Helicopter Flightseeing is simply the BEST way to experience the vastness and majesty of Alaska. Alaska never disappoints, yet her immense scale requires getting up and above to fully appreciate her grandeur.
Our glacier landing tour with Alpine Air Alaska this morning was not only spectacular, but it gave us a deep appreciation of this unique place on Earth.
They were right on time with our pickup from the Alyeska hotel. Rachel was knowledgeable and friendly and put us immediately at ease. Just 10 mins later, our checkin at the office (by equally friendly Glenda) was seamless. Rachel then escorted us to the helicopter, took pictures of us with our own phone, and briefed us on all the safety protocols, before our pilot Martin, arrived and helped us get settled into the Robinson 44 - the 4 seater that would hold just the 3 of us today.
The next hour flew by. Figuratively and literally! Too much, and not enough words in the English language, to adequately describe the experience. Snow covered mountains everywhere. Mountain goats. Moose! Lots of moose. Streams. Valleys. Rivers. And of course our glacier! Took two attempts to find safe surface conditions to support our landing, but Martin handled it perfectly.
Once we got out, Martin also proved adept at photography and knew just where to place us to capture the moment.
Overall, it was a perfect experience. If we could have extended the trip we absolutely would have done so. Safe. Contentious. Comfortable. Unforgettable.
We’ll come back to Alaska just to fly with Alpine Air Alaska again!