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Big Island Sunset Flight from Kona
2 hours (Approx.)
Mobile Ticket
Instant Confirmation
Overview
Capture the beauty of Hawaii from above on a 1 hour and 15 minutes sunset flight over the Big Island from Kona. Aboard a Cessna skymaster with two engine realibility for your safety. Pressurized for your comfort, soar over volcanoes, waterfalls, mountains and valleys along the Hamakua coast while enjoying narration from your expert pilot. Gaze at the fiery eruption of Kilauea Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes on earth, and watch the sun dip behind Mauna Loa, considered the largest volcano on earth. Every seat is a window seat, so you won’t miss a beat.
Highlights
- All taxes, fuel surcharges and service fees included
- Enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city
- Family friendly
- Informative, friendly and professional guide
- Instant Confirmation
- Qualified and professional pilot
Description
Schedule
What's Included
What To Bring
Additional Info
Reviews
4.92
12 reviews
Average 4.92 out of 5 stars based on 12 verified reviews from Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
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CharlieBobwife, Nov 2021 Verified
Our pilot, Donald, was very knowledgeable about the sights we were seeing from the air and did every maneuver he could to ensure we got the best views/photos. The plane was VERY nice and comfortable. I highly recommend!
jurajplavcan, Mar 2019 Verified
Etienne was our pilot and he's very skilled, friendly, welcoming, relaxed and we had a lot of fun. He made our flight very comfortable despite that day's obvious rough weather and strong winds. He showed us from up close the damage caused by recent lava flows, but also the green beauty of Waipio and other valleys. He shared with us historical facts, stories and I found his commentaries a great addition to the spectacular views of the island. He's an amazing pilot and the Big Island Air is providing a great service that is really worth every cent. It is really cheaper than helicopter tours and we were up in the air a bit over 1h45m. Everybody leaving the plane had a big smile.
Being a recreational pilot myself I enjoyed listing Etienne talking to hawaiian ATC too.
sharsoren, Mar 2019 Verified
In past years I have seen Oahu and Big Island with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters - and not that this tour with the company was bad, they are both good in their own right. However, with Big Island Air, every one gets a window and the pilot makes sure that both sides of the plane gets the same views and spends much more time explaining and giving history of the sites.
I, along with my Dad & husband thought the 2 hour sunset was outstanding! A must do!!
Denny C, Jan 2019 Verified
So much scenery and history packed into the flight. I was not really sure what to expect but got so much more. It’s called a sunset tour, but in reality you land as the sun is setting, but you do get a tour of the entire big island. Etienne Handman was our pilot and did a great job explaining what would go on and was a great tour guide. He pointed out so many fabulous landmarks and gave recommendations for what to do on the island. Although there is not any surface lava flowing, we were able to see the still smoking fresh lava and the power of the volcano. Fantastic. I have taken a helicopter tour and the airplane tour was so much better. Comfortable seats, air conditioning, and large windows. Was a great tour.
stanpercy16, Jun 2018 Verified
We booked this flight before the recent activity started - I had wanted to do an air tour of the island but was really a little too nervous about getting in a helicopter. Once I read about Big Island Air here on TA that settled it.The day before we were due to fly with them the weather changed and the clear skies we had became very voggy across the island and we were really convinced we wouldn't see much of anything. Steve, our pilot, made it clear before we took off he would do the best he could to show us something but the rain and the vog were not on our side.Our trip up the west coast was very hazy, not clearing until we got right to the northern tip. Once we headed down the east side it started to rain, so we stayed off the coast and could just about see waterfalls and valleys. Luckily by the time we made it further south Steve announced that there was a hole in the rain clouds just above the lava river. We made 4 loops around it so that everyone could get loads of photos and a really good view of both the lava and ocean entry. It was amazing to see, but very distressing to see how close it was to several homes, and to think how many may be under it.I would totally recommend this as a great alternative for those who don't want to go in a helicopter (like me!). It is also cheaper, and goes from Kona so saves you a trip across the island to Hilo if you weren't headed that way anyway. Steve was great; patient, funny and knowledgeable and we really enjoyed the flight.
