LIHU‘E — Three couples from Seattle were the first to see Manawaiopuna Falls via Island Helicopters’ new landing tour, according to a press release from the tour company. Owner Curt Lofstedt was the pilot for the special event on May
LIHU‘E — Three couples from Seattle were the first to see Manawaiopuna Falls via Island Helicopters’ new landing tour, according to a press release from the tour company.
Owner Curt Lofstedt was the pilot for the special event on May 20.
“After 5 1/2 years of preparation, studies and an environmental impact assessment, our permit by the County Planning Commission allows Island Helicopters to take a limited number of flights, five days per week, into this famous and beautiful waterfall,” Lofstedt said in the release.
Manawaiopuna Falls was featured in “Jurassic Park,” which was filmed on Kaua‘i in the 1990s.
“This is a fabulous addition to our Deluxe, Circle Island ‘Grand Tour,’” Lofstedt said. “Standing below the nearly 400-foot magnificent waterfall and feeling its mist and power is unbelievable.”
The Planning Commission’s March decision to approve of the landings, which take place on private land owned by the Robinson family, was opposed by some local residents with concerns about how the increased helicopter traffic might impact humans as well as native flora and fauna.
For more information on visiting the site, visit www.islandhelicopters.com or call 245-8588.
