Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District: Who Will Win the 2026 House Race

The FAA has denied a petition from Honolulu-based Trident Adventures seeking an exemption from passenger restraint rules to continue its "helocast" tours, in which participants jump from a hovering helicopter into the ocean. The agency concluded that Trident's safety measures, including passenger screening, trained crew and safety swimmers, do not provide an equivalent level of safety to the restraint requirements they would replace, and that they fail to guard against slips, turbulence, windblast or human error. Trident says it has run the activity for about seven years and roughly 3,500 participants without incident, and that its appeal is ongoing with no final decision yet.

Opposition came from U.S. Rep. Ed Case and a North Shore community group, which cited an unrelated $10,000 state fine against Trident for illegal snorkel drops in a protected marine area—fines Trident says were paid but disputes involvement in. U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell backed the exemption, citing veteran jobs. Jumps remain suspended pending appeal.

The Hawaii National Guard is managing overlapping recovery operations after a string of storms battered the islands since August, the fourth being Hurricane Nolo, which struck Sept. 26-27. During Nolo, high-water vehicle teams carried out five rescue missions and assisted 19 civilians. The Guard is drawing on roughly 5,500 personnel in a rotational structure to support county and state partners across multiple islands simultaneously.

On Hawaii Island, Task Force Hawaii continues cleanup after Hurricane Lala dumped an estimated 1.3 trillion gallons of water in mid-August, including 421 wellness checks in remote areas and sensitive debris removal and recovery work at a flood- and landslide-damaged cemetery. A partnership with Pacific Air Forces, dubbed Operation Trek 808, airlifted electrical restoration equipment from California. On Kauai, Task Force Kauai remains active following Hurricane Lowell's early September landfall, having helped reopen Lihue Airport, conducted aerial damage assessments, and distributed food and water with the Hawaii Foodbank amid supply shortages.