Paradise Helicopters

What Paradise Helicopters is and where it flies

Paradise Helicopters is a Hawaii helicopter company that flies its own air tours, landing tours, charters and utility work. The homepage says "We are the largest locally owned helicopter touring company in Hawaiʻi" and that "Our owner, Cal Dorn, flies commercial services missions and the occasional private charters". Its headquarters is at Kona Airport, and the footer lists the take-off locations: Hilo Airport, Kapolei Airport, Kona Airport, Lana'i Airport and Waimea-Kohala Airport. Most of the tours described on the site fly over Hawaiʻi Island (the Big Island), and the Lana'i base covers Lāna'i and the islands of Maui Nui.

Safety claims are prominent and are the company's own: the homepage says it "was the first company in the world to earn accreditation by the Helicopter Association International Accreditation Program of Safety (HAI-APS) for Air Tour Operations" and "has received the highest safety rating attainable from International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO)". It also recalls its volunteer flights during the Kīlauea eruption, when Cal flew over lava with a ground crew of veterinarians and paniolo, "or Hawaiian cowboys, to rescue stranded animals".

Tours by take-off point

From Kona, which the page calls "the sports enthusiast's paradise" for its fishing and snorkeling around Kealakekua Bay, the site lists these tours. The Circle Island Experience Tour is "The only helicopter tour that circles the entire Island", with the pitch "Skip the road trip and see it all by helicopter, including hidden gems inaccessible by land". The Experience Hawaii Tour, called the company's "premier air adventure", covers "all five volcanoes", white and black sand beaches, "waterfalls cascading down 2,500-foot valley walls" and "10 different climate zones in just under two hours". The Kohala Coast & Waterfalls Tour is described as "the most affordable" and, "in our opinion, the most important part of the island to see by air". The Volcano Kohala Landing Tour flies the Experience Hawaii route and adds a landing in the Kohala area. The Kona page says its tours also give the chance "to land and walk through" rain forest, and mentions South Point.

From Waimea-Kohala Airport, which the site calls "the closest departure point to the Kohala valleys & waterfalls", flights are shorter because the valleys are near. The page says pilots can show waterfalls "by hovering at their base and ascending their heights", and gives drive times: Waimea is "just 30 min away" from the Waikoloa resort area, about 1 hour from Kona and about 1 hour 15 minutes from Hilo. It also describes Waimea's ranch country and paniolo culture, which it traces to Mexican vaqueros in the 1830's, and notes that visitors who like a challenge can explore some of the "Valleys of the Kings" on foot.

From Hilo, the pitch is Volcanoes National Park, which the page gives as 523 square miles, with Kīlauea rising to 4,091 feet. Tours from Hilo show lava paths, waterfalls, farms, jungle and black sand beaches, though the page does not name individual tours. It describes Hilo as the largest city on the island, on the crescent of Hilo Bay, with a shipping port and an international airport.

From Lana'i, the Lāna'i Circle Island Experience sees "the entire island of Lāna'i in just thirty minutes", following the extinct Pālāwai volcano past Mānele Bay, the Kānepu'u dryland forest preserve, Keahiakawelo (the "Garden of the Gods") and Polihua. The Maui Nui tour, "the only helicopter tour of 'Greater Maui'", crosses Kahoʻolawe, the slopes of Haleakalā and the road to Hāna, the surf break at Pe'ahi (Jaws), West Maui and Moloka'i.

Exclusive experiences and extras

The site sells private excursions built around "landing zones exclusive to Paradise". From Kona, Hawai'i Island Romance flies through secluded valleys to a private waterfall, pitched as a place "to pop the question". From Lana'i, Maui Farmer's Table visits an organic fruit farm and a plantation restaurant, and Lanaʻi & Maui Romance takes couples over Maui, Moloka'i and Lāna'i. The homepage says the company's relationships and "respect for the traditions of Hawaiʻi have earned us access to private and remote locations no other tour company can provide".

The menu lists further categories, among them Cultural Adventures, Malama Eco Adventures, Maui Adventures and Romance Adventures, along with Inter-Island Transportation, Utility work, a Virtual Education Tour, a Carbon Offset Program, a Pua Manu Club and gifts. The blog runs a regular Hawaii Lava Update on Kīlauea, Mauna Loa and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

How the day works and booking

The Kona page says interaction with "our trained and educated pilots is maximized" so the trip is "unforgettable, in-depth and educational". One testimonial on the homepage says "The helpful ground crew explained how to stay safe" and "provided ginger mints to prevent motion sickness"; another mentions a "Great 2 hour tour" from Kona. These are guest comments the company chose to show.

Each take-off page has its own FAQ headings on where to park, when to arrive, and what to bring and wear, and the Waimea-Kohala page adds a heading for "Doors-Off Guidelines", though the site does not say which tours fly with the doors off. Bookings run through a Book Now button or by phone on (808) 969-7392, and a newsletter promises "special deals and new offerings".

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The site does not show a price for any tour, so costs appear only in the booking flow or by phone. The site gives times for just a few products (the 30-minute Lāna'i circle and the Experience Hawaii Tour at just under two hours), and does not state a cancellation window, a refund rule, group sizes, weight limits or a minimum age. Kapolei Airport is listed as a take-off location, but the site does not describe any tour from it.

Paradise Helicopters suits Big Island visitors who want a choice of departure point, from Kona for the whole island to Waimea for a shorter Kohala waterfall flight or Hilo for the volcano, and couples or small groups after a private landing. Guests staying on Lāna'i get a way to see Maui Nui from the air without crossing to Maui first. Travelers who want to compare prices before calling will need to go into the booking system.