The island of Molokai has the tallest sea cliffs on the planet which can be seen on helicopter tours departing from Maui. 
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Air Maui Helicopters
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Alex Air Helicopters
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Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
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Sunshine Helicopters
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Helicopter Tours on Maui
($100.00 - $655.00)
Maui Helicopter flights allow you to see the 75% of Maui that is only visible from the air!
If you haven't seen Maui by helicopter, you haven't seen Maui.
When I first came to Maui many decades ago I hiked and traveled just about every place possible. When I took my first of many Maui helicopter tours I was in the air no more than 10 minutes before realizing I had no clue what the island really looked like. Isolated valleys, hidden waterfalls, secluded ridges, triple-canopy rainforests, and mountain summits. Some areas are so dense and rugged they are impossible to traverse on foot. Some species of animal and plant life are so isolated in their Maui habitat they exist only in their own little valley and nowhere else in the world.
Where the Maui Helicopter flights take you.
- Circle Island Helicopter flights include Haleakala Crater, the Hana area and the West Maui Mountains.
- Hana and Crater Helicopter flights are the same as the Circle Island but exclude West Maui.
- West Maui flights include West Maui only.
- West Maui and Molokai flights fly across the channel and visit the eastern half of Molokai as well as seeing West Maui.
What types of Helicopters are used.
- The A-Star is generally considered the "gold standard" for helicopter flights. No matter where you sit you'll have 180-degree visibility. The rotator shaft does not come between the front and back seats and there are no visual impediments interrupting your view forward. The back seat is raised to give a better view above the seats in front and there is an abundance of windows.
- The Eco-Star or Whisper-Star is actually the enhanced version of the A-Star and is generally considered the "Cadillac" of the touring helicopters. These helicopters are wider allowing for all bucket seats for more comfort. They have about 20% more viewing capacity through the larger windows and they produce less noise as from heard from the outside.
- The Hughes 500 is small, fast and maneuverable. It seats only 4 passengers so each person is guaranteed a window seat.
- The Bell Jet Ranger seats four passengers. It is a little larger than the Hughes and smaller than the A-Star.
With regard to photography:
Many Maui helicopter companies equip their aircraft with special video recorders mounted in the nose and along the sides of the helicopter. Some even have camera lenses mounted in the cockpit. As the pilot flies along he directs the taping, selecting the camera offering the best view. The result: at the end of your helicopter tour you're presented with a video tape of your actual flight to take home and enjoy over and over.
Tom's Tips - Maui Helicopter Tour
- Helicopter Tour times range from 20 minutes to a few hours. Longer helicopter tours and rides may include touchdowns.
- Wear dark-colored clothing if you're going to be taking your own photographs. White or light- colored clothing will reflect in the windows and show up in the image.
- Want to see incredible mountain terrain, spectacular sea cliffs and outrageous waterfalls? Try the Molokai tours.
- Morning tours generally have the least cloud cover. These are also the ones that book up first, especially during busy times.
- Book early. Better yet, book a morning tour before you get here.
 Air Maui Helicopters- Air Maui was founded helicopter pilot Steve Egger. Steve was a part owner of a helicopter company on Kauai when hurricane Iniki hit in 1992. The island was demolished from the storm and he decided to move to Maui to start over again. His dedication to customer service and a sense of "fun" has laid the groundwork for the company culture at Air Maui. At Air Maui the pilots are not just pilots, they are personal guides and the staff that greets you seem like old friends. Air Maui’s hangar is at the…(more info)$100.00 - $200.00 |
 Alex Air Helicopters- Owner and founder of Alex Air Helicopters, Steve Alexander, has a history in the business that goes back to the days in Long Beach when his father was a Hughes Helicopter pilot after World War II. Alex Air is the oldest helicopter operation on the island of Maui. The companies A-Star helicopters are equipped with state of the art headsets that allow 2-way communication between pilot and passengers. In addition to the A-Star helicopters that fly six passengers, Alex Air also flies a Hughes Five-Hundred…(more info)$117.90 - $247.90 |
 Blue Hawaiian Helicopters- Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is by far the largest helicopter company in the state of Hawaii. They have fleets on all major islands of Maui, the Big Island, Oahu and also on Kauai. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters offers flights on the ASTAR helicopters, which have been the workhorse of the sightseeing helicopter industry since the mid 80’s. They also offer flights aboard the newer ECOSTAR Helicopters. Always the pioneers, Dave and Patti Chevalier were the first to bring the superior Eco-Star helicopters…(more info)$110.90 - $287.90 |
 Sunshine Helicopters- Sunshine Helicopter is owned and operated by Ross and Anna Scott. Ross helicopter experience started with his first tour of duty as a gunship pilot in Vietnam. After the war, Ross managed a large aviation company in Alaska with fifty airplanes and thirty helicopters. The Sunshine Helicopter company has the benefit of his vast aviation experience and the company operates helicopter tours on Maui, the Big Island and Kauai using both A-Stars and the advanced Whisper Star helicopters. With any of…(more info)$100.00 - $655.00 |
