Hawai‘i Island Airports and Airlines

• main information source: Hawai‘i Airports at the State Department of Transportation
• the state airport division, Hawai‘i district, manages 4 airports on the island
  • Hilo International (ITO)
    • AirNav info
    • no longer receives international flights
  • Kona International at Keahole (KOA)
    • AirNav info
    • the most busy on the island, with full-size passenger jets arriving from the mainland as well as smaller inter-island planes
    • one problem: the USGS DLG files (which describe the coastline, roads and airfield boundaries) are seriously wrong for the area around Keahole point
    • the image the right shows the DLG data overlaid on an (accurate) satellite image.   Notice that the blue coastline is accurate until approaching the point, and that the grey airfield perimeter is way south of where it actually is.
    • In 2007, the Google 3D Warehouse had four structure there, Kona International Airport by Doc.  I could not find them as of 2015.
  • Waimea-Kohala (MUE)
    • AirNav info
  • Upolu (UPP)
    • AirNav info
• Airlines serving the island:
  • United
    • flies DC10 into KOA
  • JAL
    • flies 747-400 to KOA
    • typical daily schedule: flight JL 070 arrives 0920, flight JL 079 leaves 1035
  • Hawaiian
    • Twenty-seven aircraft:
      2   DC-10-30   299 seats
      10   DC-10-10   304 seats
      15   DC-9-50   133 seats
    • uses the DC-9s on interisland routes and DC-10s to the mainland
    • flights into KOA from Kahului, Honolulu and LA
    • flights into ITO from Kahului and Honolulu
• what structures need to be modelled to give the visual experience of arriving at the airport?
  • runway, terminal buildings, tarmac stairs
• other airports shows in the DLG data are: Old Kona, Waimea, and Hilo (all of which have accurate DLG boundaries)
• could use a commercial service such as FlightTracker (is it online anymore?) to track flights in real time, updating the virtual world accordingly, or simply use a flight arrival/departure log of a typical day?
• Heliports
  • 92Z - Kaupulehu
  • HI04 - Hilo Hospital Heliport
  • HI18 - LHMC Heliport
  • HI07 - Waikoloa Heliport
  • HI52 - Rainshed Heliport
• there are a handful of small private airstrips as well, including pohakuloa's Bradshaw (army)

Helicopter tours

• Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
  • has great hype: "this popular action packed tour will leave you awestruck at the incredible beauty..."
• Hawaii Helicopters (site down)
• Mauna Kea Helicopters
  • lists as landing sites:
    Waimea-Kohala Airport
    Hilo International Airport
    Waikoloa Heliport
    Mauna Lani Resort
    Kona Village Resort
• other companies: Big Island Air, Hilo K & S Helicopters, Volcano Volcano Heli-Tours, Hawaii Island Hoppers
• 3 helicopter types used by these companies: added to art list