We flew in toward the inner island and over the famous “Sacred Falls”. It was very beautiful, with the graceful water falling thousands of feet into the pool below. We actually had the once in a lifetime experience of flying OVER a rainbow in the mountains. When I saw pictures of all the sights to be seen, I decided to surpass my fears and go for it. And I am so glad I did!! While on Oahu, we went to Paradise Helicopters (Exclusive Helicopter Service), located in Kahuku at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. We met pilots, Richard Potts and Josh Lang, both were very friendly and fun to talk to. Mr. Potts assured me that I would absolutely love this adventure, despite my fear of heights. He was right.
There were four of us in the helicopter hooked-up to a two-way communication system with the pilot and fellow passengers. That gave us the opportunity to ask pilot, Josh, any questions we had or speak a few words to our friends. We had signed up for the 20 minute tour of the North Shore. Pilot Josh began our flight by going along the coastline, the scenery was just breathtaking! We got to see some spectacular views of the surfers riding the waves into the shore, shrimp farms, a famous actor’s home, and the lush, green mountainous area toward the inner island. The ride was so smooth that it was even better than riding in a luxury car.
We flew in toward the inner island and over the famous “Sacred Falls”. It was very beautiful, with the graceful water falling thousands of feet into the pool below. We actually had the once in a lifetime experience of flying OVER a rainbow in the mountains. I’ve always looked up into the sky at the beautiful colors of rainbows; I’ve never flown over one and seen the beauty of it from above. The massive but awesome peaceful beauty of the mountains touches your soul. It’s an experience I will always think back on and be able to say “I did that and I loved it!”
As far as pilot qualifications Josh Lang has been flying for 15 years, flying mostly helicopters from Florida to Hawaii. He has flown for a number of films and TV shows also. Josh enjoys flying for them because he indulges in some acting as well. He also enjoys the water and he is an avid surfer here on the beautiful North Shore. Pilot Robert has been flying helicopters for about 23 years and airplanes for 25 years now. He also has flown all over the U.S. but say’s he loves Hawaii the best.
Between the two Pilots (Robert and Josh) they have logged more than 16,000 flight hours, and feel blessed to be able to share the sights that Hawaii has to offer. They both are commercial helicopter pilots, as well as certified flight instructors. They also fly for the U.S. government on contract. From tours to fire-fighting, to aerial spraying, they do it all here in the State of Hawaii. They say it keeps them busy and love it.
Paradise Helicopters has been in business for about 8 years. The company has four of the MD 500, four passenger helicopters and the 2 Bell 407 helicopters that can carry six passengers. They fly all over the state, and are based in three different locations. One is on the North Shore of Oahu; the other two are Kona and Hilo which are located on the Big Island of the Hawaiian Islands. "I can’t wait for the next time, because this time I’ll take the one hour tour ride that takes you over and across the island!"
See the Paradise Helicopters website for current news, tickets and events.
And, if you are looking for a great shopping destination after your Helicopter Tour HAKUBUNDO has a friendly staff that also provides you with really cool information of the “Japanese” culture. I personally didn’t know much about the Japanese culture until I visited HAKUBUNDO’s. The staff was really enjoyable to talk with, and taught me a lot. So if you are looking for “Japanese” products, I recommend HAKUBUNDO’s – it’s a great place to go and check out. HAKUBUNDO is located at 1600 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 121 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Call 1-808-947-5503 for more details.
By Terry Girt
Plan Your Trip:
To discover all there is to experience, download the official state app, and plan your trip, visit the Go Hawaii website!
