The only way to see lava

Posted on: 2014/07/28

This is exactly as described, a 40 minute helicopter tour of the volcanoes on the eastern side of the island of Hawaii and the area around Hilo. The staff are very friendly and the entire operation is well run and safety oriented. Our pilot Joyce was informative and did a great job of piloting so that everyone on both sides of the helicopter got good views of everything. Considering that there are no active lava flows at the current time. This is the only way to see molten lava. While it is through "sky lights" looking down into lava tubes, it is still quite exciting to see the bright pink/orange glow of lava.

The helicopter company offers the option to fly with the doors off the helicopter. I would recommend this for optimum viewing and picture taking. However, be aware that it is pretty chilly with the doors off and make sure to wear a warm jacket.

As a final note, when booking a helicopter tour, be aware that there are two airports on the island (Hilo and Kona). Make certain that you are booking a tour from the airport that is on your side of the island. I made a mistake and booked a tour out of the wrong airport. It was completely my fault and I did not realize my mistake until the day before the tour. The folks at Veltra and at the helicopter company went out of their way to get us booked on this tour at the last minute. They also worked hard to find someone else to take our seats on the tour that I had originally booked. They were only able to fill one of the two seats that I had booked, but at least they were kind enough to refund that portion of the fee.