Alaska Highlights
A tour for visitors to Alaska, the 49th state.
Air Tours Travel with Alaska's bush pilots-the best in the world.
Why visit Alaska?
Travel by small aircraft is very common in Alaska due to the limited highway system. Numerous air tours are available to book trips north of the Arctic Circle, or to get a better view of some of the areas in the middle of the state. There is no other way to view many parts of the state such as the mountains and the glaciers. Air travel provides an experience that reminds the visitor of the vastness of the state and the sheer beauty of the terrain. Here are three air tours that are available, but there are also many other selections.
Denali Air
This early morning flight in a twin engine, six-seater aircraft around Mt. McKinley is guaranteed to knock your socks off. Early morning is best for this trip because the air is cold and crisp which increases your chances of seeing a cloudless view of Denali. The mountain is 20,320 feet and the aircraft can circle the mountain at 14,000 feet for a view that still sends chills just to think about it. Maybe our trip was unusual, but it was cold, sunny and cloudless for an absolutely perfect flight around Denali. The pilots are professionals and share an extensive knowledge of the area.
This trip can be the most memorable of all excursions a visitor experiences in Alaska. It departs Talkeetna, Alaska to fly south west over Denali National Park for a great aerial view of the park and the Alaska Range of mountains. Bring that digital camera, charged batteries, and a large memory card. Denali is one of the most photographed mountains in the world, perfect for still photos or videos. If you're a fan of snow-covered mountain peaks, this flight is your cup of tea.
Glacier Bay
A flight to see glaciers that departs from a place called Icy Strait promises to be a cold trip. The glaciers are uniquely suited to small aircraft tours. There is simply no other way to see them or to appreciate their importance in the big picture of global warming. The pilot observes how far various glaciers have receded even in the few decades that he has been a pilot in Alaska. The tour includes a good geological education of the formation of the glaciers and the jargon--ribbon glaciers, blue ice, and calving.
Glacier Bay Flight Tour
Alaska Misty Fjords
The pilot already has his beard ready for a long, cold winter and is fresh from an early morning mail run. He's pumped on coffee and donuts and his enjoyment of his job and his surroundings is contagious. His jokes are ready and his explanations of the cliffs and waterfalls are fun. They are truly Misty Fjords and rival their counterparts in Norway. The calm waters inland make for a perfect float plane landing on a lake. The pilot turns off the engines and alternates taking the passengers outside on the pontoons of the plane for pictures and to experience the calm, quiet waterway. It's not a trip for the faint of heart or for those who wouldn't want to reveal their weight. Every passenger's weight is revealed and each person is seated in order to calculate a safe balance of the plane. It's a very small plane, but we felt very safe. Totally Alaska Awesome.
This Taquan Air flight departs from Ketchikan, Alaska. 
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