Rust's Flying Service

The Glacier & Wildlife tour was a fantastic experience! The staff was warm and welcoming, showing us on the map where we would be flying made sure we felt taken care of. Our pilot, Drew was knowledgeable and provided us with commentary, but also let us just soak in the incredible beauty. The vast landscapes coupled with clear skies and expert flying made for a spectacular outing on a gorgeous fall day!

Rust's flying service. What a fantastic experience! Our pilot, Mike, took us on a trip to see Denali. The views were just amazing. Halfway through, we landed on a lake and were able to get out, take pictures, and look around. Anyone visiting Anchorage, Alaska, we highly recommend you take the time for a float plane trip with Rust’s. Thanks, Mike; you were great!

Wow! What an unforgettable, incredible experience: exploring Alaska by sea plane with Rust’s Flying Service is a must. From the welcoming to the return transfer and the journey inbetween, I can’t sing this team’s praises enough. Suzanne and her crew made everyone feel comfortable, the planes are meticulously kept, the pilots well trained and seeing this magical place from above is yes costly, but also priceless. Highly recommend seeing Denali from way up high and splurging on bear watching at Lake Clark.

Alaska Rail Vacations made our reservation at Rust's for some sightseeing and bear watching. We were pleased on both accounts. Rust's staff picked us up at our hotel in a nice van. The flight was great and pilot Dan, also a comedian in training, made the flight interesting. He not only explained the volconos and mountains we were flying around but would turn to show both sides of the plane the sights. He pointed out Baluga whales, moose, bear and seals during our flight to Bear Mountain Lodge. This made our trip! Hats off to the staff at Rust's!!🍻

Flew with them to Redoubt Bay Lodge, pilot was friendly and knowledgeable. Explained throughout the flight time. Spotted Moose,Swans on the way.explained about oil and power plants and commercial fishing center enroute. Went during low tide ad didn’t get to spot Belugas. Return trip for quite after long day. Over all staff are friendly and amazing. However the Redoubt Bay bear viewing itself was not as I expected, these day tours cost close to 1200/person and surprised that they charged $1000 or more for infant who is on our lap and didn’t take seat and weighing 19lbs. Bear viewing really depends but they know there is not lot of fish and bears are not as active as they are. Having this info would help. Paying so much only to get luck to see few bears roaming around wouldn’t worth $4700 or more of 3 adults and infant. My five star is for staff, flight services and staff at lodge. They made experience a lot better but may not worth the money.

Wow, what an experience! From start to finish, Rust's Flying Service made my bear viewing tour in Lake Clark National Park unforgettable. The team was incredibly professional, friendly, and knowledgeable—making me feel completely at ease, even though we were flying into the heart of bear country. The flight itself was breathtaking. The scenic views of the Alaskan wilderness were out of this world, and our pilot Scott made sure we had a great view of everything. We spotted several bears up close, which was nothing short of amazing! It was the perfect mix of adventure and safety. The tour is very small group. We had chance to see bear flighting, catching and eating salmon, peeing and pooping, and mating etc in a very close distance. The lunch is fresh caught salmon, so delicious. They also provided excellent pick-up and drop-off service, making the whole experience seamless. I didn’t have to worry about anything—just sit back and enjoy the ride. The team went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable and had the best time possible. This is, without a doubt, one of the best tours I’ve ever been on (thanks for Emma’s recommendation and 6 out of 5 stars customer service). If you're looking for a top-notch Alaskan adventure with some incredible bear sightings, look no further than Rust's Flying Service. Highly recommend! 11 out of 10!

We flew from Anchorage to Denali and back on a flightseeing tour on November 21st . We had a group of 6 split on two planes 4 with Ed and 2 with another pilot. They pointed out areas and took a lot of time flying into the glaciers and mountains around Denali. I felt very safe and well looked after. Would do it again!

First-class operation all the way. Our pilot, Kyle, is professional and gave a lot of details about what we were flying over, history, and did a couple loops around wildlife we spotted along the way. Bears and Belugas! Kyle also walked with us at Brooks and stayed nearby as we visited the various viewing platforms. We took the Brooks day trip flight, but they have so many more options available, like Valley of 10,000 smokes. Highly recommend. Shuttle service to/from the airport is available

Long time, locally owned business. In Alaska there is no better service with a wide array of planes and destinations. We flew to lake Clark. Pilot was super chatty and we did a spectacular 90 degree turn into a crystal clear lake with bears roaming about. On the way back we went on the otter, which is an amazing plane that skimmed over the top of the mountain range on way back to anchorage. They have the experience and track record. There are cheaper services but rusts I'll pick you up at hotel and they have lots of lobby space in case your flight is delayed by weather. If you have the money do a trip on a floatplane. It's amazing.

