Big Island Air

If you are looking for a wonderful way to see the big island of Hawaii, book a flight with Big Island Air. Collin took us on a two hour flight and shared information and sights with us that we would never have seen if we weren’t in the air. I recommend this company and Collin highly.

Anthony took us up on our tour Monday. He was amazingly knowledgable. We had a blast. It was one of the main things we wanted to do on our honeymoon. The seats are extremely comfortable and he gives the left side and the right side just as much time to see each major points. He avoided any turbulence he could which for me is a major deal!!!
He helped us learn about the history and even pointed out some beaches/​bays to visit. I highly recommend them!
This was a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget!!!

Awesome flight — worth it! We have done several other tours over the years but Rex, our pilot, made this a once in a lifetime experience. We saw whales breaching, all the volcano spots and amazing lava, and then topped it off with amazing waterfall and landscape views. We landed just as the sun slipped out of view. Wonderful plane and equipment. I will tell everyone I know about this tour.

We chartered the whole plane between our family and friends, so 9 people in total and we did the 90−120minutes circle of the big Island. This is not the cheapest option but for us with a large group it worked out cheaper and more time effective than all trying to do helicopter rides.
Firstly let me tell you this plane is awesome, it has a great decal painted on the outside and is more or less brand new. It has comfortable and spacious leg room and everyone on the plane has their own window to ensure good viewing.
Steve was an excellent, informative and entertaining pilot, he was thorough in his description of exactly what we were flying over or near. He spent time circling areas of the volcano, lava and waterfalls to ensure everyone could get a good photo even between clouds! There was several members of our party that became travel sick during the flight, this was no fault of Steve at all, and in fact he handled the situation brilliantly by explaining that he would do his best to avoid ‘bumps’ and that he would slow the turns down.
We ended up having at least 120minutes in the sky and saw more of the Big Island than we ever could have by car. Steve was a great tour guide/​photographer/​pilot. He is also what we would call in Australia a ‘genuine good bloke’ because the next day he was recognized my wife and I in Walmart and stopped for a small chat.
Finally, thanks Big Island Air and Steve for a truly amazing experiences we won’t forget.

Anthony was very skilled and knowledgeable about the area that we were flying over. I told him that I was prone to motion sickness and he forecast and told me when there would be bumps ahead, which was nice.
We saw some amazing sights, including a lava flow and valleys next to Waipo’o Valley that are not accessible any other way except by air.
My advice is to take the sunset tour. You will get a great overview of the island and see sights you would not be able to see any other way.
If you are prone to motion sickness, I would take Dramamine or a non-​drug remedy called ReliefBand since the plane does bank and circle quite a few times to get the best lava views.

Great tour, loved it! A must do in Hawaii.

My wife and I went on the sunset tour and it more than lived up to its hype!
Anthony was our pilot, and although young, said to have 10 years experience. He made the flight enjoyable with his knowledge of the area and still had the enjoyment of flying the tour.
While we were not sure of the weather for the trip since it was raining and overcast much of the day, we were treated with great conditions for our ride. So much better to see the lava without the sun shining.
Anthony did an expert job of timing the sunset to coincide with the landing back at Kona airport. I have great videos and pictures.
I am sure you will find cheaper rides but sometimes you get what you pay for.
We have been in helicopters but we prefer the view and comfort of the Big Island fixed wing plane.
We will do it again next time we come to the Big Island!
Mahalo and Aloha

I’m a concierge on the Kona side of the Big Island. I’ve done air tours on both the helicopters about 8 – 10 times and the Big Island Air– Circle Island Tour about 7… I’ve invited friends on both the Heli and Cessna… I like to take them to see what their opinions are… Which is better, you ask? Well… The consensus is… If you want to take off from the Kona side, Big Island Air has the best tour…
The jet-​propelled Cessna is modified to make more leg room and windows are replaced for a great wide angle view. The pilots have been flying for many years on the Big Island, & are also experienced with helicopters. The helicopters are smaller so there is less of a viewing area. If it happens to be a rougher day than usual out there, the Big Island Air pilots can pull up to a calmer altitude and cruise. In contrast, the heli has to constantly fight gravity to stay up, and constantly has to adjust to the warm thermals near the ground. Overall, it makes for a more turbulent flight.
Now the tour… Instead of cutting through the middle of the island like the helicopters do. Big Island Air– Circle Island Tour lets you see 80% more of the Island.(weather permitting). This includes: Keauhou Bay, Kona Coffee Belt, Kealakekua/​Captain Cook Monument, City of Refuge/​Honaunau Bay, Macadamia Nut Farms, SouthPoint, Punaluu Black Sand Beach, & Halema’uma’u crater (where u may see molten lava!) These places in my opinion are must see areas. Not to mention the historical, cultural, and geological narration of these places…
Then eventually they meet up with the helicopters at Puu’o’o Crater to look for surface flows (which change everyday) and lava entering the ocean (mostly steam plumes)… Finally, the rest of the trip is identical to the helicopter tour which views a myriad of waterfalls, beautiful green valleys, & beaches on Kona side (if you fly w/​Paradise Helicopter)… But if the helicopter is still an idea that really excites you, then go all out and do the Hilo Doors Off Helicopter by Paradise Helicopters… :D Aloha!

