| Our 36th year ! ! HONOLULU SOARING is known by two other familiar names:
The Original GLIDER RIDES ® and Mr Bill’s Original GLIDER RIDES ®
We are Hawaii’s oldest and largest soaring operation, having been at Dillingham Airfield ‘Since 1970’. What a wonderful way to see the island, in our sleek high-performance aircraft, soaring the skies over northwest Oahu. Panoramic vistas unfold as your pilot guides you in this bubble-topped aircraft; on the wings of the wind with sights and sensations never experienced before. It’s thrilling, it’s serene; and it’s HAWAII !
A definite highlight of any trip to Oahu’s picturesque North Shore.
Your piloted Scenic glider Tour will start with flight along the lush Waianae Mountains with rugged cliffs, cattle and horse trails; panoramic views of Oahu’s world famous North Shore including Waimea Bay; a glimpse of the Satellite Tracking Station at Kaena Point, and colorful windsurfing sails off the beach at Mokuleia. Depending on the length-of-ride and weather conditions, you can see all of the North Shore and most of the interior of the island including Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and Honolulu to the South. A 20-minute flight can attain altitudes of 3,000 feet or more, and longer flights are available. Mother Nature sometimes has a say in where we can fly and how high we can get (because of cloud-cover and wind-conditions), but rides of up-to-an-hour are available. Seating is “cozy”, so we suggest that you initially make your plans for flights of 30 minutes or less; and then if conditions are favorable, decide on additional TIME-options when you arrive for your flight. (Maximum combined weight for 2-passengers is 350-pounds)
We offer specialized Add-on flight activities, too. Just in case some VARIETY and EXTRA-EXCITEMENT is appealing:
Aerobatic loop-d-loop Ride : You can spice up your scenic tour and include
7 - 10 minutes of aerial aerobatics. Complete with parachutes, you climb into the cockpit alongside an experienced aerobatic pilot and take a look at the world from a whole new perspective, up-side down ! You call the shots, mild or wild * and decide how many aerobatic maneuvers and what kind of ride you want . *available for single-passenger riders only; maximum passenger weight 220-pounds.
Eagle mini-lesson : [“Hands-on” Intro Flying Lesson ] Lets YOU do some of the flying !! This is an introductory flying lesson in conjunction with your scenic tour. Your intro flight-lesson* will be with an experienced FAA certified glider (sailplane) pilot, and you’ll be able to choose how much of the flying you’d like to do. You’ll be amazed at the ease of working the controls, and you’ll get an introduction to basic flying maneuvers *available for single-passenger riders only.
“Combo” soaring flight: Experience a real rush !! … sign up for both an Aerobatic Ride and Flying Lesson as part of your single-passenger piloted Scenic Tour !
In-flight video: Our two-camera VHS video taping system records your entire flight (including an inset picture-in-a-picture showing YOUR reactions to the sensations you are experiencing, and the panorama you are seeing); and the on-board microphone captures your comments, too. What a souvenir !!
Words to the wise :
For MOST people, especially if you have not been exposed to small-aircraft
flying, we recommend flights of 15, 20, or 30 minutes. Longer flights are
available, but sometimes a “slice”-of-life will give more enjoyment.
‘Longest’ is not necessarily ‘Best’.
Go with the guys who started it all over 36 years ago, because they'd never been anywhere so beautiful.
Our customers say we're in the Top 3 activities on the island. To view the complete survey, click here.
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