WorldTravelGuy74, Jun 2018 Verified
WOW! Forget the helicopters – those don’t guarantee a window seat and they are NOT permitted to hover over the lava and fissure 8. This plane is new, clean, and EVERYONE had a perfect view because all the comfy leather seats are window seats! The company is owned by Steve and his wife Hilda; Steve knows every inch of the island and made sure EVERYTHING we saw was seen on both side of the plane – he was so concerned that WE were satisfied. He gave a us thorough briefing on what we would see (using a color map) before we even boarded the plane! When we arrived at the eruption site, he passed by at least 4 times on each side – we got the most amazing pics above the lava river and at the ocean entry points. But the cliffs on the north side, horse country, the waterfalls, all the sites on the west side – WE SAW EVERYTHING! And the sunset on the return was equally awesome. I love small business owners who know how to do business with the customer always as their #1 focus! We debated whether to do a helicopter or this plane – SOOO glad we did the plane. Steve is retired military and has been flying for many years. I’d recommend this plane tour in a heartbeat and if I could give it 10 stars I would!!! Wow! Thanks Steve and Thanks Hilda! Just be sure to call in advance – weeks and months in advance and if you waited to the last minute call to see if they have last minute cancellation – this company rocks! Thank you thank you thank you!
Carrie C, Jan 2018 Verified
We loved our experience with Big Island Air! We were able to see so much of the island that were weren't able to drive to. It was also really neat to see the hotels we stayed at from the air! Highlights were seeing the waterfalls on the cliffs along the coast and flying over the volcano and seeing the lava. Our pilot had so much information about the history of the island and stories about the areas we were flying over. He made it a very enjoyable trip. The sunset part wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, we landed shortly before sunset. It was beautiful but not worth the excitement of a special sunset tour.
gertief320, Nov 2017 Verified
So glad we chose this flight as I think it's the only one that does a twilight flight over the island and volcano. Our pilot Darryl was excellent and provided relevant info without talking non stop. Great views of the whole island and volcano and Darryl was as excited as the rest of us when we saw lava. Good views from the plane and Darryl went to a lot of trouble to do a sweep of the highlights from both sides of the plane so that everyone got good views and photos. Saw volcanoes, lava flows, waterfalls, coastline, farms. Highly recommend this flight. We followed it up the next day with a trip with Scott from Volcano Van and the 2 experiences combined were highlights of our 3 weeks in Hawaii.
AlfieDoe83, Mar 2017 Verified
WOW! What a wonderful experience it was to be a part of Big Island Air’s VIP Tour. We were warmly greeted by their Representative Maile in the Kapalua Airport and had a safety briefing with our Pilot Darryl. Darryl was fantastic and gave us a great play-by-play commentary with so many amazing fun facts along the tour. We saw dozens of waterfalls, breathtaking views of valleys and the islands, and of course active LAVA. WOW! After our flight we touched down in Kona for a Pilot swap with Rex. He too was very knowledgeable about aircraft, the islands, and an outstanding pilot. He even reached out to receive permission to a rare a unique opportunity to fly over Haleakala!! In closing, if you really want to have a memorable experience, Big Island Air is the way to go. The staff carries a lot of pride in what they do and care about guest experience. Outstanding Big Island Air, you all should be very proud! Mahalo for the opportunity and experience!!
John K, Dec 2016 Verified
2 thumbs up to Captain Daryl and the team at Big Island Air. Grateful that they still honored the tour even though there was only 1 other passenger besides me and my mom. Even if it were a full group, every seat gets their own window - no middle seat problem as you would have in a helicopter. And when we reached the main attraction where the lava meets the ocean, Captain Daryl circled in close and tight making sure we got to see the show.
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Product code: C-6865SUNSETAIR
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