Scenic Flights in Alaska?
 

Heading to Alaska this summer and trying to find a safe and affordable means of:

--Getting into the Arctic Circle without having to drive. The "tour" drives take 13-14 hours and the flights cost around $350 a piece which doesn't seem worth it for just a quick flight and turnaround.

Actually booked a flight on Ravn Air between Fairbanks and Fort Yukon which cost about half of the $350. However, Ravn has had 4-5 crashes in the past 18 months which included fatalities on 1 or 2 of those. (I'm going to cancel those flights.)

--Doing the Denali air flyover. Looks phenomenal but very pricey.

Is anyone familiar with Ravn Air and, if so, what are your thoughts?
And, does anyone have suggestions for a less expensive and safe flight for either of these two activities?

Thanks in advance.

When I was a ways south of there (Sechelt on the BC sunshine coast), I enquired at the floatplane base if they had any room for a couple of passengers looking for a view. They had a flight the next day to deliver a couple to a lake on an island (summer cabin) and then a couple of fisheries people to be exchanged on an inlet further north. For $100 a person we could go along for the ride.

It was a de Havilland Canada DHC-2, built the year I was born and was it an experience. Three water takeoffs and three landings in just over two hours and the rugged scenery of the BC coast . Well worth it.

You could try the same at the sea/floatplane bases in Alaska

Did AK in July a few years ago. Can vouch for the Denali fly over. We went out of Talkeetna. The flight (C185) was supposed to land on a glacier but weather was not conducive, but it was worth it to be at 15K and still looking up at the mountain.

Took a float Beaver from Sitka (?) to a lake landing 30 minutes away. The island had a blind on a river where the bear would reach in, grab a salmon, eat the good stuff and toss the rest. We were literally 20-30 feet away.

Helicopter tour in Juneau was cancelled due to low ceilings.

Enjoy, but the weather might crimp some of your plans.