Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park announces September flight operations

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park flight operations for September 2023:

• Sept. 1 between 8 and 10 a.m. for Hawaiian petrel monitoring on Mauna Loa between 4,000- and 9,000-foot elevation.

• Sept. 5 between 6 and 8 a.m. for ungulate survey at Kahuku between 4,000- and 6,000-foot elevation.

• Sept. 11 and 15 between 8 and 11 a.m. for Hawaiian petrel monitoring on Mauna Loa between 4,000- and 9,000-foot elevation.

• Sept. 14 between 7 and 11 a.m. for Fountain Grass control and monitoring from the park’s west boundary to Keauhou and from sea level to 3,500-foot elevation.

• Sept. 18 between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. multiple flights are planned by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to retrieve temporary seismic instruments on Kīlauea caldera floor around 4,000-foot elevation. 

• Sept. 18 and 21 between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for Red Hill Cabin repairs and waste removal on Mauna Loa between 8,500- and 10,000-foot elevation.

• Sept. 19 between 6 and 10 a.m. for ungulate survey at Kahuku between 4,000 and 6,000 feet in elevation and for invasive tree control and monitoring in the Ka’ū desert from 1,000 to 2400-foot elevation.

The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory may conduct additional flight operations over Kīlauea and Mauna Loa to assess volcanic activity and maintain instrumentation. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather conditions.

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