Flightseeing options in Alaska: Alaskans show off the 49th State: an Alpine Air helicopter set down on Colony Glacier during a glacier tour.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha
• Position: VISITOR INDUSTRY

There is too much to see on any single trip to Alaska; Alaskans know that there's too much of Alaska to really take in over a lifetime. But that doesn't stop a thriving tourism industry from doing its absolute best to show everyone--local or guest--how stunning Alaska can be. One unique way to see the state is by flying over it, and Alaska's long history with aviation means the collected experience of our small fixed wing and helicopter pilots is an amazing resource for stunning, safe, and informed flightseeing tours. Flightseeing tours range from half an hour to several hours, all depending on destinations and associated activities. There are many options for flightseeing in Alaska this summer; here are a few.

Alpine Air

Alpine Air Alaska (alpineairalaska.com), owned by Keith and Deb Essex, has been providing tours in Alaska since 1991. It currently operates seven helicopters and Kim Van Sickle, Alpine Air Alaska's office manager at their Girdwood base of operations, says they're ideal for flightseeing: they can fly lower than other aircraft, can fly slower, can hover, and are able to land almost anywhere including on mountain tops and on glaciers.

Alpine Air Alaska offers flightseeing options throughout the year, though their winter staff of about fifteen fulltime employees increases to twenty-five in the summer to accommodate the tourism season, with eight of those employees being pilots. In terms of flightseeing areas, "we are statewide," Van Sickle says, "and the bulk of our flying is in the Chugach Mountains surrounding Prince William Sound."

"We customize each tour to the client's goals, whether it would be seeing wildlife versus walking on glaciers, etc." Their Girdwood location is a benefit. Van Sickle says that within about thirty seconds of the tour's start, the glacier viewing begins. "We are surrounded by the third most glaciated mountain range in the world," she says. "The scenery is so breathtaking that many times the clients are speechless--and the wildlife doesn't hurt."

One of the great options that Alpine Air Alaska provides is on-glacier dog-sledding in partnership with IdidaRide Sled Dog Tours, though it's only available in the summer season. Guests are flown to the Punch Bowl Glacier: "Punch Bowl is a giant snowfield consisting of sixty feet of snow on top of a few hundred feet of ice," according to Deb Essex. Once there, guests learn about sled dog culture and have an opportunity to take a ride.

Alpine Air Alaska also partners with Ascending Path to provide helicopter rides to glacier hiking and ice climbing; with Chugach Adventures for raffing; and with Winterlake Lodge and Deep Creek Lodge for heli-fishing and sightseeing. "Other great flights I have witnessed have been surprise proposals; Father's Day flights with lawn chairs and a few Alaskan Ambers; flying to a remote site to scatter ashes; [and] remote mountain-top weddings," she says.

"We live in a superlative rich environment," Van Sickle says. "Our goal is to match Alaska's grandeur with over-the-top customer service."

Ellison Air

John Ellison and his wife own Ellison Air (ellisonair.com), which Ellison founded with his father twenty-three years ago after working for others in the industry for a short time. "We realized that we had a gift and we enjoyed interacting with...