Overall: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Plane: 8/10 Pilot: 10/10 (Scott was great!) Value: 9/10 Absolutely amazing! Did the 3 hour Denali flight. Great information, flight was great and by far the best way to see Denali (especially from Anchorage). Highly recommend Rust's for seeing the area by sea plane. Yeah, it's a little pricey but it's fair and completely worth it!

- we chose the mountain denali package and it was breathtaking the pilot (Spence) was very knowledgeable about lands and animals - there was a bathroom breakstop in the middle - we stopped in Willow for a beer and pizza - the tour lasted roughly 3.5 hours

I am usually NOT good on planes, but I genuinely had such a great time flying with Rust's. Their pilot Will was knowledgeable about both the aircraft and the region and was so friendly, and I felt comfortable the whole time. I also just could not stop staring out the window at the jaw dropping scenery. We even spotted some Beluga whales on the way to Lake Clark NP! And if you're into aircraft, they can tell you all about the planes + you even get to hear air traffic control on the headphones. 100% would do this again!

Best of the best if you're looking for a floatplane tour, charter or guide service to see all that Alaska has to offer. Rust's cares about safety which should be everyone's top priority. If the weather isn't ideal conditions, they have no problem cancelling a flight and refunding your money. We were hoping to do a flight down to Prince William Sound but weather wasn't cooperating so we opted for the shortest trip available, the Anchorage Flightseeing Experience which lasts about a half hour. In just a half hour, you get to experience what would take hours of driving to see, while floating about 1500' above which offers an excellent view. The 4 of us piled into the Cessna 206 along with our pilot Bruce and took off out of Lake Hood. Much to our surprise the takeoff and landing were superior to anything we've ever experienced, and we all work for the airlines! Perhaps a sign of the thousands of hours Bruce has on these floatplanes. Bruce narrated the trip through the headsets as we flew and answered any questions we had. We saw a lot, and we learned a lot all while checking another box off the bucket list! You're in good hands here so don't pass on the opportunity to go on one of the many awesome tours offered by Rust's. I'll definitely return for a trip down to PWS next time I'm in town!

Definitely recommend! Our pilot, Joe, was great! Got to see some amazing views that the pictures definitely do not do it justice.

I had an enjoyable experience traveling by airplane. I encountered some bears that I'll discuss in a future review. The pilot was friendly, and they offered tasty snacks upon landing. Highly recommended!

What an organized, cheerful and thoughtful tourism outfit! We signed up for the Anchorage to Katmai National Park salmon and bear watch tour. We were picked up on time at our hotel early in the morning to their base, and allowed to have our luggages stored there. Jeff, our pilot and guide flew us up to Katmai with our lunch in tow. Jeff was an experienced pilot with wealth of knowledge about flying and the vast geography. Once we got to Katmai, he also volunteered to hike with us through the park to the sightseeing deck, and made sure we were properly signed in with the park rangers to go on the observation deck before leaving us to tend to the seaplane. Once we got back to Anchorage, a shuttle bus was waiting for us to take us and our luggage to a hotel in downtown. Fantastic service all around. Great experience!

Amazing four hours with Rust Air today touring Denali Park that includes a landing on a glacier lake with tons of wildlife around. In addition to the amazing mountains saw salmon jumping along with moose and bear from above. Was $499 per person when booking direct with them. Tip: bring a few beers or other beverage of choice to enjoy for the 30 minutes you out on the glacier lake's beach.

I booked a last minute trip to Denali. Seriously thee smallest plane I have ever been in. If you get nauseated easily take some anti nausea med prior. The turbulence over the thermals. The views are too die for. You can't views of mount denali any other way besides hiking it.

We had the best time! The pilot gave us a beautiful tour and interesting information about the area. We would love to go back and take a longer tour next time. Do not hesitate to book with them---you will not regret it!

What an awesome experience we had, I had no clue we'd get to fly so close to Denali! We did the Denali tour in the Turbine Otter and wow was it awesome! I can't recommend these guys enough! Cheers! The staff was very friendly as well, good people!

Rusts's flew us to our lodge on the Yetna river. Very capable pilots and friendly service. It was a great experience!

