I have bene told that Air Kauai has the best safety record in hawaii. I was told if the weather is the slightest bit unfavorable they do not fly. Has any heard this about the company.

Not sure if that's true...but it's always been the only helitour company I recommend here on Kaua`i.

Small planes don't just fall straight down like helicopters do when something goes wrong.

I am glad that we did not take the heli. tour while in Kauai...was going to next visit not now..

Rusty: I thought, in the year I've been a regular on this site that I remembered two other crashes occuring...none on your list for '04? :-? Belle.

This is an interesting thread to me, because as a private pilot, I often get questioned how safe it is, and if I'm scared, and do I think I'm putting myself & family through unneccesary risks. My attitude is in line with those who do not believe in living life based in "What-ifs." At the same time, I don't live life "Carelessly," but try and make educated decisions and take calculated risks (i.e. cost-benefit analysis). Before I was a pilot, I was a flight attendant for a small regional airline, and I was based at LAX. Through statistics and personal experience I do believe it is worse to get in your car. Many days came and went at LAX (one of the busiest air spaces in the world) without a hitch, but when I got on the freeways of LA, there were ALWAYS car accidents daily. Even now, I live on the central California coast, in a rural area, and car crashes are common. Additionally, I know, in most cases a small plane (I fly a Cessna 172, one of the most common sight-seeing airplanes) will have a much better chance of gliding down in an emergency. I know people who have survived such incidents. I DO also know a former army helicopter pilot who DID survive a helicopter crash, but he did say the thing dropped like a ROCK, and it was ruined. Additionally, even in fair weather, flying low over mountainous terrain can be very dangerous because of dangerous downdrafts. Its the risk you take to get that close-up view. Here's an old pilot saying: "Altitude is your friend." That said, I've booked an island tour with "Wings Over Kauai," flying out of Lihue in a Cessna 172 for our family vacation in a couple of weeks. I'll let y'all know how it was!

And if we don't hear from you .........???

We took a helicopter tour on our trip in April. I can't remember the name of the company but they are the one that flies w/o any doors. It was the highlight of the trip for my wife. I thought it was very cool as well but it takes alot more to impress me. The views are unbelievable.

My family and I flew w/ Air Kauai last week..a typical 1 hour tour of the island/ Na Pali coast, etc. I must admit I was slightly apprenhensive at first due to alot of cloud cover. After talking w/ Sam in their office he assured me that it's a daily concern w/ tourists..but that they almost always fly under the cloud ceilings. After all Kauai does have the wettest spot on earth..this is what the pilots are used to. We had a GREAT flight..w/alot of very clear and sunny openings as we stayed below the clouds in the mountainous areas. I've flown other helicopter tours..this one was the smoothest, calmest, most scenic one ever, and of all the islands, if you don't see Kauai by air then what island are you waiting for?..I quit counting waterfalls at around 75. Air Kauai has an excellent safety record (as do most of the other tour companies) and you will never reqret the experience..even w/ the remote chance of a difficulty..that's life.

As a resident of the north shore of Kaua`i, I can tell you that one big advantage of helitours over the airplane, is that the helicopters are allowed to get further into the canyons and fly closer to the interior cliffs (and waterfalls!), than the tour plane.

Not sure if this is because of FAA rules & regulations, or just due to the difference in manuverability between the two aircraft...?

I would say it's the nature of the machine~helicopters were designed to maneuver into tight places. With either aircraft the closer you get to the ground the more risk due to up and downdrafts (created by wind blowing over terrain and thermal activity, i.e. rising and falling of air). It's USUALLY not a problem, however occasionally the downdrafts can be greater than the power of the aircraft. That's often what is the case when you hear about an aircraft crashing into terrain. It's not like pilots just fly into mountains. It's usually they are flying low (canyons are the riskiest), get caught in a strong downdraft and can't power out of it. The risk is greatest on very windy days and hot days. On those types of days, the pilot should maintain higher altitudes. On cool days with light or no winds, it is safer to fly lower.

