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I Love Kauai
Here are some things I really enjoyed on my…
Birds In Paradise
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- No
5 reviews for Birds In Paradise
Gerry rocks!
I just had to do this. A powered hang gliding trip around the island. I saw this and thought to myself "gimme some of this".
It's obvious Gerry, the owner, is a seasoned veteran with his micro-light. This was my first clue. I was waiting for the safety lecture. You know, don't do this, don't do that. When it was obvious no such lecture was going to take place, I prompted him. "What? No safety lecture?" His immediate response was "Yeah. Don't do anything stupid." And we were off. Within minutes, we were over Waimea. Pink Floyd was jammin' on the intercom. This was truly breath taking. We flew over sugar cane fields and Gerry came over the intercom. "Take the handles. I gotta take some pictures". So I got to zip around while he took photographs of property around the island. My one hour flight was worth every penny.
If you have sense of adventure and would like a memory that will last quite a long time, fly with Gerry. He is quite a character. I did this 5 years ago and I still show off my pix to my friends.
This was an AH-MA-zing experience and we'd highly recommend doing this for anyone visiting Kauai. Once in a lifetime (unless you do more) and forever memorable. Power hang gliding, like hang gliding but with a motor will get you higher than with just a mere glider and also provides more control so, essentially safer.
We took the one hour tour with the DVD picture package. Put us back ~$520 + tip ($50) for the pilots who seemed shocked and so thankful. Expensive but so worth it.
Notables - the trike took us over Waimea canyon and the Napali coast. Although you could argue you could see the same with a helicopter, you could never get as low as you could on a trike. And feeling the wind on your face and sometimes sprinkels from the more showery areas of the island was so incredible.
You almost have to separate the thrill of being as much alike a bird than you'll ever experience in your life from the experience of seeing such awesome sights because when you combine the 2, it's almost sensory overload and you will freak out. In a good way of course.
It's mean to be a lesson so the pilot will teach you how to control the wings and let you fly it yourself.
Better than drugs.
Awesome experience! Crew not that personable but when your in flight that really doesn't matter. Pay cash, its cheaper!
If you only do one thing on Kauai, this should be it. Powered hang-gliding is the best way to see Waimea Canyon. When I saw them flying overhead while I was on the ground at a scenic overlook, I knew I had to try it, and I was not disappointed.
It's a little pricey, but worth it for such a unique experience!
25-30 minutes .............$135
50-60 minutes ...........$215
80-90 minutes ...........$335
Photos .........................$30
FYI- They take off from Port Allen, not from the Kapaa address listed for the business. Also, bring cash--they charge an extra percentage and fuel or something if you pay by credit card.
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I'm sure it's a great adventure, but I never got to fly with the birds. About 3 weeks prior to our trip, we spoke to Gerry and reserved our spot. Gerry stated to call him the day before the flight and we did. Much to our disappointment, the receptionist told us Gerry was on vacation and did not have us booked. Yet, the receptionist was able to read off our credit card information. I heard the tour is great, but professionialism is not one of the strong points.
Specialties
Birds in Paradise instructs you on the basics of flying powered hang gliders - one of the safest aircraft flying today. No experience is necessary. An FAA-certified instructor gives you a hands-on lesson in trike flying while you soar over the most breathtaking landscape in the world. Since 1990, we have taken more than 18,000 people flying -- most of them are still grinning from ear to ear from the exhilarating experience.
Meet the Business Owner: Gerry C.
Gerry Charlebois is an FAA-certified Flight Instructor and an FAA-certified mechanic.
Gerry starting flying hang gliders in 1978. A year later he began teaching hang gliding on Oahu's north shore. Winning the Hawaii state hang gliding championship brought corporate sponsorship and Gerry went on to compete on the national and international hang gliding circuit.
Gerry founded Birds in Paradise on Kauai in 1990 offering tandem hang gliding. In 1993, Birds in Paradise began offering powered hang gliding and, since that time, Gerry has logged more than 17,000 hours operating ultralight trikes and sharing the experience with more than 18,000 Birds in Paradise clients.
Gerry began using wing-mounted cameras on his glider to shoot the stunning visuals in the 1980s. He is one of the most published sport-aviation photographers in the world with more than 60 magazine cover shots. In 1997, he was named photojournalist of the year by the U.S. Ultralight Association.