A Way of Life in Alaska
Alaska is home to more licensed pilots per capita than anywhere else in the USA, with more than 9,000 active pilots! According to the State of Alaska, 82% of communities depend on aviation year-round. With a such an enormous landscape, and over 2.4 million square miles of airspace, it’s hard to put things into persepctive. Your best bet: book a flight for yourself on an Alaskan Bush Plane!
What is an Alaskan Bush Plane?
The term bush plane collectively refers to the small aircraft used to access remote areas in Alaska, also known as “the bush”. Bush planes are typically outfitted with large “tundra tires” or floats to allow landing in locations without an improved runway.
With so many amazing places to go flying in Alaska, it can be difficult to decide where to fly, but fear not! We’ve put together the ultimate list of aviation experiences in Alaska! Regardless of which one you pick, you won’t be disappointed with these once-in-a-lifetime experiences!
Best Overall Aviation Experience: Take a flight in Juneau, Alaska
If you want to see a little of everything, there’s no better place to go flying than around Juneau, Alaska. Towering alpine peaks, endless glaciers of ice, picturesque fjords, old growth forests, and much more – the landscape surrounding Juneau has it all! Juneau is located in the inside passage of Southeast Alaska, and all that water means many of the airplanes are equiped with floats. Join Wings Airways to take a scenic flight over the famous Juneau Icefield, or up the Taku River to see the many glaciers in that area. Want a more immersive experience? Bear Creek Outfitters has been offerring guided fly fishing and wildlife vieiwng trips out of Juneau for 30 years! You can add flight seeing onto any trip to see even more of the area.
The Ultimate Mountain Flying Experience: Mt. Denali and the Alaska Range
If you’ve always wanted to see the highest peak in North America, there is no better way than from the air! Well, unless you are willing to climb to the summit! Standing over 20,000ft above sea level, Denali and the surrounding peaks of the Alaska Range are some of the most stunning mountain views in the world. Talkeetna Air offers a variety of flight tours in the area, including some with glacier landings via ski plane. Looking for a custom charter for your private group? Tordrillo Mountain Lodge offers private charters out of Anchorage. Thier turbine otter is a great way to see Denali and beyond.
The best flights to see Alaska’s Brown Bears
One of the biggest draws of visitors to Alaska is the wildlife and if seeing the iconic Alaska Brown Bear (or Grizzly) is on your list, here are the best fly-out bear viewing experiences in the State! If you’re in Southeast Alaska on an Inside Passage Trip – look no further than Bear Creek Outfitters in Juneau! For 30 years, BCO has offerred professionally guided wildlife experiences on the famous “ABC” islands – home to the densest population of Brown Bears on the planet. BCO provides transportation, and your highly experienced guide will outfit you with everything you need for a wilderness adventure. Another famous bear viewing location is Katmai National Park and Preserve – home to the famous Brooks Falls. Katmai is busier than other bear viewing locations in Southeast, but for good reason. While there are many flight operators for Katmai, we recommend a private charter from Anchorage with Tordrillo Mountain Lodge – their Turbine Otter is fast and is an incredible way to go see the bears!
Other Notable Mentions!
With so many amazing places to fly, it’s impossible to list them all, but here are a few more of our favorite aviation experiences in Alaska!
-Misty Fjords National Monument: our favorite flight seeing trip in Ketchikan, Alaska.
-Harding Icefield/Kenai Fjords National Park: we love the Juneau Icefield, but this is a close second! Our recommended trip if you want to go flying on the Kenai Peninsula.
-Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park: if you can’t make it to Denali, then Wrangell-Saint Elias is equally stunning! Get away from the crowds in Tok, Alaska and go flying with Tok Air Service.
Feel free to contact us today and we can help you plan your ultimate Alaska Bush Plane Adventure! Email: info@juneauflyfishing.com or Phone: 907-723-2683