Oahu Pearl Harbor Helicopter Tour Review: Is it Worth It?

Thinking about seeing Pearl Harbor from up high? Very cool, you’re eyeing a helicopter tour. That is, a memorable and definitely unique way to witness a deeply significant historic site. But is a helicopter trip really the right call for seeing Pearl Harbor? Is it truly the best experience? So, too, let’s find out what you can expect, if it offers decent value for the cost, and also, of course, some helpful tips so your trip is the best it can be.

What to Expect on Your Pearl Harbor Helicopter Adventure

Okay, picture this: you’re soaring above Oahu, and right away you see the expansive views open up. Pearl Harbor unfolds below, and in some respects, it’s a moving spectacle when viewed from a bird’s-eye view. The sunken USS Arizona Memorial becomes apparent, seemingly a somber reminder of that day that still lives in infamy. You get to see the outline of the ship resting below. The USS Missouri, known as “Mighty Mo,” then stands majestically nearby, actually marking the location where World War II finally ended. During this helicopter ride, you get incredible vantage points and views. It’s also very different than experiencing the memorial on foot. It’s almost a way to see it all in context. Also, by the way, the narration, often provided by your pilot, frequently adds an extra dimension to what you’re seeing.

Often the helicopters are what you would probably consider comfortable, typically with large windows meant to give you, like your own, unobstructed views. Anyway, these flights will vary in length, yet usually they run about 45 minutes to an hour, allowing for some, that is, a pretty good overview of the harbor and neighboring landmarks.

Just a little, what I’d consider preparation is worth your while. So, too, checking the route in advance. Doing that lets you prepare for the notable sights you want to look at more closely. The flights tend to be smooth, however that said, turbulence can sometimes occur. Keeping this in mind can assist manage your expectations if there are any changes during your trip. Another good idea is to wear darker clothing in order to reduce reflection in the photos. I’m sure you’ll want to take photos.

Pearl Harbor from Above: Key Sights and Perspectives

So, during the flight, there are important sights to definitely keep an eye out for. First, obviously, the USS Arizona Memorial is just a must-see. Anyway, viewing it from above does allow a really distinct way to understand its position and magnitude inside Pearl Harbor. You often find the visuals more striking. Seeing the ghostly outline of the ship resting beneath the waves, like your own, gives you some very serious, somber thoughts.

And then you have the Battleship Missouri, and seemingly that provides you, like your own, a historic contrast. That, it’s where the surrender documents were signed, concluding World War II. From above, you truly start to value its scale. Likewise, the nearby Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum displays several planes that’re likely really important. If that’s the case, seeing all that collection lined up provides you more perspective concerning the events which took place in 1941. Basically, too, beyond these landmarks, you could see Honolulu and the coastlines, and typically that gives you a beautiful background, mixing both natural landscapes along with locations filled with significant history.

Is the Helicopter Tour Worth the Investment? A Cost-Benefit Examination

Alright, that main question now: is the money being spent truly worth the trip? A Pearl Harbor helicopter trip often comes at a higher selling price than the usual ground trips, and it could be priced anywhere between $200 and $400+ per person. Still, you truly gain a perspective, like your own, which standard ground trips often can’t give. So, for anyone searching for an incredibly memorable and distinctive way to grasp Pearl Harbor’s vastness and significance, that airborne trip will, actually, possibly be well worth the additional cost.

To be honest, so you can easily figure out whether it’s actually worthwhile, ask yourself exactly what matters to you. Do you value getting total, all-around views and capturing photos? Or are you fine having something more focused and economical? Also, if you plan properly, maybe you are going during a less occupied time and you will find discounts. Very, for any person enthusiastic about planes, military history or awesome experiences, a helicopter trip over Pearl Harbor provides you just an incomparable experience.

Tips for Booking and Getting the Most Out of Your Helicopter Tour

Planning to take off on that helicopter trip? So, too, there are several things you might like to have in mind in order to get an amazing experience. First, try reserving your place beforehand. Especially if you want to visit during vacation seasons, these excursions can often be reserved rather quickly. To make it easier on yourself, so find excursions giving you clear instructions of what you are going to see, flight periods, or cancellation coverage.

Usually, so getting to your tour space earlier will prove very useful, especially during peak periods. Okay, arrive around one hour before to accommodate registration, safeness briefings, and maybe pre-flight preparations. I’m sure you’ll want to question the operators with regards to photography limitations, what baggage you could bring on the helicopter, and perhaps the kind of apparel you might want to think about. Layers, you know, assist you cope when temperatures tend to fluctuate in the air.

For taking the ideal snapshots while taking flight, think about wearing darker shirts in order to minimize sun’s glare around the cabin windows. In any case, using camera lenses which reduce glare truly assists in reducing external distortions ruining shots of this wonderful destination. And don’t rush when you’re inside – consider experiencing all-encompassing viewpoints, really absorbing that importance of the past that way beneath.

Alternative Ways to Experience Pearl Harbor

Just a little, while the helicopter trip has a number of points that might appeal to someone, so there’s even other ways to experience Pearl Harbor based on how you like doing things. Usually, for just a lot less, there’s ground-level excursions that will allow seeing historic locations. That is, places similar to the USS Arizona Memorial are accessible using ferry rides run by the National Park Service, yet that could involve lengthy lines as a result of needing advanced online reservations. Very different trips could be the USS Missouri as well as the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and actually each providing deep explorations towards maritime historical past.

On the other hand, walking tours tend to be less formal, offering information as you pass famous landmarks together. Sometimes one of the ups of choosing guided tours are things such as experiencing educational anecdotes, getting time that one needs when looking into all of these exhibits intently, with chances intended for individual study built alongside each and every area looked at in these organized events.

Okay, there are other activities located at Oahu which improve knowledge of Pacific battles and American wartime efforts; So, too, go visit locations such as the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery if honoring military participants seems more compelling for any kind of traveler visiting during these occasions.