Anyone been to Hawaii and had any experiences with helicopter tour companies?

[losfp]

We'll be at Aulani for 5 nights, and it might be cool to do a short helicopter tour of Oahu while we're there.

Thanks

 

[xlxo]

I went to the Big Island to ride Blue Hawaiian to see the lava!
http://www.bluehawaiian.com/bigisland/video/Big_Island_Intro (Lava sightings are NOT guaranteed)

They also fly over Oahu...
http://www.bluehawaiian.com/oahu/video/Oahu_Intro

Things to consider...

• do you want doors? Photographers like the helicopters without doors to ensure there is no dirty glass between their lens and the landscape.
• do you want a video? Some providers have 4 cameras to document your trip (front, cabin, left, right)... Love the DVD they make of the ride. Try not to talk too much... it gets RECORDED!
• pay attention to the different tours and parts of the island they flyover.

I found some good tips here... http://www.govisithawaii.com/2007/07/26/6-tips-for-choosing-a-hawaii-helicopter-tour/

What other companies have others tried?

 

[losfp]

Thanks! I've had Blue recommended to me by a friend as well so I'll look into them.

Doors off would be AMAZING, but given we will have a 2 year old and a 7 year old in tow, perhaps the regular tour is in order. Just have to get close to the window to cut out reflections in photos