Just heard the awful news about the Jack Harter tour helicopter that went down by Mt. Waialale this morning killing all on board, and it gets me to wondering...in view of the fact that this is the 2nd fatal helicopter crash in the state of Hawaii in the past month or so, do any of you seasoned helicopter tourists, myself being among them, now have second thoughts about ever going up in one again? I've always felt reasonably comfortable in taking the many helicopter flights (all with InterIsland, who, ironically, was the search and rescue company that arrived on the scene after today's crash) that we have, and of course, Jack Harter had always prided themselves on their perfect safety record, but now I must admit that it gives me pause...where does everybody else stand on this issue?

I had always heard very good things about Jack harters flights. My husband and I enjoyed our helicopter flight on Kauai back in 1985-it was a little scarey for me but it was great! However, in 2001 we were in Maui with our two sons ages 8 and 9 and decided not to do it. I guess we just felt a little apprehensive about taking them up there. This November we will be in Kauai and on the BI and had already decided against a heli flight for the same reasons and the cost. I guess there is risk in everything you do though. however, my one question about the safety is what happens if your pilot becomes ill or unable to finish his flight? There is not usually a co-pilot.
Tammy

Hi Margot, well it's "risk management" at the consumer level. I've spent (work) time in various types of helicopters, don't care for any of them much, but I'd still love to do the Kauai "no doors" trip but this report will mean my wife definitely won't consider it now ! Flying around mountain peaks has risks re winds, visibility, disturbed air etc. Consider the Kenya crash last weekend .. it's thought the plane went too close "for a better view" and so on...
Overall, like any commercial air travel, the statistics are on our side, but then again, who wants to be a mere statistic

As I understand it-- and I have no statistics to back this up-- helicopters are considered more dangerous than planes because there's no failsafe-- one propeller, one engine. So, if something goes wrong, it really goes wrong.
That said, we took the interisland "no doors" tours less than two months ago in Kauai. It was great...but given the recent accidents...I don't think I'd do it, even with a company with a perfect safety record. Even as I write that, I think someone would probably be able to talk me into it.

hedgerow,
You're partly right about the safety factor for helos. If you lose an engine, you still may be able to auto-rotate, where the blades still turn but they're not connected to the engine. It's a common safety maneuver that is practiced by all pilots. Not pleasant to watch, but it's an option. I'm heading to Kauai in December and am leaning toward the Inter Island flight. Agree that helos are probably more dangerous than planes, but there's risk in everything you do.

aloha, margot!

This is such sad news.

I guess statistically speaking, now would be a good time to take a Jack Harter heli ride. I mean, what are the chances it would crash again so soon??

We did the Interisland flight in May...I still can't believe I got on the heli after having really mixed feelings about it. I'm glad we did it, we loved it, but probably will never do it again...

I'm having major second thoughts now. And I really wanted to do one too
What should we do instead? A boat trip up the Napali Coast? It won't be the same though.

But I'm such a chicken.

A NaPali boat trip is a MUST, with or without a helicopter ride!

are you saying the boat trip is better than the helicopter ride? we can't afford both.

Hi Margot,
Last night when I told my husband about the crash, his comment was he was glad we had already done the helicopter tour.
But, I read the report in the Honolulu Star and thought the company was Ohana. Going right now to look and see.
Sad news. And in answer to your question, I'm sure we will not be taking another helicopter tour for quite some time..

Can't really say boat ride is "better" than helicopter ride or vice-versa - they are very different experiences, each one exhilarating in their own way...You definitely will see more of the lushness and ruggedness of the NaPali cliffs on the boat ride, not to mention the unbelievably blue water that surrounds the magnificent sea caves. On the other hand, Waimea Canyon and Mt. Waialeale by air can't be beat. So...it is a tough decision, especially with the current sad news. When are you going, crazieladybug?

Not until next July. Maybe I'll just decide closer to when we go.

I second the Napali coast boat ride, we took one out of Port Allen and would like to try it out of Hanalei next time, because you are closer to the Napali Coast. The difference between helicopter and boat tour is that you do not see as many waterfalls on the boat tour. However, impressive waterfalls are easy to access on Kauai (Opaeka, Wailua) by car, so I do not think you miss that much if you decide to skip the heli.

Sorry I reported erroneous info. It was Jack Harter. I read a Honolulu Star bulletin from several years ago. I should have paid attention to the dates.

Margot and John, what boat company did you take?

We did both the helicopter ride (with Jack Harter) and the Na Pali sunset cruise in February. We enjoyed the helicopter ride but all 4 of us (2 couples) really enjoyed the sunset cruise more. I think it left about 1pm or so and did not get back till after sunset. The weather was perfect, the crew was friendly, the food okay but the ambiance was terrific. We throughly enjoyed the coastal views, whale watching, picture taking and sea air!! At the time we all said we would definitely do the cruise if we ever came back. Used a coupon so it was much more economical too!

which boat company MGB??

I've posted before on this topic but perhaps it bears repeating. I really enjoy helicopter tours - have done them in Australia, Alaska, and British Columbia as well as other places - but when we were on the Big Island some years ago, we were told that there are lots of crashes that we don't always hear about because they aren't fatal and often there aren't any serious injuries. Still, a crash is a crash. The problem specifically on the Big Island is with the tours over the volcano. Apparently volcanic gases can interfere with the internal combustion engine of the helicopter. This was enough to deter us, at least on the BI, although I'm not sure I'd hesitate to go up again provided there wasn't an active volcano in the vicinity.

crazyladiebug
It was Blue Dolphin Charters. I just checked our brochure. Sunset in Hawaii in February was about 4:30 or 5pm. It was a 3.5 hour cruise but I think we were out at least 4 hours. They stop the boat just before sunset to serve champagne and so you can take pictures. Before that on the way back they served heavy pupus (appetizers) and drinks. Really a great afternoon! I cannot remember how much we paid but we all thought it was extremely reasonable, I think we used a coupon that we had picked up in a brochure at the airport. We had done the helicopter the day before.

Message: I think the company we used out of Port Allen has changed title, it was the only one that offered a "ecofriendly" boat that ran on vegetable oil, and on a trip prior to ours, they had photo's of how a whale had breached and landed on the back of the boat!

Last spring we tried the blue bible's suggestion: "Napali catamaran" out of Hanalei Bay, unfortunately it was too rough for my wife to make the transfer from the outrigger canoe that they use to take you to the powerboat, so I can only comment on the one from Port Allen, which basically spent more time than we would like trying to reach the stunning Napali coast. During this trip in Feb. 2002 we saw our first whale breach out of the water.