Yes. The video emphasizes that you are strapped in and secured very well throughout the entire flight, and the pilot's expertise makes the experience feel safe despite the open-air sensation. Magnum Helicopters' strong reviews also reflect their safety record.
At a glance
Length
4 min
Channel
John & Amber
Video from
Jul 2021
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Travelers planning an O'ahu helicopter tour who want honest logistics and cost breakdowns.
What this video answers
Is it safe to fly with the doors off?
Should I bring a camera or use my phone?
What's the best time of day to book?
Will I be cold or uncomfortable at altitude?
Can I see everything in 50 minutes?
Reads the guide aloud in your browser — free, no account.
What to Expect on a 50-Minute Doors-Off Helicopter Tour of O'ahu
This helicopter tour review captures a half-hour scenic flight around O'ahu's most iconic landmarks, flown from Magnum Helicopters with the doors completely removed for unobstructed photography and sightseeing. The tour begins in Waikiki, circles Diamond Head, passes over movie-filming locations like Kualoa Ranch (famous for Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates), and takes you to viewpoints most hikers can never reach—including Sacred Falls, which is now illegal to visit on foot due to danger.
This experience suits adventure travelers, anniversary celebrants, photography enthusiasts, and anyone wanting a complete aerial overview of O'ahu in a single morning. The doors-off format gives you the kind of clear, close-up views that interior-door helicopters simply cannot match, and the 50-minute duration is long enough to see the full island without exhausting your budget or schedule. Early-morning bookings (like the 9 a.m. slot in the video) also mean clearer skies and better light for photos.
Key Moments
Key Sights You'll See on This O'ahu Helicopter Route
Waikiki's bustling coastline and the busy tourist hub of the island
Diamond Head crater, visible from above as a dramatic volcanic landmark
Coco Head crater with its famous 1,048-step railway trail
Kualoa Ranch, the jungle backdrop used in major Hollywood films
Sacred Falls—a massive, rarely-seen waterfall accessible only by air
Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, viewed from the sky
Practical Details Before You Book Your Flight
Duration & timing: 50 minutes total; the video crew booked a 9 a.m. departure the day after arriving and enjoyed excellent weather and clear visibility
Transportation: Magnum Helicopters provides a complimentary shuttle from your hotel, though you can drive yourself; either way, you'll watch a safety video beforehand
What to wear: Jackets are recommended but may be unnecessary—long sleeves are sufficient even though the sun feels warm at altitude; pack light since luggage space is limited
Hair & accessories: Braid or tie back long hair to keep it out of your face and camera; bring only one recording device per person and ensure it has a wrist or neck strap (phones must go in a clear pouch, which may reduce photo quality)
Seating & views: Front seats are snug but offer the best camera angles; back seats still provide excellent side views, and the pilot circles landmarks to ensure everyone sees them
Cost & booking: The video crew paid $371 for two people using a Groupon discount (20% off) plus cashback rewards, bringing the effective price down significantly
Frequently Asked Questions About This O'ahu Doors-Off Experience
Is it safe to fly with the doors off?
Yes. The video emphasizes that you are strapped in and secured very well throughout the entire flight, and the pilot's expertise makes the experience feel safe despite the open-air sensation. Magnum Helicopters' strong reviews also reflect their safety record.
Should I bring a camera or use my phone?
A dedicated camera is ideal because phones must be placed in a clear protective pouch, which can affect photo and video quality. Any recording device must have a wrist or neck strap to prevent it from falling during flight.
What's the best time of day to book?
Early morning (like the 9 a.m. departure shown in the video) provides the clearest skies, best light for photography, and the chance to use your afternoon for other activities. Booking early in your trip also gives you an aerial overview before exploring the island on foot.
Will I be cold or uncomfortable at altitude?
The temperature does drop slightly at altitude, but Hawaii's warmth means a long-sleeve shirt is usually sufficient, despite Magnum's recommendation for jackets. The sun shines directly on you during the flight, so you may actually feel warmer than expected.
Can I see everything in 50 minutes?
Yes—the video shows that you'll cover all the major landmarks and get a complete aerial view of the island, from Waikiki to Pearl Harbor, in the 50-minute window. This is enough time to see the famous sights without rushing.
A scenic flight where the aircraft doors are removed entirely, allowing unobstructed 360-degree views and photography without glass reflection or barriers.
