Flightseeing Polynesia

A visitor to this blog, Thomas Herter, wrote to recommend flightseeing in French Polynesia. Thomas' photos from a previous trip are on Flying Hawaii, and he sent me the link to Lane Wallace's excellent article, Lane Goes to Tahiti, which mentions the Aero-Club de Tahiti and UTA Aero-Club, both based at Faaa International Airport. The UTA Aero Club owns four planes, including a Cessna 172 which can be hired at 18,000 Pacific francs an hour (around US$180).

In the Cook Islands, Air Rarotonga offers scenic flights around Rarotonga in another high wing Cessna at NZ$75 (about US$50) per person (three-person maximum). In good weather, the flightseeing around islands like Tahiti, Moorea, and Rarotonga is unsurpassed anywhere in the world.