If you are in Kailua Kona and want to go for an airplane tour, book a trip with Big Island Air. Our pilot, Anthony, was super friendly and knowledgeable. The small plane held 9 passengers. We were each weighed during check-​in and then they assigned the seats to us to evenly distribute the weight of the plane.
Our tour was the perfect length. While I didn’t get nauseous, there were parts of the trip were my bf did turn a little pale (so if you are sensitive to motion, you may want to take some medicine beforehand).
While this was a pricey excursion, I think it was well worth the cost because it cuts down on the amount of driving you’d have to do to get to some of the spots covered on the tour. Also, the aerial view gave me a greater appreciation for the beautiful land. I can still vividly recall the powerful image of lava gracefully flowing directly the ocean and the mighty waterfalls majestically flowing for what seemed like miles!
Just to reiterate a tip from Keiko S. If you plan on taking pictures-​wear something which will not be distracting if it is reflected on the window. I wore a polk-​a-​dot romper so some of my pictures have random dots: I

Very expensive… I mean… very very expensive… for me and my wife, I think it was in the neighborhood of $ 700. But it’s a once in a lifetime event (for most of us) and it was our honeymoon so it was well worth it to see the majestic beauty and awe-​inspiring sites of the Big island. The pilot was great and very informative, every seat on the small 8 or 9 seat plane had a great view, and we circled the whole island and saw everything, including the volcanos and the Valleys of the Kings. Seeing these amazing views while listening to a hawaiian version of David lee Roth’s «Just Like Paradise» was very cool and def. sums up the experience.

Only great things to say about this air tour! You arrive at the airport to friendly Big Island Air staff who go over all the safety instructions for the flight and then off you go. We saw so much of the island you will never see by driving. In fact the two days before our flight we covered both the north and south ends of big island in our car so we knew the lay of the (is)land as we flew around. From the smoking crater and waterfalls, to the telescopes at eye level and multiple coastline valleys, you see it all. Great visibility, Anthony our pilot was extremely knowledgeable and the whole flight was completely relaxing. Definitely worth it and you’ll have lots of memories and photos to take home with you!

Had a great time on this tour! Saw beautiful waterfalls, snow on top of the volcano, erupting crater, flowing lava, swimming whales, beautiful beaches, and more. great way to see alot them island has to offer quickly. Very friendly staff, too.

It’s a POWERFUL island, featuring 11 of the 13 different climate zones on Earth. Flying may be the best way to explore its many faces.
For the 9AM air tour, we were instructed to arrive at the airport at 8:30AM to check in, get weighed, etc. While I was slightly anxious to fly in a small 10-​seater jet, it helped to learn that our pilot had over 30 years of experience flying and knew the island inside out. Plus, the life vest seemed super user friendly…
The aerial tour was supposed to last for 60 to 90 minutes, but our pilot flew us for about 100 minutes. It went by quickly, though. Throughout the whole flight, we wore a headset through which we incessantly heard the pilot speaking (he gave excellent narrations) and soft, mellow music. It’s a way to keep people relaxed, I’m assuming.
It was a flight full of breathtaking views. YOU SEE EVERYTHING. We actually got to see the lava flow into the ocean, creating massive smoke. It was funny how while flying over the Waipio Valley and Pololu Valley area, they played the Jurassic Park music. That’s where some scenes of the movie were filmed!
The jet is air-​conditioned (very important), and there are no middle seats so everyone gets a window (even more important).
For future fliers, here are some notes to keep in mind…
* Flying in the morning is better, as the sky is supposedly brighter and clearer.
* Do it early on in your vacation so you can familiarize yourself with the geography.
* Wear DARK clothes so they don’t reflect off windows when taking photos.
Price: $ 299 per person + tax & tip