Airlie Beach Flight Tours
Hours, prices and access verified by the Airlie Beach Tours team — last checked 2026-09-21.
Airlie Beach flight tours show you the heart-shaped reef and the swirl of sand at the inlet from above. You choose a small plane that does not land, a helicopter that does, or a flight and a raft day together.
Flight tours over the reef
★★★★★ 4.8 (847 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes)
Over Heart ReefSmall plane, no landingHill Inlet from the airMax 13 guests
An hour in a small plane, circling the heart-shaped reef and making two passes over the inlet. Every seat is a window seat, the pilot talks in three languages, and it does not land.
From $253 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 4.8 (160 reviews · 1 hour)
Over Heart ReefSmall plane, no landingHill Inlet from the airMax 12 guests
Sixty minutes over the beach, the inlet and the reef in a small plane for up to 12, with a courtesy bus and free parking. It does not land; the limit is 125 kg a seat.
From $257 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 4.9 (355 reviews · 8 hours)
Lands on Whitehaven BeachFlight, then raftHill Inlet lookout walkSnorkel gear in the fare
Fly in the morning, raft in the afternoon: an hour in the air, then the lookout walk, a reef snorkel, lunch and about two hours on the sand. The seat limit is 120 kg.
From $401 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 5.0 (14 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes)
Over Heart ReefHelicopter, lands on the sandHill Inlet from the airYour group only
A private helicopter for two or three that lands on the beach for about 90 minutes, with snacks, soft drinks and alcohol. At least two must book, and each seat takes up to 130 kg.
From $1,112 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
An hour over the reef, a window seat each
A small plane that circles the heart-shaped reef and makes two passes over the inlet, with pilot commentary. It does not land.
See this tour
What a flight tour from Airlie Beach is
A flight tour shows you the Whitsundays the way the photographs do. From the air the sand
at Hill Inlet swirls through blue channels, and Heart Reef shows its shape. Tourism
Whitsundays says a local pilot found it in 1975, in Hardy Reef, about 80 km east of town.
No boat day here goes out to it.
You have a choice of aircraft. A small plane flies for an hour and does not land. A
helicopter flies over the reef and lands on Whitehaven Beach for about 90 minutes. The
fly-raft package puts an hour's flight in front of a full raft day.
Every flight leaves from Whitsunday Airport at Flametree, a small airfield. It
is not Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine, where the airlines land.
Why choose a flight tour
You see the whole pattern at once
The inlet is a moving picture of sand and water. From above you see all of it, with the
long curve of the beach beside it. The lookout shows you part; the air shows you all.
You see the outer reef
Boats from town snorkel the fringing reefs near the islands. Of the trips here, only the
flights reach the outer reef, and every one of them passes over the heart.
You save hours
A plane flight is back on the ground in an hour. The helicopter takes two and a half to
three and a half hours, most of it on the sand. A boat day takes most of your day.
You can land on the sand
The helicopter lands on the beach for about 90 minutes, private for your party of two or
three, with snacks, soft drinks and alcohol.
Flight tours vs boat days
Here are the flights beside a day on the water, from the listings' own figures.
| Small plane | Helicopter | Fly-raft package | A boat day |
|---|
| How long | 1 hour in the air | 2.5 to 3.5 hours | 8 hours | 7 to 10 hours |
| Lands on the beach | No | Yes, about 90 minutes | By raft, after the flight | Yes |
| The outer reef | From the air | From the air | From the air | No |
| Seat weight limit | 125 or 130 kg | 130 kg | 120 kg | None stated |
| Lunch | No | Snacks and drinks | Yes | Yes |
| Fare, per person | $253 to $257 | $1,112 | $401 | $172 to $401 |
Check availability from $253
If you want the beach more than the view, the Airlie Beach tours to Whitehaven Beach give you hours on it for less.
What you get, and what you don't
- A window seat: guaranteed on both small planes and on the fly-raft
flight.
- Commentary: on both small planes and the helicopter; Fly Australia's
comes in English, Mandarin or Spanish.
- Getting there: both plane flights run a courtesy bus from town, and
parking at the airfield is free. The helicopter includes an air-conditioned vehicle.
- Not included: pickup from Hamilton Island on Ocean Rafting's flight and
the fly-raft day, and air-sickness tablets on the helicopter.
- Refunds: every flight refunds in full up to 24 hours before.
The helicopter that lands on the sand
A private flight for two or three over the reef, then about 90 minutes on the beach with snacks and drinks. At least two must book.
Check availability
Planning a flight tour
- Budget: $253 to $257 a person for a small plane,
$401 for the fly-raft day and $1,112 a person for the helicopter.
- Know your weight: every flight sets a limit per seat, from 120 kg to
130 kg. The helicopter also caps two passengers at 230 kg combined.
- Check in early: 45 minutes before Ocean Rafting's flight, 30 minutes
before Fly Australia's and 15 minutes before the helicopter.
- Fly early in your stay: weather can cancel a flight, and an early date
leaves room to rebook.
Our three-day itinerary puts a flight on day three, after the beach.
Who should choose something else
- If you want to swim. The planes do not land, and the helicopter does not
snorkel. The Airlie Beach snorkeling tours put you in the water.
- If you are over the seat limit. Most boat days state no weight
limit.
- If you are staying on Hamilton Island. Ocean Rafting's flight and the
fly-raft day do not collect from there. The private charters board at Hamilton Island
Marina.
- If money is tight. A Whitehaven Beach day by boat costs less than any
flight.
- If you want the lookout walk. Only the fly-raft day walks you up to
it.
Frequently asked questions
Do the flights land on Whitehaven Beach?
Only the helicopter, for about 90 minutes. Both small-plane flights stay in the air for the whole hour, and the fly-raft package reaches the beach by raft after its flight.
Where do the flights leave from?
From the small airfield at Flametree, not the airline airport at Proserpine. The plane flights run a courtesy bus from town, and the helicopter includes a vehicle.
Will my group sit together?
Not always. Fly Australia weighs every passenger and may split a group to balance the plane. Every seat on both planes is a window seat.
Can you take a helicopter tour?
Yes. One private helicopter tour flies over Heart Reef and lands on Whitehaven Beach for about 90 minutes. It seats two or three and costs $1,112 a person.
Are there weight limits on the flights?
Yes. Fly Australia allows 130 kg per seat and weighs every passenger, Ocean Rafting's flight 125 kg, and the helicopter 130 kg per seat.
Do tours run in bad weather?
The jet ski runs in most weather and the hinterland bus rain or shine. Flights depend on the weather, and boats may change their route, so book a flight early in your stay.
Is Whitsunday Airport the same as Whitsunday Coast Airport?
No. Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine is where the airlines land. Whitsunday Airport at Flametree is the small airfield the scenic flights leave from.