The Golden Rule: Wear Black
If you take only one piece of advice from this website, let it be this: Wear a solid black or dark-colored top.
The Physics of Reflection
Helicopter windows are made of plexiglass. They curve. If you wear a white t-shirt, the sun will hit your shirt, reflect off the curved window, and create a giant white ghost haze in every single photo you (and the person sitting across from you) take.
- Best: Black, Navy Blue, Dark Grey.
- Worst: White, Yellow, Pink, Prints/Patterns.
Pro Tip: This applies to your legs too. If you are wearing light khaki shorts, cover them with a black towel or jacket if you want professional-grade photos.
Temperature Control
Kauai is tropical, but altitude is cold.
- Doors On: The cabin is climate-controlled (AC), but it can still be chilly near the vents. A light long-sleeve layer is recommended.
- Doors Off: It is windy and cold. You are flying at 100mph at 2,000 feet. The temperature can drop 15-20°F from sea level.
- Mandatory: Windbreaker or tight-woven jacket.
- Mandatory: Hair tie (for long hair). If you don’t tie it back, it will whip you in the face for 60 minutes.
- Recommended: Pants (jeans/leggings) rather than shorts.
Footwear
- Doors Off: No flip-flops or slide sandals. Shoes must have a heel strap or be laced. If a shoe falls off, it becomes a projectile that could damage the tail rotor.
- Doors On: Flip-flops are generally allowed, but sneakers are safer for walking around the helipad.
What NOT to Bring (The “No Fly” List)
Operators are strict about weight and safety (FOD - Foreign Object Debris).
- Hats: No baseball caps or visors (especially Doors Off). They will fly out locally.
- Selfie Sticks: Strictly forbidden. They can interfere with flight controls.
- Large Bags/Purses: Leave them in your rental car or the operator’s lockers. You can usually only bring your phone and a camera.
- Tablets (iPads): massive glare sources. Most operators ban them because they block the view for other passengers.
- Drones: Obviously not.
Photography Gear List
- Camera: DSLR/Mirrorless with a strap (neck strap is mandatory for Doors Off).
- Lens: A wide-angle zoom (e.g., 24-70mm or 16-35mm). Do not bring a long telephoto (200mm+); the vibration makes it useless.
- Phone: Must have a wrist tether (operators often sell these for $5 if you don’t have one).
- Settings: Shutter speed priority (Tv). Set to at least 1/1000th sec to freeze the motion and counteract vibration.