Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Announces Flight Operations For June

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park announces the following flight operations planned for this month:

• Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. June 6 for sling loads of fence material to the Koa Unit of ʻŌlaʻa between 3,500 and 4,000 feet in elevation.
• Between 7 and 9 a.m. June 8 to support vegetation monitoring between 6,000 and 8,000 feet in elevation on Mauna Loa.
• Between 6 and 11 a.m. June 13 for Hawaiian petrel monitoring on Mauna Loa between 4,000 and 9,000 feet in elevation.
• Between 8 and 11 a.m. June 14 for survey and control of invasive guinea grass in the coastal Keauhou area between sea level and 3,000 feet in elevation.
• Between 6 and 11 a.m. June 15 for Hawaiian petrel monitoring on Mauna Loa between 4,000 and 9,000 feet in elevation. In addition, survey and control of invasive banana poka will occur in the Mauna Loa burn area between 4,000 and 5,000 feet in elevation.
• Between 8 and 11 a.m. June 16 for survey and control of invasive fountain grass from the park’s west boundary to Keauhou between sea level and 4000 feet in elevation.
• Between 9 and 10 a.m. June 23 for sling loads of fence material to Keanakākoʻi between 3,000 and 3,500 feet in elevation.

Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources and maintain backcountry facilities.

In addition, the U.S. Geological Survey will start a schedule of low-level helicopter flights on June 30 or July 1 that will cover Kīlauea volcano throughout a three-week period. The USGS also could conduct additional flight operations over Kīlauea and Mauna Loa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation.

The park regrets any noise impact to residents and visitors. Dates and times of the flight operations are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.