Story ID: 
Say ‘Aloha’ to Hawaii by Helicopter
By: Bill Wagstaff
Caption: Heli-USA has taken a break from the usual Hawaiian air-tour repertoire of overflying thick jungles, pristine tropical rainforests, volcanoes surging with l
Word Count: 199
Heli-USA has taken a break from the usual Hawaiian air-tour repertoire of overflying thick jungles, pristine tropical rainforests, volcanoes surging with liquid magma and plunging sliver waterfalls. Instead it is offering tourists the alternative of seeing the 50th state’s glittering nightlife from the same unique perspective. Operating a fleet of Eurocopter AS 350 AStars, Heli-USA has been doing what it can to buck the downward trend of tourism worldwide with more creative air tours than previously offered. Aboard rotorcraft painted with a stylized portrait of Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess, and surrounded by soothing Hawaiian music, tourists cruise along Waikiki Beach past the famous Royal Hawaiian Hotel (famed as an ultra-plush R&R center for American submariners during World War II). The white sand, palm trees and surf contrast sharply against Diamond Head in the distance. The return flight crosses over the exclusive Kahala district, Pearl Harbor and downtown Honolulu. Disembarking from the helicopter, guests then dine (those who are not left too queasy by what is for many the tummy-tumbling experience of their first helicopter ride) at a nearby luxury restaurant. Heli-USA also operates air-tour fleets at and near the Grand Canyon, and throughout the Hawaiian Islands.