Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tours - Misty Fiords Sightseeing

How are your tours different from the ones they offer on the cruise ships?

In general, our tours are better in quality, longer in duration and easier on your vacation expenses. For example, on our scenic tours such as the Misty Fjords, we will land on a lake, taxi to shore and let you get out of the plane and walk around on land within the fjords for 30 minutes to take pictures and enjoy the serenity of the breathtaking scenery. The tours sold on the ships will land on a lake but do not let you get out onto land. They float out in the middle of a lake for 3-5 minutes and then take off again. As a result of this shore stop, our tours are 2 hours long, the tours offered on cruise ships are 1 hour and 15 minutes. In addition we have voice activated head sets which enable you to converse with us and each other during the entire flight. The tours sold on the ships will have you plugged into a pre recorded tape with no communication possible. Many of the tours sold on the ships use aircraft that have a center isle. This means that not everyone will get a window seat. In our aircraft all seats are window seats! The cruise lines charge a commission for the tours they sell onboard. As a result those tours are often the most expensive. Finally, we have our reputation to uphold. We truly enjoy flying around this magnificent state. It is a lifestyle as much as a livelihood. We take pride and pleasure showing you the best that southeast Alaska has to offer!
How will we get to your facility from the cruise ship dock?

Transportation to and from the cruise ship dock and our floatplane facility is included in all tour prices. Our 12 passenger van will pick you up 15 minutes before your scheduled flight time on the north side of the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau. We will also return you to the dock when you are finished with your tour.
How do we find you on the cruise ship dock?

The pick up place for all of our tours is at the "Ketchikan Rain Gauge" (a tall cartoon type structure with current rainfall information) located on the north side of the Ketchikan Visitor's Bureau. This building is small but centrally located in the middle of the cruise ship dock and is the location for tourist information. We also have a sales booth located inside the Ketchikan Visitor's Bureau. The Island Wings Air Service van is white and clearly labeled with airplanes & our name. We will pick you up and drop you off right at the rain gauge.
How many people will your plane hold?

Our DeHavilland Beaver holds six passengers comfortably and everybody gets a window seat. Our Dehavilland Beaver has had the interior seating reconfigured. This means that all six seats are window seats. Most of the Dehavilland Beaver aircraft flying today only have five window seats with a total capacity of seven seats. The result in this situation is the people in the middle have to look across the person next to them to see anything.
What should we wear for the tour?

Comfortable shoes and layered clothing. We provide rain gear if required. Be sure to bring lots of film, as many people run out during the flight!
What is required to make a reservation?

You secure your reservation by making a deposit of 1/2 down via credit card or check.
What is your cancellation policy?

We have a two week advance notice cancellation policy. If for some reason you have to cancel your flight and you notify us two weeks in advance, we will refund your full deposit if you have paid by check, if you have paid by credit card we will deduct the bank charges (3%) and refund the balance. Also for acts of God, you break your leg, your cruise ship runs aground (don't laugh, it has happened) etc., we will refund your deposit.
Will we be refunded if the weather is too bad to fly?

Yes, full refund if paid by check, if paid by credit card we will deduct 3% bank charges and refund the balance. A word about the weather. It is legal to fly in all weather conditions that meet or exceed the Federal Aviation Administration minimums. These minimums are 500 foot cloud ceilings and 2 miles forward visibility. While I feel it is safe to transport people under these conditions, I do not feel it is enjoyable for a flightseeing tour. As a result of my desire to uphold a wonderful reputation in the visitor industry, I often cancel tours in weather that is safe to fly in, but not necessarily joyful for the customer. The competition on the other hand, namely the cruise ship contracted companies, will fly in all weather that meets or exceeds the FAA minimums regardless of customer satisfaction. They fly hundreds of people daily and stand to loose a great deal of revenue even if one of their tours are cancelled. It does rain an average of 180 inches per year here. This "liquid sunshine" is what contributes to this lush rainforest we live in. We will not cancel flights due to rain. We will however cancel flights that we feel you will not enjoy due to poor visibility or turbulence. Lastly, the town of Ketchikan and the point at which we turn around on the Misty Fjords tour is a total of 70 miles. Within that great of a distance, the weather can and does often change dramatically. We can literally have fog in Ketchikan and sunshine in the fjords. To make an assumption that the weather in Ketchikan is the same elsewhere is a mistake. So if the weather does not look the best when you arrive, don't be discouraged, it is likely to be very different outside of town!
What is your safety record?

Michelle has been flying 25 years and has accumulated over 9,000 hours safe flying time. She is the only pilot at Island Wings and flies here in Ketchikan year round. We do not hire "seasonal pilots" as many companies do. In addition we are flying aircraft that we own personally. As a result our planes are maintained above the normal Federal Aviation Administration standards.