The waters in the Cook Inlet are so blue, we flew over beaches and coastal waters, we spotted a number of grizzly bears down below, moose and we even spotted a wolf! What Tim said would probably be be only one spotted all summer. Putting safety aside, the flight was the most amazing experience of our trip and quite possibly of our lives. The Airvan also is equipped with some extra safety sensor equipment that was quite impressive. You could easily tell how experienced he is but also how much he loves what he does. Of course anyone would be nervous flying up in a small plane in Alaska but within 15 minutes of being up, Tim made us feel safe and comfortable.

When we surprised my boyfriend with the bear viewing flight he was shocked. Janet in the office was extremely kind and informative, she answered my MANY questions about the flight and safety.

This experience will truly leave you with a sense of just how remote and beautiful the Lake Clark area is (though the smell of sulfur from the volcanic region is fairly strong).īack in January I booked a surprise flight for my boyfriend’s 40th birthday with Tim and Natron Air. We then did some additional fly-over views of the park and the nearby Cook Inlet. After a very smooth beach landing, Tim led us to the bears for some very up-close photography and observation (and I mean home-plate-to-first-base close). We were unbelievably lucky and got to see a momma bear with 3 cubs in tow. When we reached Lake Clark National Park, everyone in the plane (7 of us plus Tim) got to share in the task of looking below to spot bears and determine where to land. The flight, though taking off into foggy/smoky morning skies, still provided a beautiful view of the top of Mount Redoubt and a glimpse of Mount Iliamna. Our pilot, Tim, was very friendly, although the tour didn't feel quite as personal as some of the other small group trips we took in Alaska. Luckily, Janet was able to accommodate us and squeeze us into a tour on the second plane option the next morning. We booked the bear viewing tour in the Wigeon, but unfortunately, weather conditions forced them to cancel our flight. From beginning to end, this was a great experience.

Natron air bear viewing review