K2 Aviation: Glacier Landing in Denali

Airplanes and the vast wilderness of Alaska go hand in hand. And when you add the breathtaking experience of landing inside the Denali mountain range, all I want to do is hit pause and savor the moment a little while longer.

During our trip to Alaska, we had splurged on a glacier landing excursion with K2 Aviation. It was expensive, but it was worth every penny for the unforgettable experience it provided.

We began our day at K2 Aviation's offices in Talkeetna. After checking in and slipping on shoe covers, we climbed aboard the plane that would take us into the heart of the mountains. The weather was ideal - partly cloudy and calm air - setting the scene for a truly magical flight.

Following a brief safety briefing, we embarked on our journey from Talkeetna towards Denali. As we entered the mountain range, the views were absolutely jaw-dropping. The land below us was untouched and pristine, and we were fortunate enough to catch a rare glimpse of the peak of Denali.

Once we landed on the glacier, I was surprised by how warm it was - perfect conditions for an impromptu snowball fight with my 3-year-old son in just a t-shirt. We took some time to admire the natural beauty surrounding us before returning to Talkeetna airport.

Given the chance, I would happily repeat this incredible experience over and over again. The sheer awe and wonder of it all is something I will never forget.

Flying Seaplanes in Alaska

As a pilot and photographer, Alaska is a dream destination for someone line me.

The Alaskan wilderness is vast, stretching out in every direction as far as the eye could see.

During my time in Alaska, I had booked a seaplane training course at Alaska Float Ratings. While the training didn’t progress as I had anticipated due to a combination of maintenance and scheduling, I was able to hop on a scenic seaplane flight for 2 hours.

As we flew deeper into the interior of Alaska, I couldn't help but be struck by the remoteness of it all. The only signs of human life were the occasional small cabin or fishing boat dotting the landscape. It is a world untouched by modern civilization.

Over the course of the two hour flights, the plane landed on small lakes. The air was crisp and clean, and the silence was broken only by the sound of the wind, fish swimming in the water and the occasional bird call.

And as I gazed out at the vast, untamed beauty of Alaska, I knew that this was a moment I would never forget.

50 Hours on Airplanes

It’s that time in my family - where people start getting married and move on to the next stage of their lives. 

In March, one of my cousins was getting married in India. She lives in Singapore and flew there a week before the wedding. Her younger sister, was flying from Singapore on the same day that I was scheduled to land from New York. 

In the interest of making the week as memorable as possible, I decided to do something crazy - swap my tickets that took me from New York to Abu Dhabi to Mumbai - a mere 16 hours on a plane to a ticket that had me flying from New York to San Fransisco to Tokyo to Hong Kong to Singapore and then finally to India - a trip that kept me in transit for nearly 50 hours, just so that I could surprise her on board. 

Here’s the thing - I loved every second of it. 

I’ve been flying for well over 25 years. Flights between New York to Los Angeles are second nature and 14 hour flights feel extremely familiar. 

It helps to know the ins and outs of airline operations. It helps flying in first-class. It helps being comfortable in unknown surroundings. 

Commercial aviation has become incredibly comfortable and for someone who still glares out the window for every take off and landing, it remains one of the very few places that is awe inspiring. 

Climb on.