The Return of "The Chopper"

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ThomasMagnum · #46 Post by **ThomasMagnum** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 11:40 pm

The video is working again

Danno · #47 Post by **Danno** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 6:01 am

Aloha from Turtle Bay Resort!

We flew on "The Chopper" this afternoon. Already was pretty excited but it's much more of an adrenaline experience than I'd expected.

My wife was glad we didn't go 'doors off'. The 500D is small and if you sit on the side, you're RIGHT ON THE EDGE... as you bank around you're looking right down... over 1000 feet. The guys in the back seats freaked out. Nothing but seat straps holding you in as you zoom through Kualoa Valley. Totally brilliant.

Pilot Bob gives you a wonderful commentary as you fly over the coast of Oahu, over mountains, Pearl Harbor... through rain and clouds.
The only downside is that it's the fastest 40 minutes ever and you're back on the ground all too soon...

Steve · #48 Post by **Steve** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:52 am

Very nice (love the shoes). Do they go over to the other side of the Island and over The Estate?

Kevster · #49 Post by **Kevster** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 1:24 pm

Very cool!!!! Glad to see somebody got to do that!!

308GUY · #50 Post by **308GUY** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 2:08 pm

Congrats on being able to do what I'd guess the majority of the rest of us only dream about doing!

Thanks for posting the pictures, wouldn't mind seeing any/all that you have from your trip. Should you have the inclination and find the time, a write up about your adventures would also be welcome, at least by me.

#51 Post by **ConchRepublican** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 2:38 pm

Way to go Danno!!!

This may be the only way to get me up in a helo. I just don't trust those things . . .

#52 Post by **Styles Bitchley** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 3:03 pm

Danno wrote:Aloha from Turtle Bay Resort!

We flew on "The Chopper" this afternoon. Already was pretty excited but it's much more of an adrenaline experience than I'd expected.

My wife was glad we didn't go 'doors off'. The 500D is small and if you sit on the side, you're RIGHT ON THE EDGE... as you bank around you're looking right down... over 1000 feet. The guys in the back seats freaked out. Nothing but seat straps holding you in as you zoom through Kualoa Valley. Totally brilliant.

Pilot Bob gives you a wonderful commentary as you fly over the coast of Oahu, over mountains, Pearl Harbor... through rain and clouds.
The only downside is that it's the fastest 40 minutes ever and you're back on the ground all too soon...

So totally awesome. I'm absolutely doing this next time I'm over. Thanks for sharing Dan!

KENJI · #53 Post by **KENJI** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 5:20 pm

Way to go Dan! One of the first to fly in the Chopper must've been a real treat.
Did the pilot chime in some Magnum intro music when taking off?
This flight is on the bucket list for sure!

Danno · #54 Post by **Danno** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 10:31 pm

I made a joke about gas money but no one knew what I was talking about

I don't know if they go over the Estate. You'd have to check their website for the flight options there.
We did the 'Best Of Oahu' and we didn't go much further down the east coast than Chinaman's Hat.

The day before the flight we were swimming at the Estate's tidal pool, so it's been a fairly Magnum-inspired few days.

ThomasMagnum · #55 Post by **ThomasMagnum** » Thu Jul 04, 2013 9:38 pm

http://www.staradvertiser.com/multimedi ... opper.html

danmerica2254 · #56 Post by **danmerica2254** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 5:45 am

This ship was on location at the Heli Expo in Las Vegas earlier this year, me and a few of my co-workers were allowed to get an up close viewing. Our company manufactured the doors and windshields for this ship. Kinda cool to see it in person.

Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:11 am

danmerica2254 wrote:This ship was on location at the Heli Expo in Las Vegas earlier this year, me and a few of my co-workers were allowed to get an up close viewing. Our company manufactured the doors and windshields for this ship. Kinda cool to see it in person.

By "ship," I assume you're referring to the helicopter? Must be industry-speak, I guess? Are these retrofitted doors/windshields or is it a new machine? Sorry if that's a dumb question.

danmerica2254 · #58 Post by **danmerica2254** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 2:54 pm

Yes ship is the term used in the aviation field. This ship used for the T.C build is just a standard MD 500 with a nice paint job. There are not many changes structurally from year to year on these things. If there is a new change then there is a new model. It's not like the auto ind. where a door that fits a 2013 camero won't fit a 1985 camero.

ThomasMagnum · #59 Post by **ThomasMagnum** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:34 pm

http://player.vimeo.com/video/70899934?autoplay=1

golfmobile · #60 Post by **golfmobile** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 2:17 am

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm SO envious! We're going to Maui the first week of September and I've scheduled a "doors off" flight (having done this twice on the Big Island with Mauna Loa Helicopters in a Robinson 22 that I was able to "pilot" for about 15 minutes -- whoo-ooo!!) with Alex Air (but I'll be only a passenger, HOPEFULLY in the right front seat!!!) on their MD500 with similar (but not exactly Island Hoppers) colors,

http://www.helitour.com/tours.html#doors_off_anchor

and this makes me want to spend the extra $1,000 to take a quick Hawaiian Air flight over to Oahu, rent a car, drive to Turtle Bay, and take this flight. A little disappointing that they don't go southeast enough to at least fly over the Anderson Estate and the Makai pier (the way the private small airplane flights will do)

http://www.pbase.com/goislands/2002_10_01_flight_mpi

but still, to be in THAT heli at all . . . . .

At least someone on this forum was able to do it AND post a video of it (WELL DONE and LOVE the soundtrack, of course!!!). I hope to see a lot more from other folks who do it.

Other than being "in situ" at the beach and the tidal pool at the estate (which was mind-boggling for us mainlander fans), this must be the closest to Magnum PI heaven one can get to . . . .

I'm working on talking Larry into doing this. Wonder how many . . . (never mind, won't go there in a public post)

(Are there too many parentheses in this post?)

golf

P.S. From what I could find on the website for this flight, it's about $200 per person to take a flight on this heli. That's not out of line, from what is available in Hawaii, for a helicopter flight around the islands.

The Return of "The Chopper"

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