Paradise Helicopters

Doors off is the only way to see crater and waterfalls. Rob was the pilot on a doors off trip and he made sure both sides of the copter got the same view. You could feel the heat when over the active lVa fields.

Mr & I tried to take the Extreme Volcano and Waterfalls tour
This experience boasted the best photo opportunity since the helicopter doesn’t have doors.
We arrived for our flight a ridiculous 2 hours early but we didn’t judge traffic well & ended up making great time
Nice girl at the desk tried to get us onto an earlier flight but they were all booked so we waited
When we were getting our instructions & confirming tours & seating placement, the 2 people in the front of our 4-​passenger helicopter had their doors «on»…but I thought the whole aircraft would have doors off — does this mean I paid *more* for my tour just to have the doors off, while our other tour companions paid less? Because I can assure you, our choice was 1 of the more expensive… never got to find out
Went through the safety demo & walked out to the landing pad when the pilot came over to say weather conditions had deteriorated so much he had to cancel the flight — shucks but these things happen & I appreciated the safety-​first outlook!
Got a full refund & only cost to me was the $ 7 I paid to park at the airport parking lot… there’s no free parking!

Our pilot was very funny and knowledgable. He got nice and close to the lava flows so we were able to spot some. Lava glows are out of human control, so I understand only seeing 1 or 2 small specs of lava, but I wish we could have gotten to see more than 1 distant waterfall on our tour, which was titled Volcano and Waterfalls… as in plural. I also wish we could have all rode together as a family, especially since we had made reservations 5 months in advance. We were told we would all 6 ride together, but they broke us up and we ended up riding with strangers. A bit dissappointing. I think it is worth the adventure if you are staying on the Big Island, and more affordable than other helicopter companies. Just don’t expect views like the pictures online show.

Open Doors Tour Review–
After a brief check in with Jessica –who was totally awesome and informative, a group of us were given a fun but serious safety & instructional demonstration of how our flight would be conducted & what to expect.
Being it was my first time in a helicopter, I had all of the questions & a lot of nerves.
My safety instructor assured me that we had an incredible veteran pilot & that I was in great hands.
I’m proud & grateful to all of our serving soldiers, so I already felt much more safe knowing he had served our country’s military.
Of course I had to leave all of my things behind –safety first; but thankfully they held all of our possessions safely in their own lockers for me. It was all for the better — I didn’t need any distractions from the amazing tour.
We were lead out onto the pavement & we had a woman guide & load us onto the aircraft.
She personally strapped us in one at a time & connected our head sets.
Rob politely introduced himself and welcomed us as we loaded in… which created a level of comfort that I need for these kinds of situations.
Once everyone was safely aboard, he began take off…
Pretty impressive!
I never realized the precision & spatial awareness it took before I sat beside Rob that day.
We flew over farm lands & deep tree groves.
We were briefed on the history of the land, people & events that have happened on the Big Island.
We toured over Mauna Loa & found some active spots which Rob tactically soared us over.
Ring of fire playing in our head sets & nikon cameras ready, we were happily snapping away!
He was so considerate of our shots & made sure we ALL had an opportunity to get a view of the sights.
As some weather moved in, we headed over the the waterfalls; with Rob confidently flying us through clouds & mild rain, I was surprisingly (to me) comfortable.
My nerves floated away as cruised through the Hilo skies.
TLC’s «Waterfalls» played in my head set & I knew just where we were going…
We coursed into the lush greenery & with one turn, he exposed gorgeous waterfalls & again we were clicking the shutter buttons to our heart’s content.
We were given more history of the area & plenty of great jokes too!
Cruising over the ocean, we had a new perspective of Hawaii’s beauty that we could have in our memories first hand & not just another photo on the Internet.
We were given some island touring pointers as we headed back to the airport.
We landed safely & I high fived, thanked & took a photo with our pilot & my boyfriend.
As we returned our gear & made our way out… The first thing on our mind was, «let’s do that again!»
Thank you to the Paradise Team for showing us the best views & having such an incredible staff.
We seriously can’t wait to book our next doors off flight!

I treated my 94 yr old mother to this volcano/​waterfall fly over in a ‘doors off’ helicopter. She loved it and was amazed by the power of the lava as it breaks through and seeps across the landscape. Be warned, however, the three step ladder was not handicap accessible. We were just barely able with the pilot’s help to heave her into her seat! Also know that a fellow passenger with a fear of heights was not pleased with the doors-​off option. The waterfalls viewed are along the river that runs through Hilo, as it flows down the mountainside.