Of course on ANY type of day, the higher you are, the better your chances of survival in the remote chance that something does go wrong (like a failed engine). It gives the pilot more time to trouble-shoot the problem and, if necessary, to maneuver to a emergency landing site. If that's the case, small airplanes probably win, as they usually glide quite well. The decision to get low & up-close is a trade-off with safety. The risk is different on each flight, the factors being the condition and power of the aircraft, the skill of the pilot, and the weather conditions. I would always say go with the best equipment and pilots, and don't make price a factor. You're already splurging with the cheapest heli ride, so don't let a small difference in price keep you from getting the best and minimizing your risk.

We're flying in an airplane this trip, and we plan to do a helicopter ride on the next Kauai trip. Obviously the helicopter trip will be more dramatic, so I don't want to do that FIRST! The airplane we're flying in, a Cessna 172, I'm very familiar with (since I fly one myself). It is a high wing plane that is excellent for sight seeing, capable of flying low & slow.....great for photography! Only FOUR more days.....can't wait!!!

My heart goes out to the people in the crash.
BUT The tour companies always tell people the dangers before they get in the helicopter My husband and I went on a heli tour last month in Kauai and it was an amazing experience! I would do it again. The pilots are used to flying in many conditions. We had a great time and the scenery we saw was unbelieveable. If it is your time to die why not let it be doing something exciting and not wrapped in cotton wool afraid of everything in life. I don't mean this too harsh, but we shouldn't be afraid to live our life(of course with some caution). Only my thoughts.

SusanMac:

I disagree with your statement that the helicopter companies tell the passengers about the dangers of the helicopter rides in Hawaii.

We have taken helicopter rides in Kauai and the Big Island in the last few years and enjoyed them a lot.

Neither company told us anything about crashes or fatalities.

I'm not here to knock these rides. In fact, we may take one this summer.

But I don't think that most people who take these helicopter rides have any idea about safety issues or safety statistics.

Just MHO

I took a flight with Air Kauai last summer and it was great. It is the best way to see the island. I would do it again if it didn’t cost 300 bucks. I work in a helicopter for a living and there are defiantly risks involved when you fly any type of aircraft. I never felt in harms way for a minute on this tour. Highly recommended. Great views of the Na’pali coast!

Given the number of helicopter tours that depart everyday in Hawaii, the number of accidents is minimal. Rusty listed all the crashes that included 57 fatalities over the past 13 years in Hawaii. According to the NHTSA there were 532 highway fatalities and over 27,000 people injured in the state of Hawaii just between 2000-2003.

If you try hard enough you can make people scared to do anything. I say if you have an extra $300, enjoy the ride.

I know that this is not a contest, but we just had 2 copter crashes in the East River in NYC last week.

How about the motorized hang-gliding offered by Birds in Paradise? I'd never do a heli tour, but this thing sounds a bit safer and a lot more interesting and fun. Anyone have an opinion or experience to share? DH thinks I'm nuts to want to do this, but HE's the one who jumped out of an airplane...

moondoggie: I topped my previous message regarding the trike rides for you. Entitled : "Hang Glide Maui?".

Look for it if you want some opinions about that! Belle

"Wings Over Kauai" was awesome, and the price was right on! The airplane is a Cessna 172, a high-wing, single-engine airplane. The model airplane is great for sightseeing, and has an excellent safety record. "Wings Over Kauai" is a family-run operation, and they are VERY friendly and personable. Bruce, the pilot, does a wonderful job flying and narrating. He is open to personalizing your route to fly over what interests you the most. I would highly recommend "Wings Over Kauai" (airplane "Flightseeing).

http://wingsoverkauai.com/

I recently returned from Hawaii and took two helicopter tours over Kauai. One with Island Helicopters in an A-Star and another with InterIsland in a Hughes 500. Both were awesome. The pilots were highly trained and knew what they were doing. Sure, there is always a risk but it is extremely low. For instance, you can get killed while walking down the road as one local did while I was in Maui (Lahaina). The best time to take a tour over Kauai is in summer as there is less rain. I have taken tours both in January and July. The one in January 2004 was almost cancelled due to weather.

The pilots of every helicopter that crashed were also "hughly trained" and they also "knew what they were doing". But that is little consolation to the families of those who died in the crashes.

You can get killed walking down the road and you can also get killed while asleep in your own bed. But flying on a tour helicopter is a statistically unsafe activity.