advise against trying to change lenses (or batteries or memory cards) mid-flight.

Couple of tips - you want a pretty fast shutter speed (1/500 is good) and don't brace the camera against the frame/body of the helicopter, the vibrations will give you trouble.

Oh and kinda random, but if you've got longer hair, tie it back, preferably in a braid. I can only do a ponytail due to the length of my hair and I spent like two hours trying to get all the microscopic knots out of my hair after the flight. My boyfriend dubbed it helicopter hair - not a good look!

I think you're going to LOVE it! Make sure to post pics when you get back!

 

[Amandancrx]

Wdwpluto, thank you for he heads up on my hair. It will definitely be braided now! As far as the lens you mentioned, I have no idea either photography is really new to me so I'm kind of figuring it out as I go! I promise to post pictures when we get back ( have another month until we leave!)