evelyntrav

We are planning on taking a helicopter flight while in Kauai. I know that the seating plan in the A-Star is two passengers in the front and four in the rear, and assinments are determined according to weight. Is is a problem viewing the sights and taking photographs if you are seated in a middle seat in the rear? I would consider the Interisland four-passenger aircraft, but the open doors certainly do scare me. Is it as scary as it looks?

dana

We used Inter-Island a few weeks ago w/o the doors. It didn't feel any frightening than a trip I took a while ago w/doors... Anyway just so you know there is a chance on the 4 passenger to be in the middle of the front row. My advice would be to enjoy the scenery no matter what aircraft you chose it is magnificent!! You could always but photos after the ride. Have a great time!

dana

I realized I had some typos in my last post - sorry... here it is again.
Message: We used Inter-Island a few weeks ago w/o the doors. It didn't feel any more frightening than a trip I took a while ago w/doors... Anyway just so you know there is a chance on the 4 passenger to be seated in the middle of the front row. My advice would be to enjoy the scenery no matter what aircraft you chose it is magnificent!! You could always buy photos after the ride. Have a great time!

Debi

In Maui, we took one of the helicopter rides and we were in the back seat. You could see pretty well - but the photos did not turn out all that well....

evelyntrav

Dana, was the middle seat in the front row and could you take photos? Debi, which company did you use and do you know what kind of helicopter it was? Thank you for your feedback.

Debi

The name of the company (remember it was Maui) was Blue Hawaiian - and we were on an Ecostar helicopter (very neat - and quieter than the other ones).

evelyntrav

Debi, the companies in Kauai don't use that type of aircraft. Do you think the problem with the photos was that they were taken through glass or was it the disadvantage of being in the rear, or the camera? I appreciate the information.

Sue

We took a flight with Will Squyers in Kauai. Looked like most of the other helicopter companies flew the same type. I was in middle back seat, husband next to me by the window. He took the photos - many photos! There was glare from the glass on some of them but we had a lot of very good ones as well. I wouldn't have been able to take photos from the middle seat but had an excellent view out of all the windows - actually think I enjoyed it more, not having to spend the whole time watching through the camera viewfinder!!

Do take the flight, it's an amazing experience.

beachbum

I was riding shotgun, so I thought my photos would be great. And some were. But in spite of the dark clothes they tell you to wear, no matter where you sit, you'll still often pick up a reflection off the glass. Next time I'll do the open door thing.

dana

Evelyn,
The middle seat was in the front row. The person sitting there was not taking pictures, her husband was sitting by the window. You probably could take pictures, but there would probably be glare from the window. Any other questions, just ask.

evelyntrav

Beachbum, about the "open door thing"... there is still a chance that you would be in the middle of the front row making it difficult to take photos. I have been told that if you do the waterfall tour, you swap sits after lunch. Also, if it is wet wouldn't photos be impossible?

evelyntrav

I have a hunch that the lightest person would be seated in the middle in order to balance the aircraft. There, I'd be in the middle. Ugh... Does anyone know if there is a camera filter that will reduce glare? I'll ask the people at the camera store, but thought maybe someone here would know, too.

beachbum

You may be right about the weight issue, evelyn. My wife, who I'm sure was the lightest in our group, ended up front middle. We didn't do the waterfall tour, so don't know about the seat swap; makes good sense though.

Hope you find a filter. It's not glare you're worried about; it's your own reflection(s) off the glass. I always have a UV filter on, and I'm fairly sure I was using a polarizer as well.

joan

My husband and I did the waterfall tour with interisland...we were seated in the back, and not offered the front seat for the return. We were slightly larger than the front couple... However, it didn't really matter, because you could see to the side from floor to ceiling. Your camera will definitely get wet, as we went through the "wettest spot on earth" the rain was coming sideways through the helicopter, and the wind was so strong it felt like my sunglasses and headset were going to rip right off my face (you should put your long hair in a ponytail). We used a disposable underwater camera, pictures came out good (neither of us are great photographers). It was fabulous, exciting, exhilarating! My knuckles were white from holding onto the strap at the top of the doorway. It took an hour to wipe the grin off my face! You are buckled in with a shoulder seatbelt just like in the front seat of a car, so you don't move around at all. Believe it or not, I felt safe. Scary7 It's kind of like that feeling when you get on a rollercoaster - right before you get on, you just want to change your mind. But hey this is a $250 ride, so changing my mind was out of the question! Have fun! Go for it!

evelyntrav

Joan, thank you for your personal feedback and for relaying both the pros and the cons. My interest in the Interisland flight was mainly for photography, but clearly there could be a problem with that. I don't like the idea of being scared, wet and so windblown so I will book with Air Kuai or Jack Harter in the 6-passenger tour.

eL

My wife & I flew on Blue Hawaiian in 2000 on Is. of Maui. We were in a 6 passenger helicopter (2 front, 4 rear). I sat in the window seat in the rear (excellent view for picture taking). The view is "ok" from the middle, but for taking photos you gotta get a window seat.

Also, I would reccommend buying the video that they sell from your actual ride. They have a camera inside the helicopter & out.

xxx

How about just enjoying the helicopter view, skip the photos, and buy a good coffee table book showing what you saw? Those types of pictures never turn out as well as what you really see.

evelyntrav

Clearly XXX does not enjoy taking his/her own photos or would know the joy of shooting your own rather than buying a coffee table book or a postcard.