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Great trip report, Chris! I've flown Cessna's around Oahu and Maui and had a great time. Going with instructors is quite useful. They handle the radios and the airplane when I want to take a picture. They also play the role of tour guides pointing out local features.

I also circled Kauai in a Cessna, but only as a passenger since there were no rental options there.

Circling Maui and Oahu both took only 1.6 hours. I had planned to circle Hawaii until I realized that it would take much longer! I'll be returning to Hawaii island next year and will plan on flying their DA-20. How long did your flight last?

davidw wrote:How long did your flight last?

We logged 2.4 hours flying around the island in the C182. It seemed to go by quickly since there's almost always something interesting down below to grab your attention.

Hawaii is a great place to fly. About 25 years ago, I rented a Cherokee 140 to fly from Barbers Point over to the Big Island to watch the volcano erupt. For the check ride, the instructior had me fly from Pali Pass down towards Pearl Harbor (the same route that the Japanese took on Dec 7th). I could imagine what it looked like back then by mentally blocking out the high rise buildings of Honolulu. We did a couple of touch-and-gos on Ford Island - I could see the Battleship Arizona outline under the water.

It was quite an experience.

Steve