Helicopters are often known for short-distance cargo hauls and first responder relief. However, some companies like Jack Harter Helicopters have managed to strike gold by offering tours via helicopter across exotic locations. One such company was Jack Harter Helicopters that served Kauai long before man walked on the moon.
Jack Harter realized he could make a living just flying with tourists in his helicopter once travel to Hawaii became more popular later in the 20th century. Here’s how Jack Harter Helicopters took off.
Jack of All Trades
Charles ‘Jack’ Harter was born in Rapid City, South Dakota on 26 December, 1931. Nature and adventure were both strong interests of his growing up. Coming of age, he earned his fixed-wing pilot license, actively flying planes and working in Hollywood movies as both a stuntman and parachutist.
In 1950, Harter paused his college education to join the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Upon exiting the Army, Harter would learn how to sail as well as pilot a helicopter from a friend. Seeing an opportunity in a helicopter career, Harter would take up a job as a grounds crew member refueling choppers to gain experience.
Over time, Harter wanted to start his own business involving helicopters when he heard about one of Hawaii’s tropical islands, Kauai. Harter moved to Kauai in 1962 and founded ‘Kauai Helicopters’. Harter offered many services including island tours, charter flights, and emergency rescues. Hollywood actor Raymond Burr was one of the company’s early investors.
The State of Hawaii granted Harter permission to fly around Kauai. Several of Harter’s stopping points included Kalalau, Nualolo, and Honopu. During his early tours, he would give tourists the opportunity to take a stop at certain points to see the view of the coast.
Harter’s business slowly began to pick up when more tourists would fly to Hawaii over the 1960s. During this time, Harter had at least three helicopters such as the Bell 47G, Hiller FH1100, and Sikorsky S-53.
Jack Harter Helicopters: The Man Who Became a Brand
In the 1970s, tourism around Hawaii grew and airlines like Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines took off. This also led to a total of 14 helicopter tour companies moving in to compete with Harter. To remain in high demand, Harter would rename his company multiple times. First to ‘Garden Island Helicopters’, and later to ‘Hawaii Helicopters International’.
In 1975, Harter renamed it to Jack Harter Helicopters (JHH), banking heavily on his own name to lead the pack in Hawaii helicopter tours.
Sunshine Helicopters Director of Operations Paul Morris, who has known Harter for decades, could vouch for Harter’s own name recognition:
‘Jack was a legend…He would book flights by word of mouth. People sought him out. His skill and reputation set the bar high for our industry.’
Along with the new name, the company set up an official hub at Kauai Surf Resort, guaranteeing a lot of exposure from tourism. Needless to say, Harter’s business is going strong over 60 years later.
In 2005, JHH acquired the McDonnell Douglas MD 500 helicopter — the first one to provide travelers with a ‘doors-off’ experience. According to the company website, this allowed photographers to ‘capture the pure raw beauty of the island’ without any window glare found in pictures.
Harter’s favorite helicopter, however, was the Bell Jet Ranger 206. Though it isn’t known when he first purchased this chopper, he reportedly logged almost 20,000 flight hours (over 27 months) in the Jet Ranger.
On 1 April 2021, Harter died in Lihue, Hawaii after complications from a recent hip surgery. He was 89.
Today, his wife Bev continues to run JHH. The current fleet includes four MD 500s and a Eurocopter AStar. JHH currently employs 41 staff including seven pilots.
