When someone says “ helicopter tours,” what do most people think of? They imagine the views, the unique landscapes, the chance to see wild animals in their natural habitat, stepping foot in a remote place, and the opportunity to ride in a machine most of the human population never will.
Who do you want operating that helicopter? Would you trust your family’s lives to a pilot fresh out of flight school? No. You want someone who has lots of experience. The harsh reality is that helicopter tour operators hire low-time (read “no real-world experience”) pilots who are just using the tour as a way to build time to meet the minimum requirements for their dream job. The majority of pilots do not enjoy tours; they tolerate it as a necessary stepping stone.
At Heli Alaska, Inc., we do things differently. Our pilots have been out in the “real world” and have thousands of hours of experience in the most demanding conditions Alaska can offer. From landing at night on moving ships to capturing wolves and grizzly bears, our pilots have extensive knowledge of what it takes to safely operate a helicopter in Alaska.
Dusty Little has been flying Alaska’s back country for more than 17 years. His total helicopter time to include 6,250 hours of Alaska’s most rugged mountains.
With thousands of glacier landings across Alaskas most challenging terrain, he continues to share his passion for flight.
Dusty has held his flight instructor rating since 2009
in addition to having held a 135 check airman status. .
Rob Kozakiewicz has been flying helicopters for 16 years and has over 6,000 hours of flight time as well. He was the Chief Pilot at a large R44 operator for nine years where he flew thousands of hours, spread all over the state of Alaska. He trained dozens of pilots and managed day-to-day operations of up to 14 helicopters and pilots at any given time. He enjoys flying tours because it is a way for him to share Alaska with others.
