SeaWind Aviation — Local services in Ketchikan

We booked a seaplane flight and water landing (for an extra fee) with SeaWind directly after comparing to other similar opportunities online.

Lesley and company did a fine job from the get-go, communicating with us throughout the process, to the morning of our flight, until we were dropped off just feet from our ship. Part of her difficult job was delaying our flight an hour, then telling us that we would not be able to fly over Misty Fjords and visit the monument due to cloud cover and flight conditions. Instead of cancelling the flight, we were offered another, sure to be beautiful, instead. We accepted.

Our pilot Anthony was fantastic; a local who loved flying, was excited to take us over an area they rarely get to fly over with a group, and told personal stories along the way. The "lake landing" was the highlight, bending into a postcard-like scene to the (unplanned) song "Paradise". The landing was soft and serene, we were able to get off the plane (one in our party even took a icy swim) for an all-too-short but sweet visit. We saw mountains, valleys, peaks, waterfalls, and tried to spot animals, milking every moment. Headsets were used as my wife interviewed a patient and thoughtful Anthony from her shotgun seat. It was a smooth, beautiful flight we will remember forever. Thank you SeaWind for a great experience from start to finish.

If we had to nit-pick, the only glitch may be that as we eagerly waited to board the plane, some in the other party we flew with still had to register and pay, perhaps delaying our flight, which, due to weather, was already an hour+ behind schedule. We still got a full tour as promised, but felt a bit rushed at the end due to a short 4 hour Ketchikan...

I am from south east Alaska and northern British Columbia, my family and I are all dual citizens who travel back and forth often. We are without our ferry service and heavily rely on our float plane services. Seawind Aviation is head above water over their competition. Everything from the experience of making your reservation, to showing up and getting inflight. They are a family ran operation with Leslie at the front of the house with a warm greeting and her husband who has been flying since the 80’s. The experience from the pilots is felt too, Leslie’s hubby and business partner (forgive my forgetfulness on his name) is so confident and knows the industry, my flight from ketchikan to hyder with them was THE prettiest seaplane ride I have ever taken, getting to go above the misty fjords and take the “short short way,” home. They also have a pilot from my home community Met AK, with him being on the team it also gives us shoppers an opportunity to shop a couple hours after the ferry leaves in ketchikan without the expensive hotel bill. Sol does an amazing ride home from ketchikan to metlakatla too. The way this company goes above and beyond for their customers, assuring strong lines of communication when things become weather dependent, to making sure no one is left behind if they can help it will forever have me, coming back. You can’t go wrong flying with Seawind Aviation. My 16 year old nephew in the picture even mentioned how the customer service was so nice compared to flying w local competition. They do a great job of making you feel welcomed and safe. Grateful for...

I had booked the Misty Fjords flightseeing tour for 1.5 hours with a landing, along with 8 other friends and family members, nearly 90 days in advance. However, my experience with SeaWind Aviation was a nightmare.

Less than 12 hours before my scheduled departure, I received an email informing me that my flight had been changed from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM, and instead of the 1.5-hour tour with a landing that I had booked, it was now a 1-hour tour. To make matters worse, my friends were given different flight times, separating our group.

When I tried to contact Lesley, our point of contact, she was unhelpful and suggested canceling for a full refund instead of resolving the issue or providing a reasonable explanation for the changes.

I am extremely disappointed with SeaWind Aviation's lack of professionalism and their failure to honor the tour package I had booked and paid for well in advance. Changing the tour details at the last minute and separating our group without proper communication or justification is unacceptable.

I would not recommend SeaWind Aviation to anyone seeking a reliable and professional flightseeing experience in the Misty...