The MD500D model used by Magnum Helicopters is the same aircraft that appeared in the original Magnum P.I. series with Tom Selleck and the recent Magnum P.I. reboot. The helicopters are painted in the iconic red and white scheme from the show.
At a glance
Length
3 min
Channel
AOPA: Your Freedom to Fly
Video from
Jun 2023
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Travelers wanting an immersive, doors-off aerial tour of Oahu with TV show heritage
What this video answers
Why are these helicopters famous?
What does "doors-off" mean, and is it safe?
How many flights does Magnum Helicopters operate per day?
What kind of pilots fly these tours?
Can I book through my hotel?
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Overview of Magnum Helicopters' Doors-Off Tours in Oahu
Magnum Helicopters offers helicopter tours around Oahu with a unique twist: you can fly with the doors off, giving you an unobstructed aerial view of Hawaii's landscape. Based at Honolulu Airport, the company operates the same MD500D helicopters featured in the original Magnum P.I. television series and its recent reboot, plus the Hawaii Five-0 productions. Chief Pilot Douglas Froning walks viewers through what to expect on these tours, explaining the aircraft, the pilot experience, and how the company structures its operations to prioritize both safety and customer comfort.
This experience suits adventure-seekers who want an immersive way to see Oahu from above—whether you're a fan of the classic TV shows or simply want a thrilling aerial perspective that ground-level tours can't match. The doors-off format appeals to photographers, adrenaline enthusiasts, and travelers willing to step outside their comfort zone for a memorable story.
Key Moments
What You'll Experience on a Magnum Helicopters Tour
Flying in the iconic red and white MD500D helicopter painted in the original Magnum P.I. scheme
Doors-off aerial views of Oahu's landscape with unobstructed sightlines for photography and viewing
Access to one of three available helicopters—whichever is operational on your booking date
A pace of no more than five flights per aircraft per day, allowing pilots adequate breaks and customers a less rushed experience
The same aircraft used in current Magnum P.I. reboots and Hawaii Five-0 filming
Practical Details Before You Book Your Doors-Off Flight
Book through the Magnum Helicopters website (magnumhelicopters.com), by phone at their office, via Google search, or through activity desks at most Waikiki hotels
The company deliberately limits operations to a maximum of five flights per aircraft per day, giving pilots breaks and ensuring customers don't feel rushed through the experience
Three MD500D helicopters are available; you'll be assigned whichever aircraft is in service on your tour date
Flights operate from Honolulu Airport; hotel activity desks can arrange bookings if you're staying in Waikiki
Pilot experience at Magnum Helicopters typically requires a commercial license (FAA minimum 500 hours) plus additional screening—most pilots have at least 1,000 hours and many come from flight instruction backgrounds
Frequently Asked Questions About Magnum Helicopters Tours
Why are these helicopters famous?
The MD500D model used by Magnum Helicopters is the same aircraft that appeared in the original Magnum P.I. series with Tom Selleck and the recent Magnum P.I. reboot. The helicopters are painted in the iconic red and white scheme from the show. The company also provided aircraft for Hawaii Five-0 filming, which helped drive interest among mainland visitors who recognize them from television.
What does "doors-off" mean, and is it safe?
Doors-off means the helicopter's passenger doors are removed during flight, giving you an unobstructed 360-degree view and unblocked camera sightlines. The video emphasizes that the company prioritizes safety through experienced pilots—most with 1,000+ flight hours—and by limiting daily operations to five flights per aircraft so pilots remain fresh and attentive.
How many flights does Magnum Helicopters operate per day?
The company deliberately caps operations at no more than five flights per aircraft per pilot per day. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, they flew seven flights daily, but they intentionally scaled back to give pilots breaks between flights and to provide customers with a less assembly-line experience.
What kind of pilots fly these tours?
Magnum Helicopters hires commercial pilots with at least 500 hours of flight time (FAA minimum), though they prefer 1,000+ hours. Many pilots come from flight instruction backgrounds. The company attracts two main groups: younger instructors building turbine flight hours to advance to emergency medical services or utility work, and older pilots fulfilling a retirement dream to fly tours in Hawaii.
Can I book through my hotel?
