MT MCKINLEY FLIGHTSEEING ALASKA
 

Which company does the best flightseeing tour of Mt McKinley....Talkeetna Aero Services or Talkeetna Air Taxi?

Both are excellent long standing companies. MORE important is to be fully aware of WHAT tour you are purchasing. My clear preference are the summit flights (not summit view). But these don't have a glacier landing- a must do with any summit view flight. They may again be participating in the toursaver coupons next season? List will be out in December. www.toursaver.com

Judging from some posts in the past, I'd try to find one that doesn't require prepayment or can't be cancelled. Be aware that Mt. McKinley is rarely viewable, and it can be pointless to take the flight when it is totally shrouded in clouds.

This is not true, rarely will McKinley NOT be visable above the clouds- it usually is. Plus there is rapid cloud movement allowing viewing even if heavy clouds. The viewing limits are from the ground. I fly there every trip.

I am in a rare disagreement with Patrick. As BQ said, the views of Denali can be superb from the air when they are non-existent from the ground. In addition, getting there and getting back can be great fun as well. On my last flight, not only was the in-air view wonderful but we skimmed the ice of Ruth Glacier with high canyon walls on both sides of us and then searched the lower meadows for moose and beaver. It was the most fun I've ever had in an airplane and that's saying a lot!

WEll, dwooden, disagreements with me are not all that rare (except maybe from you). LOL

But maybe I should retract my statement. I too have talked with people who took the flight and still had fun. But if your goal is to see Mt. McKinley, I think you should be prepared for that option not necessarily being a "given". And if you are a queezy flyer, it might be nice to be able to cancel at the last minute if you don't like flying when it is raining and socked in, even though you may end up above the clouds and see a lot.