Doors off with pilot Rob for extreme volcanos and waterfalls!
For the volcanos portion — 4 stars! We got to see orange surface lava and it was so cool. We looked into a little cauldron and got to see bubbling ropy bursting lava, plus got to see some trees burning that apparently nobody cares about there. Were a bit high for true adventure (sounds dumb I know) but the experience would have been so much cooler had we been lower. I looked over the pilots shoulder and we were at about 1000 ft, which seems unnecessarily safe.
For the waterfalls portion — 2 stars. It was cool to see but we didn’t get close due to all the residential. We ended up going to see the waterfall (Rainbow Falls) in person by car after the flight and it was great. Much better than by air!
My advise to Paradise — skip the waterfalls and cruise low over Hilo Bay. Better view, cooler experience and justify the stupid life vest fanny pack we had to wear to fly over water for about 45 seconds for a 45 minute flight. Also, consider renting digital cameras and helping people get the photos off afterwards. Not having a camera means I leave with only memories.
My advise to everyone else. Bring a camera WITH A STRAP. They won’t let you get on the helicopter with anything strapless which means cell phones are out. We didn’t have anything with a strap because our only cameras are cell phone cameras (like everyone else) so avoid that. Also, dress warm. Pants/​sneakers are a must but also consider a long-​sleeve shirt and/​or jacket. You’re over 1000 ft in elevation flying at close to 100 knots for about 15 minutes to get to the lava flows and doors off makes that chilly.

They overbook and can’t accommodate weather cancelations. Poor calibration of customer expectations as once they canceled even after conducting the safety briefing. Visibility is only up to 3 miles on these crafts acc to their folks and they lack sophisticated navigation instruments. On reflection, I would not feel comfortable riding these copters.

I will only give tem a 4 star as the flight was very good but the check in and the pre check was the problem. were told to be 15 minutes early and were so we got to see the 19 movies of the trip while we waited for the other to passengers who showed up 30 minutes later the departure time so they were 45 minutes late. we were not told anything about why we were still sitting and the only ones that went through the safety class in the ready room the other to had a sort of training as we walked to the runway. they did not even know how to put on the floatation pack when they got to gate. Now all this might not have been a bad thing if the crew at check in would have said something to us but they did not until I push them after we were on the way to flight line and was to they were accommodating them. guess we did not count. the flight was great though and did make up for a lot or they would have gotten a lot lower score. pilot was great and we did see some great volcano lava.
This was the no door flight so you could feel the heat, I will agree with the other about the water fall as it was not a real good flight we did see it but you needed a really large lens to get pictures of them. Who ever is in charge of the check in crew need to get them in line as my time is worth something just like there is and I know they could not fly with just tow of us as they should have done if you don’t show up on time and 45 minutes late is not on time. believe this one they wanted to land on the lava flow where the orange was.

Doors off extreme volcanos and waterfalls!
For the volcanos portion — 5 stars! We got to see orange surface lava and it was so cool. You could definitely feel the heat!
For the waterfalls portion — 2 stars. I mean it was cool to see but we didn’t get close at all so we couldn’t get a good picture or view really. We ended up going to see the waterfall (Rainbow Falls) in person by car after the flight and it was great. Much better than by air!
Pilot was Rob. He was knowledgable and hilarious. He made everyone feel comfortable immediately.

We drove from Kona to Hilo for our helicopter tour and had Pete as our pilot. Very professional operation and they took the time to make sure we were all safe, but still comfortable and had a good time. We flew on the MacDonald Douglass MD500 and it was a very fun ride. I’ve flown in Bell helicopters before, but the MD500 was a blast to ride in.
Pete was very knowledgeable, experienced and took us on a great flight and found us some lava to take pictures of and also educated us on lava, volcanoes and the history of the surrounding area.
We checked out Paradise Helicopters at the recommendation of Joyce S. who is a family friend. Would do this again!

