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Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours (Hawaii's Big Island)

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Location: Hilo Airport

Our thoughts: Before we left for our Big Island vacation, several friends who had been to Hawaii told us to take a helicopter tour over the volcanoes. We were rather unsure. One of us is a seasoned, easy flier, the other isn't; neither of us were exactly chomping at the bit to hop on a whirlybird. However, once we got on the island, we were taken over by the adventurous spirit and decided to give it a go. How many times would we have the opportunity to fly over a live volcano?

We picked Blue Hawaiian and its "Circle of Fire" tour on the advice of our hotel's activity desk and for the way they promoted their exceptional safety record in their ads. We made the right choice. Upon arriving at the Hilo airport you're given a thorough safety briefing, and boarding procedures for the state-of-the-art touring copters are explained in detail. The BH ground staff were friendly and professional.

We boarded the 6-seater (which includes the pilot) helicopter, and all seats offered a great view, except for the middle seat in the rear, where the view was just OK. (Passenger seating is calculated by weight distribution, so you can't choose your own seat.) After we were seated and harnessed in by the ground crew, we put on Bose noise-cancelling headphones, which aside from quieting the helicopter noise also channeled music and the voice of our great pilot, Will. He explained his flying background and how the 60-minute flight would go. Before we knew it, we were smoothly up off the ground and flying high over Hilo.

During our flight Will showed us the sights in Hilo and beyond, offering history, stories, volcano education and jokes. The flight was smooth, and Will was great. We headed out to the active volcano, Mauna Loa. However, you don't fly right over Mauna Loa. Instead, you're taken to its steam vents, where the noxious gases escape the molten lava flowing underground and are released into the atmosphere. Over the desert of lava rock you can make out fingers of molten lava where the ground has cracked. Depending on the time of day and volcanic activity, you may see many or you may not see any.

If you've never flown on a helicopter before and are worried about your stomach, don't be — at least if you fly Blue Hawaiian. The ride was smooth, and the only time we felt queasy was when Will mentioned Hawaiians' love of Spam. Tickets are $165 per person, but you can save if you book online at the Blue Hawaiian Web site or if you sit through a timeshare presentation. The price may seem steep, but it's worth the money.

Tip: Book your flight in advance. Seats on your preferred day and time can fill up fast, especially if a cruise ship is in Hilo.

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