Seventy-five percent of Maui is visible only from the air via helicopter tours and rides and fixed-wing aircraft tours and rides!

When I first came to Maui over 20 years 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.

If you haven't seen Maui by helicopter, you haven't seen Maui.

Maui has a number of helicopter tours to choose from, each specializing in a particular type of aircraft:

The A-Star is one of the most luxurious, designed specifically for sightseeing. 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 Hughes 500 is small, fast and maneuverable. It seats only 4 passengers so each person is guaranteed a window seat.

The Bell Jet Ranger is a little larger than the Hughes and smaller than the A-Star.

The McDonnell-Douglas Notar is designed without a tail rotor, giving a noticeably quieter flight. This helicopter is often hired by professional photographers on aerial shoots because it can be flown with the doors removed.

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.

Helicopter and Fixed-Wing Aircraft Tours and Rides in Maui - Options

• Helicopter Tour times range from 20 minutes to a few hours. Longer helicopter tours and rides often include touchdowns.
• Circle Island Tour/Ride - Includes Haleakala Crater, the Hana area and the West Maui Mountains.
• Hana and Crater Tour/Ride - which are the same as the Circle Island but exclude West Maui.
• West Maui and Molokai Tour/Ride.

Helpful Tips from Tom Barefoot - Maui Helicopter Tours and Rides and Maui Fixed-Wing Aircraft Tours and Rides

• 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.

ALL HELICOPTER TOUR AND FIXED WING FLIGHT TOUR PATTERNS AND SPECIFIC SIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO WEATHER.

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