bjl

I'm going on a cruise in early June. In Juneau and in Ketchikan I see excursions via float plane or helicopter. I've never been on either one. I'm rather afraid of heights (although not afraid of flying) and wonder if these two modes of transportation are more than I can handle. Has anyone out there afraid of heights taken these tours? Does the motion of these flights cause your stomach to drop? Thanks!

gail

I am afraid of flying (but do fly), heights and small aircraft and prone to motion sickness. I also dislike cold weather and have difficulty walking on ice. But I went on the glacier landing helicopter excursions Juneau and it was fantastic.

Sometimes it helps to know details of what happens. First stop is the helicopter company where you watch a short safety and rules video and get ice-gripping overshoes. They also ask your weight - first time in a while I did not lie since it has to do with helicopter capacity and seating.

Then they cram you into a tiny helicopter with a pilot who seemed way too young to be doing this. They lock the door from the outside and there are headphones so pilot can hear you and also so he can tell you what to look for where as you fly over Juneau and eventually to glacier. Landed on glacier. Time on ground for partially guided tour about 30 minutes - then back into a helicopter. The helicopter does not wait for you as it is shuttling people back and forth.

My reaction - as helicopter lifted off I really really wanted to jump out - I was terrified. Realizing that this would have meant instant death I did the next most rationale thing which was to close my eyes and pray. After about 3 minutes I realized if I was going to die I might as well enjoy the view - so I opened 1 eye and checked out Juneau and the glacier. Amazing views. Landing was uneventful, walk around over too soon, and on the flight back I forgot to be terrified.

Don't miss this excursion - whether you book it thru cruiseline or independently. Well worth the $$$ for such a short trip.

Gardyloo

I prefer light planes to choppers, mainly because usually they're better value (time/$) and because you almost always get a seat next to a window, rather than the possibility of being in the middle in a helicopter (depends on the equipment and operator.)

With float planes the pontoons slightly obscure the view straight down, which I suspect would be comforting for those whose fear of heights brings on a bit of vertigo; the overhead wing also fills a bit of the sky, making the whole affair (IMO) more akin to being in a car - you can use the wings to see the angle of the horizon, and when the plane turns you can also see forward, so you have a real sense of flying rather than sitting in a tube (or bubble) while the world outside the windows does mysterious things.

Takeoff and landing on floats is a total hoot IMO - no matter how many times I've done it (a lot) I still get a real kick when the plane gets "on the step" (hydroplaning just before takeoff) when the water seems to be flashing past like you're on the Enterprise; then when landing how that first "whack" of the bottom of the floats scrapes the top of a ripple, followed by a secure-feeling rapid deceleration as the plane slows down. Personally, I love the whole thing.

cd

I hate flying but I do, so on our cruise to Alaska we took the helicopter to a glacier to walk around and it is still one of the most amazing memories I have. We also took a float plane (two times) into the wilderness and landed on a glacier lake, again, one of my most amazing memories. Not trying to talk you into it, just saying.....

bjl

Thank you all very much. The details you've given me help a lot. The helicopter-to-a-glacier experience is so highly rated that I hate to miss out.

turtlegirl

We went on a Misty Fjords float plane and it was not scary at all. If I could do over, though, I'd do the float plane over glaciers as the misty fjords was not as spectacular as glacier viewing, IMHO.

spirobulldog

I have done both in Alaska. Both were excellent. I agree with Gardyloo, something about landing on water is just really cool. The landing and takeoff was one of the smoothest I have ever had. Our plane was a 1950's something and the pilot was even older. He was standing in the water and had just finished changing the oil. This was in Soldotna on a fishing/bear viewing/flight seeing excursions. We got a lot of bang for our buck. We also did a helicopter/glacier landing/dog sledding at Girdwoods. It was great too.
My parents did a landing on Denali and that was the highlight of their trip. Do as many as your budget can possibly stand, you won't regret it.