Yes. If you're staying at a hotel in Waikiki, most activity desks there know about Magnum Helicopters and can book your tour directly. You can also visit magnumhelicopters.com, call their office, or search for them on Google.
A helicopter tour configuration where passenger doors are removed during flight to provide unobstructed aerial views and clear camera angles.
MD500D
A light-duty helicopter model capable of carrying small groups; the specific aircraft type used by Magnum Helicopters and featured in Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-0 productions.
Commercial pilot license
An aviation certification that permits a pilot to be paid to fly aircraft, with a Federal Aviation Administration requirement of at least 500 flight hours.
Turbine
The jet-engine type that powers most modern helicopters, as opposed to piston engines; pilots often refer to helicopter flight hours as "turbine time."
The video is genuinely helpful if you're weighing whether a doors-off helicopter tour is for you. Froning speaks candidly about operations, safety, and the reasoning behind limiting daily flights, which builds real confidence rather than hard-selling the experience. He also explains the TV connection in a relaxed way that shows how the aircraft became iconic without making the tour feel gimmicky.
What stands out most is the detail about capping operations at five flights per day—it's a concrete example of how this company prioritizes quality over volume, and that operational philosophy matters more than flashy marketing. If you're serious about a high-quality aerial tour with unobstructed views and experienced pilots, this is worth booking well in advance.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
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AOPA
Magnum Helicopters Chief Pilot Douglas Froning talks about the thrill of flying in Hawaii and the breathtaking sights you can expect to see on a Magnum Helicopters tour. The company uses the same helicopters featured in Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I.
https://magnumhelicopters.com/
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Video transcript for “Magnum Helicopters – A doors-off aerial experience of Oahu” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
we're here at Honolulu airport I'm standing in front of an md500d model painted up in the Magnum helicopter scheme you might recognize from the old Magnum PI TV show and we offer doors off tours of the island of Oahu aopa keeps flying safe accessible and fun by protecting your freedom to fly we are
the most trusted One-Stop resource for all things related to general aviation become an aopa pilot today fa minimums are 500 hours for commercial pilot we try to look for guys with at least a thousand hours and primarily I've been looking for former cfis as myself I came up as a CFI and I know
from personal experience I've learned a lot being a flight instructor a lot of Pilots we get will fit into generally one or two categories one they're kind of fresh out of Flight School working as a flight instructor they built up that time and this is their first turbine job so they're trying to build up some time
to move along to later EMS or utility work and the other set of Pilots we get are guys a little older who are looking to hit their dream was I want to fly tours in Hawaii I want to retire fly around in Hawaii so we get that kind of mix right there we used to fly a lot more we were flying seven flights a day
before covet hit and now we've actually dialed it back slowed down the pace of our operations so we don't do any more than five flights today for an aircraft per pilot that allows the pilot to get a break in between every flight and also as works better for the customers so they don't feel like their cattle
getting to shoved through an assembly line and I think it works out a better experience for everybody before we did these doors off tours and these style helicopters we were just using a stars with the doors on at that time we were working with CBS on Hawaii 5-0 they were filming out here in Hawaii we had a good
relationship with them and the rumors were starting to fly around that they were going to reboot Magnum PI and so the owner had this great idea well what if I get one of those old helicopters like in the original Magna Pi show and he bought one got a painted the same paint Scheme from the show which was
actually a factory paint Scheme back in the day so that wasn't copyrighted at all so bought the helicopter and just kind of planted the bug in the year of the CBS producers hey I hear you rebooting look what I got and it all kind of worked out they rebooted the show they called us said
hey we want to use the helicopter in the show and we were off and running so now we can offer the tours in the same aircraft now we got three of them they picked us up you can see the aircraft in the show on Magnum PI mainos different tail numbers from time to time this we try to send them whichever one we have
available and we've gotten a lot of interest from customers coming in from the mainland who love the show they love the new show or they love the original Show with Tom Selleck but yeah it's worked out really good for us I'll fill in when a pilot is not feeling so well or on vacation I'll jump in the cockpit
and do a few tours myself still love it I love anytime I can get up and fly around Hawaii here I'll get all kinds of options if you want to fly with us you can go right to our website www.magnapelicopters.com or you can call our office you can find us on Google of course and then if you're in a hotel in
Waikiki you can go to the activities tests most of them know about us and they'll book right through them [Music]
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