Anchorage Alaska

This helicopter tour operator offers intimate flightseeing tours over a variety of dramatic terrains—all a short flight from Anchorage.

Originally launched in 1993, Group 3 Aviation’s background includes flight instruction, tours and other commercial operations—such as helicopter charters and aerial TV and film photography—out of both Los Angeles and Anchorage.

Flightseeing in a helicopter offers an exciting and unique perspective—much different than a small airplane. First of all, you typically have more window space, which offers a more panoramic view. Second, you experience far less turbulence, and therefore less motion sickness. Last, helicopters can fly at lower altitudes and are more maneuverable, so chances are better at spotting wildlife—such as Beluga whales chasing salmon around Cook Inlet, or bears wandering Chugach State Park.

Most of Group 3’s helicopters can accommodate 1-3 passengers; the pilot narrates your flight and can communicate via headsets. Unlike many flightseeing operators, Group 3 caters well to independent travelers, even taking out single passengers. They operate year-round, so you can see the amazing landscapes in the peak or summer or covered with snow in the depths of winter. They’re also happy to customize your flights to include glacier landings or other features: if you have a flightseeing area in mind that’s not listed, just let them know, and they’ll customize your flight as best they can.

Here are some of Group 3 Aviation’s most popular routes:

• Chugach Valleys and Glacier:  You’ll see the glacially carved Arctic and Eagle Valleys, lakes and Whittier and Eagle Glacier—the latter sits above the Chugach Mountain ski town of Girdwood. Look south and you can see Turnagain Arm and the Kenai Mountains, while up north you can see the Knik Arm and perhaps even Mt. McKinley.
  
  
• Figure Eight Lake and Susitna River: This tour of the west side of the Cook Inlet offers a lot of chances to see wildlife from above—especially moose and bears. Bonus views: you can see breathtaking views of the sky reflected in the lakes.
  
  
• Anchorage Loop: This tour above the city offers plenty of natural and man-made grandeur.  You’ll see downtown, but also the Chugach Mountains, the original Iditarod Trail, Flattop Mountain, Turnagain Arm, Earthquake Park, Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and the salmon-rich waters of the Cook Inlet. Watch for bears and moose, too.
  
  
• Chugach Grand Tour:  Group 3’s most popular tour, this dramatic flight takes you above the Chugach Mountains, where you can spot sheep and other wildlife ambling through the range—and then back to Anchorage by way of the scenic Turnagain Arm.