Hawaii Helicopter Tours

Touring Hawaii via the large amount of helicopter tours that each island offers can be a lot of fun, but it can be dangerous if passengers don't take several safety precautions beforehand. These precautions are not just to prevent harm to passengers, but to also ensure the safety of the pilot and anybody on the island you are over. Things may be simple, or overlooked, but without diligence a beautiful helicopter flight can be a disaster.

Easily Overlooked
Due to increased air restrictions in a post-9/11 nation, many passengers don't realize what they can and can not bring onto an aircraft. To save time, just don't bring anything along unless it is a camera, personal identification, and money to pay for the flight. Pursees and other backpacks are generally not allowed, as they might hide a weapon. This scares pilots, who really don't want to be involved in a terrorist attack. Save everybody the trouble next time, and only bring what it is necessary, or a camera.

Pilot
One thing that should never be overlooked is the pilot selection. Travelers should make sure the pilot is properly licensed to not only fly a helicopter, but to fly a helicopter with passsengers for money. These are seperate certifications, and if a pilot doesn't have it, it means he isn't insured either. Other noticeable problems with your pilot might be: rudeness, impatience, substance abuse, or they are noticeably intoxicated. If any of these signs are apparent, a traveler should back out of the deal. Even if you do not get your money back, it isn't worth potentially dieing over.

Weather
People assume, wrongly, that Hawaii always has perfect weather. Although this may be true for a good majority of the time, simple weather changes can affect the flight of a helicopter. Flight is a very delicate art, with seasoned professionals practicing it daily. Any change or inconsistency will alert the pilot that the weather is taking a turn for the worse.