This pilot was in the right place at the right time to see the new eruption of Kilauea unfold

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Matt Mannion has flown helicopters for over 17 years and knows full well that when it comes to witnessing the magic of Kilauea, it’s all about perfect timing.

When Kilauea’s last eruption began at Halemaumau Crater on Wednesday afternoon, Mannion was in the air, leading a tour of Paradise Helicopters.

“I told people before I left, I said a lot of things are going to have to come together for us to have a view,” Mannion said. “We’re going to have to have good weather. We will need to have no flight restrictions above and be able to fly above and of course everything has been fine.

Tour visitors suspected that previous earthquakes might be leading to something, but weren’t expecting to have front row seats for the latest Halemaumau show.

“What surprised me was the amount of lava that actually built up in about an hour,” Mannion said.

“We’re used to seeing a bit slower lava flow, but it really started to erupt quickly and filled the entire crater floor in about an hour or so, which is pretty amazing.”

Shortly after the eruption began, the FAA issued a temporary flight restriction to keep the planes miles from the summit.

Although he will return to it eventually, Mannion is grateful to be in the right place at the right time for a unique sight.

“The best part for me is flying people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to see lava in the national park,” Mannion said. “We transport people with reduced mobility. We carry people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to these kinds of views and so that’s a big part of that for me.

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