5 Things You Should Know About Traveling by Small Plane in Alaska

Traveling by small plane is an integral part of Alaska’s transportation network. If you’re going to or from small communities or making remote trips — say, to a fishing or bear-viewing lodge — a one- to eight-passenger plane may be your only transport option. Or they may be a purely elective adventure as you take to the sky for a flightseeing (flying + sightseeing) trip.

With that in mind, traveling by small plane doesn’t work quite the same as boarding a 737. Here are five things you should know about venturing into this very Alaskan mode of travel. And by the way, almost all of these apply to riding in helicopters, too.

Both space and weight are at a premium

You’ll most likely be asked to provide your weight and have your luggage weighed, or you might be asked to hop on the scale yourself. This may not be the most fun part of your trip, but it’s for everybody’s safety.

If you have too much luggage, it may have to follow on a later plane — if it can come at all. Always pay close attention to the air provider or tour company’s rule about baggage allowances, and take them seriously.

Size is also an issue: There are no overhead bins on a small plane. Anything that doesn’t fit under the seat in front of you may be stowed in the back of the plane or inside specialized wing compartments — so the smaller your luggage, the better.

You can catch that plane almost anywhere

You might catch your small plane at the same airport you’d use to catch a jet — or you might end up taking off from a dedicated small airplane airport (like Merrill Field in Anchorage), or from an unpaved airstrip just out the back door of the building where you checked in.

Some small planes are equipped with floats for landing on water, so you might not even embark from dry land. For example, Anchorage’s Lake Hood is the largest seaplane base in the world.

And finally, although you can’t land a small plane quite as freely as a helicopter, they’re shocking nimble — depending on the plane and the purpose of your adventure, you might find yourself landing on the beach or open tundra, or even landing a ski-equipped plane on a snowy glacier.

Small planes are LOUD

Usually when you get on a small plane, you’ll be asked to wear a headset that serves two purposes: It lets you hear the pilot, and it protects your ears. Without it, you’d be reduced to comically gesticulating at each other.

Of course most passenger headsets don’t come with a microphone, so you’ll be able to hear the pilot, but he won’t be able to hear you.

Yes, there’s an inflight briefing here, too

Make sure you put those headphones on because, just like on a big airplane, you’re going to receive an inflight safety briefing before you take off.

But the briefing will come straight from the captain, and emergency procedures may not be what you’re used to. For example one of the emergency exits is probably through a cockpit window, and the captain will tell you which button or lever to push to trigger it.

Please take this briefing seriously — it could save your life, or the lives of your fellow passengers or the pilot.

Weather is a serious consideration

Small planes are much more limited by weather than large jets — both because of their size and their relative lack of instrumentation. If weather or visibility conditions mean it’s not safe to travel, your trip may be delayed or even cancelled.

This is why it’s so important to plan a little flex time around those can’t-miss adventures. Usually if you allow yourself a day or two of rest/flex time you can make it work. In a worst-case scenario, having trip insurance helps reduce the financial sting of missing out.

If you enjoyed this list, click through for 5 more things you should know about taking a small plane in Alaska.

Image by Achim Thiemermann from Pixabay