Airplane Tour of Hawaii
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Hawaii is blessed
with breathtaking natural beauty. But most people, Hawaii residents
included, see it mainly from the ground. Commercial airline passengers get
a few minutes of perspective from the air through their little windows.
But it is not often that one gets fly at relatively low speeds and
altitudes with a 360 degree view from the air.
Normally, if you want to see Hawaii from the air, the helicopter would be the vehicle of choice. There are many helicopter tour companies on all the main tourist islands. We especially recommend one of the tours on Kauai. But recently, we had the opportunity to go for a ride on little single engine plane from Honolulu to the island of Lanai. We just so happened to have a pilot friend (who, by the way, used to be the place-kicker for the University of Utah football team) who was willing to personally take us on an airplane tour. So we headed to the airport, hopped into a baby plane, and took off from the same runway as the jumbo jets. The first thing we noticed was that we saw things that you just can't see peering out of a commercial airliner. Since our wing was above the plane, we had unobstructed views of the beaches, waterways, and landmarks. Our slow and low flight path (125 mph at 1200-2000 feet) enabled us to enjoy views of certain points of interest such as Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, and upscale neighborhoods where the rich people live. As we flew over Lanai, our pilot pointed out several great fishing and snorkeling spots, including a couple of shipwrecks just off the beach. Since Lanai has few roads, getting to some of these locations would be tough, but probably worth the effort. You can fly over Lanai countless times in a jetliner and never knew these things exist. During certain months of the year, you can even see humpback whales from the air. Recently, there appears to be an increase in "Ultralight" air tours on the North Shore of Oahu. Since those fly even slower and lower (perhaps 75 mph at 500 feet) with an open-air cockpit, it must truly feel like being a bird. Perhaps the most surprising thing of all was that even though Hawaii is our home, we were still all awestruck at Hawaii's scenic beauty. Sometimes, all it takes is a change of perspective, and it's like seeing things for the first time. Whether you chose to see Hawaii via helicopter or airplane, we highly recommend taking an air tour of one the islands.
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