Charles (Jack) Harter, co-founder and president of Jack Harter Helicopters in Lihue, Hawaii, and the originator of helicopter tours on Kauai, died on the first of April, 2021.

Jack was born in Rapid City, South Dakota on Dec. 26, 1931, where his life was defined by nature and adventure, a strong dose of creativity, and a zest for hard work and excellence. He earned his fixed-wing pilot’s license at an early age and bought his first airplane at the age of 18.  Along with flying airplanes in his early years, Jack was a parachutist, a Hollywood stuntman and a smoke jumper in California.  He also flew tours around the Space Needle at the Seattle World’s Fair. 

In 1950, Jack left college and joined the US Army, serving in the Korean War. As an infantry officer, he led his men up Heartbreak Ridge, was wounded twice, and earned a commendation for his valor.  After his service in the army, Jack spent some time exploring the Pacific on the sailing vessel Ramona.  Upon returning to the USA from his sailing adventures, Jack learned to fly helicopters from a friend in California, working as a helicopter refueler to earn training time. His love for helicopters was begun and endured throughout his life.

In the early 1960s, wanting to establish a helicopter service in a beautiful location, Jack learned about the Island of Kauai.  His earlier companies were known as Kauai Helicopters, Garden Island Helicopters, and Hawaii Helicopters International in the lean years while the industry was being established and sightseeing by helicopters was slowly growing in popularity.  Jack Harter Helicopters was founded in 1975 by Jack and Bev Harter and operated from the grounds of the Kauai Surf Resort for many years.  

As a recognized official pioneer in the helicopter industry in the U.S., Jack was renowned for his dedication to safety and quality, his extensive knowledge of helicopters, and for being a wealth of knowledge about the island of Kauai that he shared with many visitors to the island and local residents. He dedicated many years to rescue work and utility charter services when his helicopter was the only source for activity of that kind, numerous times doing rescues on a voluntary basis before an organized system was established by the state and county. 

Jack was also a poet and a writer of two books of short stories, poems, children’s stories that were the joy of his daughters and grandchildren, and two novels, one of which was the original Quarantine that became a television special.  

Jack is survived by his wife Bev, who will continue to run Jack Harter Helicopters with its four MD500E and one Airbus AS350B2 helicopters, as she and Jack have done for 45 years.  He is also survived by two daughters, Nancy Harter (Maui) and Suzanne Harter (Australia), and three stepdaughters, Donna Dearing (Big Island), Shasta Rose (Spring, Texas), and Cynthia Riemer (Kauai). He also cherished his six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Many residents over the years, many gone now, have regaled his family with stories of good that Jack did for them and the island with his charters and many rescues.  

“Jack Stories” are welcomed by his dedicated staff and family if anyone would like to contribute to his memory. They may be sent to the JHH office located at 4231 Ahukini Road, Lihue, HI 96766, by email to info@jackharterheli.com , or they can be submitted on the JHH website at www.helicopters-kauai.com. 

A memorial to Jack will be held in the near future.   

This announcement was prepared and distributed by Jack Harter Helicopters.