I’m going to use some UN words to describe this business. Unsympathetic, UNcaring. UNcooperative, UNapologetic and UNcompassionate to name a few.
We booked our flight months ago and were told that Tuesday looked great. Guess what? We found out that the cruise ships come in on Tuesday so we got BUMPED so they could make a few dollars more. Hang on there’s more. So we reschedule for Wed. and drove 1 ½ hours from the Kona side of the big island and when we arrive we go through the preflight training and are told «oop’s it’s cancelled» but we can refund you right now if you want… no, we want to fly over a volcano. Can you call us if someone else cancels, their answer NO. We reschedule for Sat and again tell them we’re coming from Kona and another 1 ½ hours to get there. We arrive and again go through preflight training. «Sorry, not going to fly again» is what we’re told. Would you like a refund they’re quick to offer. You can also stick around for another 3 hours when we can fly part of your party then 2 hours later to fly the others… are you folks insane?
I understand conditions change and that weather is unpredictable but that’s where you want to go the extra mile right?
Can you call us if someone doesn’t show up? NO, it their reply… oh, I see you reach out with the phone just fine when you want to cancel our flight for a few dollars more but you have no way of helping to make it happen.
Dear «customer service support team» please save your «We’re sorry» keystrokes for someone else. I’m in a service industry and I don’t treat anyone the way you treated us.
Signed, Unhappy in Texas

Stayed in waikaloa but opted to fly out of Hilo because we wanted to drive and explore the island. We also preferred the shorter flight in case we got nauseous. We were very fortunate to have great weather and visibility for our flight.
Our Pilot Jork was extremely knowledgeable and courteous. We felt very safe on what was our first helo ride. He asked several times to make sure we were getting nauceous before doing more «sporty» maneuvers in the 4 person chopper. We saw lava flows, and even a small tornado on the volcano which was really cool. We kept the doors on but since the pilot and front seat passenger had doors off we could smell the fire and feel the heat of the lava when Jork took us in for close up views.
I also really loved the classic rock playing on the radio, made flying in a helicopter feel that much more badass!
I can’t imagine coming to Hawaii and missing out on this memorable experience. Well worth the money and would definitely fly with paradise again.

This was one of the most memorable trips of my life! The staff was as friendly as they get, from the pre-​flight guy, the happy assistant who helped us aboard, and the humerous pilot. I believe his name was Soji. The helicopter appeared clean and well maintained, and the pilots skills were exceptional. In retrospect, I have complete confidence in the equipment and abilities of this pilot. The round-​the-​island tour, was spectacular, and the waterfalls are a must see! One recommendation would be to take two Dramamine if you think you could get sick at all. When the weight and balance in calculated, you will be placed where needed, and you might well find yourself sitting backward. It’s not worth ruining such a beautiful trip with motion sickness.

Sorry…
I’ve done the helicopter tour in Kauai and thought it was just simply amazing. They had nice music to compliment the ride but would pause if our tour guide wanted to share something with us. We got up close and personal and it was just all around the most amazing thing I have done. It was breathtaking!
This helicopter ride was okay. I thought the first part was a tad of a waste. we flew over old magma… but for 15 – 20 min? I just kind of wanted to get to see actual lava. The waterfalls shown were from a distance so don’t be too disappointed because you won’t be seeing them up close. I actually saw rainbow falls just prior to this helicopter tour so seeing it up in air does not do it justice. I understand it’s a different island all together and there were some cool things on the ride but just wish there were more things to see. All in all, tour guide was sweet but for the price it just didn’t add up… maybe because my ride in Kauai was just spectacular and I have something to compare it to. I am not too sure but I wasn’t taken away.
Also your hair is a mess after using a open door helicopter lol so you got to put it in a braid neatly or tie it back completely so it’s not flying all over. They mention to bring a hair tie but seriously tie it and make sure it’s secure. My hair was in knots coming out.

The staff is awesome! They were able to book us same day. The people we were with were friendly and I sat in the middle seat next to my bf so I got to see both sides of the helicopter. I was initially worried but that seat was pretty good. They try to distribute the weight evenly in the helicopter and match people up so the helicopter is even. Marco was awesome and took us close to the lava and we saw real lava up close and person and went to around the top of the volcano. We also saw humpback whales (mom and baby) over the ocean on the way back. 45 minutes is plenty of time in the helicopter.
The staff is really awesome. The Asian female at the counter recommended we go to Richardson Park to see the turtles and that was awesome! It became our favorite park on the island!

