Last minute, we decided to surprise the kids with a helicopter tour. I have always been fascinated by volcanoes, so flying over one was right up my alley. Who says that they want to be a volcanologist when they are 9 years old…this girl!
That day, we had to wake up early and go to Hilo. We were staying in Kona, so getting to Hilo is a little bit of a trek over the mountains and hills on Saddle Road. The drive was amazing. I mean, would you expect any less from Hawaii? When we drove up to the Hilo airport, we asked the kids what they thought we were doing, they responded with things like, “Flying in a private jet.” After a few guesses, Knoxton guessed right. The kids were excited!
We had to wait for another party to arrive. Once they did, we all took a very brief training and got on our life vests. We followed the guide to the helicopter and he strapped everyone into their assigned seats. We took off and I felt WAY more comfortable than I thought I would. As I get older, I get more and more afraid of flying, but our pilot put my nerves at ease. She flew us around the Hilo side of the island and over various lava flows. She told us interesting facts about the lava and the island. She also told us Hawaiian legends about the lava and trees as well. We had a two-way radio, so we could ask her any questions we had. Brixton took control of the mic for a while, so we had to cut him off.
We flew right over the Kilauea Crater. A real volcano! I was jumping for joy inside – because I couldn’t jump for joy in a helicopter. The red lava is tempermental and only shows on certain days. Unfortunately for us, it was not showing the day we flew. But we could still see the crater and the sulfur fizzing out.
On the way back, Brixton fell asleep and I started to feel nauseous. Ginger candies helped keep my mind off the sick feeling that was building up.
Be aware that Hilo is extremely wet, so be prepared to encounter some rain while on your tour. If you are planning a helicopter tour on the Big Island, we flew with Paradise Helicopters and highly recommend their services. Don’t forget to tip the pilot!
Have you ever gone on a helicopter tour? Where did you go?
Have any questions for us? We would love to hear from you!
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Mahalo,
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