Sacred Falls
A large waterfall on O'ahu that is now illegal to hike to due to landslide danger, making it accessible only by helicopter.
Kualoa Ranch
A historic O'ahu property and film location that has been used as the backdrop for movies including Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates.
Cashback rewards
A service that refunds a percentage of your purchase price when you shop through an affiliate portal like Rakuten.
This video is genuinely helpful because it walks you through every practical detail: what to wear, how transportation works, what the safety video covers, seating options, and the actual route you'll fly. The creators also share their exact booking strategy and final cost, which removes the guesswork when budgeting for your own trip.
What stands out most is their honest assessment of the doors-off experience—they confirm it's worth the choice for photography and views, explain the quirks of seating position, and give real advice about long hair and recording devices. If you're serious about booking a doors-off helicopter tour of O'ahu, this video gives you the information you need to decide and book with confidence.
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.
We went on a 50 min doors off helicopter tour of the island of O'ahu to celebrate our 3 year anniversary in September 2019. We LOVED that there were no doors to have a clear view of the beautiful sights. We were so happy with our experience from Magnum Helicopters and highly recommend it.
Click the link below to receive cashback, once you join Rakuten and make eligible purchases.
https://www.rakuten.com/r/AMBERN2240?eeid=28187
Music: We Could Reach by Freedom Trail Studio
Thank you for watching! :)
Video transcript for “O'ahu Helicopter Tour No Doors! // Magnum Helicopter Doors Off Experience in Hawaii” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
[Music] after a lot of time spent researching which company to go with i decided on magnum helicopters because of their amazing reviews the 50-minute doors off experience and the price before your trip they'll send you some information on what to wear and what to bring we booked this for the day after we
arrived at nine in the morning and it turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day the company sends a shuttle to pick you up and on the drive to the airport you watch a safety video if you'd like to drive yourself you are welcome to do that as well and you'll watch the safety video in their office
once you arrive they recommended wearing jackets so that's what we did but i think we would have been just fine wearing a long sleeve shirt because although the temperature did drop a little it still felt a little too warm with the sun shining directly on you and since you're in hawaii where it's
always warm bringing the jacket just took unnecessary space in our luggage so you'll start off in waikiki area and see the busiest part of oahu and the beautiful coastline following that is diamond head crater
which is an easy hike with stunning views we talked more about that in our oahu video if you want to check that out if you have long hair you'll want to braid it or put it up in a bun so your hair isn't fine everywhere because it does get quite windy [Music] here you can see coco head crater on the
left which has 1048 railway steps on the trail to the top and here is kualoa ranch which is the backdrop for many movies including jurassic park and 50 first dates you are only able to have one recording device per person and it needs to have a wrist or a neck strap if there is no strap you won't be
able to take it on i'd recommend using an actual camera because if you bring a cell phone to record you are required to put the phone in a clear pouch with a wrist strap and that may affect the quality of the photos and videos you take the doors off experience is truly the way to go you are strapped in and
secured very well so you feel safe throughout the whole trip my husband and i were placed up front it's a little cramped being in the middle and not as easy to get a clear shot with a camera so thankfully john was able to capture most of the video there's also two seats in the back and
if you're in those seats you'll still have an incredible view on the side even though you don't get a full frontal view and the pilot will circle around to make sure everyone is able to see certain landmarks there is a lot of lush landscape in this area but please be careful if you attempt
to hike on these ridges as they can be very dangerous here you can see sacred falls which is a huge and incredible waterfall you are only able to see this by helicopter as it is now illegal to hike there due to it being so dangerous we had such a fun time exploring the island this way and we highly recommend
it we're glad we went early on so we could get an overview of the entire island our pilot was evan and he was awesome it was a little hard to hear him with audio say but he gives you details about what you're seeing as you pass by each lane mark here is the coffee farm and the dole
plantation which you should go to just for their dole whip which is delicious i booked with groupon and used a 20 off promo code and i received 20 cashback as well by activating racketing so the total came out to 371 dollars for the both of us if you'd like to try racketing click the
link below and you'll get 10 after you join and make your first purchase this white ball is a radar dome to detect missiles and here is pearl harbor and the uss arizona memorial we had a blast and if you're considering a helicopter tour definitely go for it you will not regret it
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