It had been a while, but since I had a good excuse to go spend a few days in Hawaii and the Big Island sounded like a good idea thanks to the recent lava flows. Unfortunately those lava flows stopped a few days before we arrived, so not very exciting pictures, but it was still a fun flight.
The only downside was the price of $500/h for C182+CFI, it's 60% more expensive than flying in CA, which is already not cheap.
I had to look up my last flight, it was in 2009: Flight Around Hawaii's Big Island
Here is the flight this time:
Anyway, I'm glad there was a single flight club left on the island with a single plane left able to take 3 people (C182):
![](/blogimg/07/thumb1024_107_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_101_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/63/thumb1024_363_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
I had to wait a bit before takeoff:
![](/blogimg/23/thumb1024_123_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![Kona is the main airport on the big island Kona is the main airport on the big island](/blogimg/24/thumb1024_124_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
Kona is the main airport on the big island
![finally taking off finally taking off](/blogimg/25/thumb1024_125_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
finally taking off
![](/blogimg/27/thumb1024_127_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/34/thumb1024_134_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![Kona has boats, snorkling and diving Kona has boats, snorkling and diving](/blogimg/38/thumb1024_138_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
Kona has boats, snorkling and diving
The full tour of the island takes time, even in a C182, it was 2.8H total. It was nice to see the stark contrast between the different sides of the island:
![my trusty copilot/CFI, who thankfully did all the radio and airspace work my trusty copilot/CFI, who thankfully did all the radio and airspace work](/blogimg/73/thumb1024_173_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
my trusty copilot/CFI, who thankfully did all the radio and airspace work
![even the kona side had older lava flows even the kona side had older lava flows](/blogimg/42/thumb1024_142_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
even the kona side had older lava flows
![](/blogimg/45/thumb1024_145_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![beautiful waters too beautiful waters too](/blogimg/46/thumb1024_146_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
beautiful waters too
![more lava flow more lava flow](/blogimg/52/thumb1024_152_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
more lava flow
![](/blogimg/59/thumb1024_159_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![stark altitude contrast stark altitude contrast](/blogimg/63/thumb1024_163_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
stark altitude contrast
![south tip of the island south tip of the island](/blogimg/65/thumb1024_165_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
south tip of the island
After a while, we finally arrived to volcano national park:
![](/blogimg/80/thumb1024_180_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![crater road used to go around, but the volcano grew and took the road away crater road used to go around, but the volcano grew and took the road away](/blogimg/86/thumb1024_186_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
crater road used to go around, but the volcano grew and took the road away
![Jagger Museum is now closed because it's now on the edge of the crater and was damaged by earthquake Jagger Museum is now closed because it's now on the edge of the crater and was damaged by earthquake](/blogimg/96/thumb1024_196_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
Jagger Museum is now closed because it's now on the edge of the crater and was damaged by earthquake
![](/blogimg/11/thumb1024_211_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
After a few loops, down chasins of crater road:
![](/blogimg/19/thumb1024_219_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/22/thumb1024_222_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/24/thumb1024_224_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/25/thumb1024_225_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/32/thumb1024_232_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/33/thumb1024_233_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/37/thumb1024_237_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/41/thumb1024_241_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![cool road to nowhere (after lava flow) cool road to nowhere (after lava flow)](/blogimg/59/thumb1024_259_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
cool road to nowhere (after lava flow)
After that, got to Hilo and did the rest of the island loop:
![](/blogimg/61/thumb1024_261_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/67/thumb1024_267_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![lots of bridges lots of bridges](/blogimg/69/thumb1024_269_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
lots of bridges
![](/blogimg/71/thumb1024_271_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![many waterfalls many waterfalls](/blogimg/80/thumb1024_280_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
many waterfalls
![Waipo valley Waipo valley](/blogimg/90/thumb1024_290_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
Waipo valley
![](/blogimg/93/thumb1024_293_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/02/thumb1024_302_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_304_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/10/thumb1024_310_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/16/thumb1024_316_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/25/thumb1024_325_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/26/thumb1024_326_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/28/thumb1024_328_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/30/thumb1024_330_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/35/thumb1024_335_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/45/thumb1024_345_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
![](/blogimg/50/thumb1024_350_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
And finally back to Kona airport after 2.8h, also clearly built on top of a lava flow:
![](/blogimg/58/thumb1024_358_20221214_Kona_Flight.jpg)
Not cheap, but it was fun to do this flight again after 13 years ;)