Kauai Helicopter Tours
Na Pali Coast from the Air
A Kauai air tour can provide a fantastic way to see the island of Kauai, in all its breathtaking splendor. In fact, it's the only way to see much of the island, because the volcanic hillsides are too fragile for hiking in many places.
However, you should be aware that there have been some fatal helicopter crashes lately on Kauai, including two in March of 2007. Check out this listing of tour operators who have crashed in Hawaii. When making your booking, ask whether the carrier is a Part 135 carrier--that's one that meets more-stringent FAA standards. Ask what the policy is for canceling trips because of bad weather. Bad weather was a factor in many of these crashes.
Fixed-wing aircraft have a better safety record than helicopters for a simple reason: if fixed-wing aircraft lose power, they glide. Here are some fixed-wing providers:
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Air Ventures Hawaii offers fixed-wing tours for one hour. Their plane, the type used for Coast Guard search and rescue, holds six passengers.
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Wings Over Kauai offers fixed-wing tours, 65-70 minutes, for up to three passengers in a Cessna.
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Tropical Biplanes offers an open-cockpit ride on a red two-passenger biplane, built in 2002 but modeled on planes from the 30s and 40s. This plane proceeds at a stately pace; passengers wear goggles and headsets. The nostalgia experience is pricier than the competitors, of course.
Here are some helicopter tour operators who are not on the crash list:
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Will Squyres Helicopter Tours, which boasts it hasn't had an accident since it started in 1984.
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Air Kauai, which says it has had a perfect safety record since it started in 1989.
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Island Helicopters Kauai, Inc.
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Kauai air tours take off from Lihue and take you to see the Na Pali cliffs, Waimea Canyon, remote beaches, rainforest waterfalls, the crater of Mount Wai'ale'ale, and more. You'll want to see the dry Waimea Canyon, and then fly northward to see the Na Pali cliffs. Flying eastward along the cliffs, you'll take in the amazing view, and see the remote beaches and spots favored by Hollywood. Then as you move toward the rainy part of the island, inland to the crater of Mount Wai'ale'ale, the "wettest place on earth." Finally you'll head south to the rainforest on the east side, with lovely waterfalls. It's a circle tour of the island, and you'll never forget it.
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