«Woooooo-​hoooo!» Followed by a hole heck of a lot of «Holy $&*!», «OMG», «_​_​_​_​» (that last one is my dead silence as I try to hold it together!)
This was my fist helicopter ride, and it was quite a wild-​ride! I totally recommend Paradise Helicopters; they were friendly, informative and fun. The girls that strap you in take the time to take pics of you with the Helicopter, on your phone or camera. If you forgot to bring a jacket, hair tie, camera strap, they will lend you one. And the pilot I had, York, was awesome! Seriously, shout out to the playlist, too funny!
Flying over the worlds largest active volcano is definitely a bucket-​list experience! However, be warned that the most you may see is smoke. Best to call and inquire as to the level or intensity of lava flow, if that is what you are really after.

Imagine getting close to the beating heart of a dragon. That’s exactly what it felt circumnavigating the Pu’u O’o crater with the doors off! Doors-​off is the way to go for aerial photography, too. Also got to see (from afar due to a no-​fly zone) some steam/​smoke from the lava flowing into Pahoa. Very professional, safety-​first crew and fantastic two-​way communication with highly knowledgeable pilot Rhys.
MINOR quips: The waterfalls section of the tour was anticlimactic, especially after the thrill of Pu’u O’o. You go way above the falls, totally unlike copter tours to Molokai and Kauai where you’re more on the side of the palis. Unfortunately, no lava was flowing on that day that we can access, though there were portions where we could see it under the crust. I could totally do this again if there’s lots of lava flowing!
Tips: Bring a light jacket as it would get really windy, make sure the camera has straps. Any loose items need to go into the locker. If you have time, visit the Apa’a Transfer Station in Pahoa for a closer look of the recent (but solidified) lava flow.

This was the most expected activity before our big island vacation. However, it turns out to be the biggest disappointment. I booked the door-​off tour for two person 1 month ago and in order to guarantee the window seats I paid extra $ 25 each. Everything seems to be fine, but when I landed on the big island, I got a voice mail from the staff, so I called back and the staff told me that they couldn’t give us the guaranteed seats. They offered us the option to change to the next day but we have to arrive at 7:45 am. That would mess up our plan, but it’s the christmas and all other helicopter tours are probably booked already, so I agreed although was pretty annoyed because they only told us the last minute, which didn’t give us much freedom to accommodate the change.
More disappointing thing happened when we arrived at the site on the rescheduled day. The staff told us that they had three helicopters and two of them were under maintenance. So ²⁄₃ of the travelers couldn’t get on the helicopters and we were unfortunately part of them. There were another poor group of people flied from another island just to take this tour. But now it was all canceled.
I understood the maintenance is for the safety sake. However, what really annoys me is the company didn’t tell us that we can’t get the guaranteed seats in the first place, although we had paid the extra dollar, we booked it 1 month beforehand and we have provided the weight information. The company already has enough information and should have told us much earlier that we could not get the guaranteed seats.
This company has a beautiful website and their helicopters also look advanced. But my poor experience tells me that this company lacks the experience of operating the business.
1. They don’t promptly tell the customers about the seat allocation change although they charge additional money for the guaranteed seating. If you can’t provide this type of service, please just don’t put it on your website, which gives us the wrong expectation.
2. Two out of the three helicopters were in maintenance at the same time.
I would suggest the readers to choose other well established helicopter companies to avoid the surprise.

We went with the 45−60min tour, and really only got about 40min of flying. The doors off option was amazing! Got to really feel like we were soaring high above. We went to Kilauea crater, but didn’t actually see any huge amounts of lava. We also went to the rainbow falls, but couldn’t really see a great amount of awe in them.
Our pilot was really knowledgeable, but if I could do the experience again, I would check the lava activity, as he said it changes daily. For us when we booked the tour we were expecting lava oozing off of cliffs and waterfalls super upfront and in our face, and what we experienced was a «plane”-view of everything. A little disappointed, but still a fun experience.
Be sure to bring a light jacket!

What an amazing experience! Considering Isaac & I are both from Hilo, I still took the tour and thought it was worth while. Our pilot Zak was a great guide, we saw flowing lava, natural waterfalls and Hilo bay.
The doors off option allowed us to have clear, unblocked views throughout the entire ride.
The staff was friendly and efficient. They also took the time to take multiple pictures for us.
Highly recommend taking this tour!