The
State of Alaska is made up of giant mountain ranges, massive
glaciers and literally thousands upon thousands of acres of
unspoiled wilderness. Tiny villages, picturesque mountain
communities and modern cities are scattered throughout this
untamed region of the U.S. Early residents of Alaska had a
hard time getting around; to say the least. However, that
all changed with the invention of the personal aircraft. People
who lived out in the vast wilderness could now fly to larger
cities and town for supplies. Journeys that used to take days
could now be completed within hours. The time saving abilities
of the airplane eventually lead to a whole new type of tourism
in Alaska...Flightseeing.
Today
citizens and travelers alike can explore, view and experience
Alaska’s wonderful treasures in a safe convenient manner.
From the top of Mt. McKinley, to the monstrous active glaciers,
to the vast Alaskan interior, everyone visiting Alaska now
has the opportunity to say, “Been there…done
that.”
Flightseeing
has many different forms; some tours are done by helicopter
and others by airplane or seaplane. Visitors can book flightseeing
tours that take as little time as ½ hour or as long
as 8-days. There are flightseeing tours geared to every interest
such as fishing, hiking, hunting, glacier climbing, photography
and wildlife watching. Overnight tours include lodging in
some of the more secluded areas of the state, many within
National Park boundaries. Hunting and fishing flightseeing
tours are usually piloted by a guide that knows the area.
They are able to fly guests the best places for their chosen
activity. Guests are also shown the right techniques to use
in the area in an effort to maximize their hunting or fishing
success in the Alaska wilderness.
Flightseeing
tours that are geared toward nature include hiking stops and
photography stops. Travelers spending a day or week on this
type of flightseeing tour will be treated to several animal
sightings, including brown and black bear, moose, seals, walrus,
wolves and more. Flight tours that include hiking will provide
visitors an opportunity to see magnificent waterfalls and
incredible mountain views. Some tours will drop hikers on
top of a glacier and leave them to explore for a few hours.
Recently, flightseeing tours have become an option for wintertime travelers to Alaska as well. These tours are generally more nature orientated and include photography stops for wolves and other animals found wandering through the dark cold Alaskan winter.
|