Rust's have been amazing during my stay in Anchorage! I had booked two trips with them about 2-3 months in advance. One was Katmai Bear Viewing and the other Chinitna Bay Bear Viewing. I called a day before the trip to reconfirm and get a pick up time for their shuttle service. The shuttle arrived on time and upon arrival at their hub, we were checked in and weighed. All of the staff members are super friendly! Sadly, our Katmai trip got canceled that morning due to rainy weather and poor visibility due to fog. Everyone was bummed of course. They offered either a full refund (as rebooking was impossible due to the rest of the season being full) OR you could go on a bear viewing trip to Redoubt Bay Lodge. I decided to take the alternative, and boy was I glad I did! Redoubt Bay Lodge is a pretty short flight away. Upon arrival you board pontoon boats and go looking for bears that way. It took less than 10 minutes before we saw a momma bear and her 3 2y/o cubs. After that we saw another momma bear with 2 new-born cubs. Unreal! We also saw a black bear from further away. Our viewing there ended with an amazing home cooked meal at the lodge. Then Paul flew us all back quickly and safely on one of the floatplanes. The next day was my trip to Chinitna Bay to do some more bear viewing. Marc was our pilot today on the airvan. He flew us through the mountains on the way there, which offered amazing scenery. He also has an amazing eye for spotting beluga whales in the water. Once on the ground, we boarded converted school busses to go look for bears that are either eating grass or digging for clams this time of year. There's quite a high concentration of bears here; the trick is to find some that are close enough to observe; which we did thanks to local guide Tony. Once we finished our bear viewing, we hopped back onto the plane and got a little snack box for the way back. Both trips were very well organized and coordinated. I had an amazing time and would definitely book with them again and recommend them to everyone!

You really shouldn't leave Alaska without seeing Denali National Park. At a formidable 20,320 feet tall, Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) is the centerpiece of the park. Since we only had 5 days in Alaska, we opted to take a pontoon plane from Anchorage and flew 45 minutes to reach the park (vs. the 5-hour trip if you drove!). The airplane ride is spectacular and you'll get a birds-eye view of just how desolate the land around Anchorage really is. I can't tell you how many times I yelled out loud, "Someone lives down there!?" This area is remote -- and you'll see cabins seemingly hundreds of miles away from civilization in every direction! We went with Rust's Flying Service, which conveniently is located near the The Lakefront Anchorage. They offer a variety of tours, but we really enjoyed the 3-hour flight that went above Denali's lower peaks and viewed the entire length of the rugged Ruth Glacier. You're connected to your pilot the entire time on a 2-way headset where you can ask questions and learn more about the land below. We opted for the standard Denali sightseeing tour that included a quick stop along a lake (aka, a nice bathroom break halfway!). It was an exciting way to start off the trip and you'll feel like you are definitely in Alaska! Cost: $425 per person plus tax for the standard Denali tour (with midway landing at the lake). Or $495 per person plus tax for the Denali tour with a landing on a glacier.

BUCKET LIST!! An incredible experience that will ALWAYS be remembered. Mark Stadsklev, our pilot, was not only VERY experienced, but great to fly with and the tour was amazing and informative (but very safe). He is an OUTSTANDING photographer and showed us views of Denali one could ONLY see from the bush plane. I can't imagine going to Anchorage and NOT taking this tour. 5 Stars - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

We took the Lake Clark National Park Bear Viewing Tour. Have you hiked for hours hoping you'd see a bear in the far distance? Or sat quietly for hours hoping a bear would make themselves visible on a high mountain peak? Spent countless early mornings driving up and down a remote road hoping to spot bears in the wild? Then, yes, this tour is for you. No? Then either this will be the beginning of a life long love of bear sightings, or you are not right for this tour. Our tour started with a van pick up at 7:15am, and then once at the floatplane port, we were swiftly boarded and in route to the lake. The flight was just over an hour, and the scenery was fantastic. Our pilot, Curtis, was also fantastic, pointing out sights and sharing his local knowledge, and quite humorous. Upon arrival, we were divided into small groups and put in pontoon boats and immediately started scouting out the shores to see bears. Halfway through the day, we stopped for lunch and a bathroom break. The meal included a simple salad, rice, salmon and cookies for dessert. After lunch, we boarded our boat again, and started trolling the lake for bear sightings. Our guide was a lovely young lady that is passionate about what she does and clearly cares for the wildlife. We were lucky to have perfect weather, we saw 12 bears and quite a few bald eagles. After a full day, we were then picked up by our pilot and flown back to Anchorage. Floatplanes are just FUN, it's such a novelty to be on one, and you quickly realize their value when in Alaska - how else would you get to all these remote places??!! Anyway, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour, as it was the one thing we scheduled before our cruise through the inside passage. This topped all the tours we took from the cruise, and was truly the highlight of our week. It's a once in a lifetime experience. I'll cherish the memories. Tips: Bring your own binoculars, a camera with a decent telephoto lense, wear sunscreen on your face, but have warm clothes, especially earmuffs or a hat, as it gets a bit chilly/windy on the lake, and bring cash to tip your guide at the end. They are doing all the work to find the bears and do an outstanding job. Again, if spending 6 hours on a pontoon boat looking for bears isn't appealing to you, then this is not the tour for you. It was a dream trip for us, since our vacations are often focused on seeing wildlife, and this met all our expectations!!

Had the opportunity to try them out for a free ride for their anniversary. Fun and friendly. Check out their websites for different flight tours.

Such a great experience! The two of us had a pick up and drop off at Lake Creek for two days of flyfishing. We loved chatting with pilots who are experienced and friendly. We did a couple circles around a moose we spotted! A really easy process, super friendly staff, no complaints here. Superb.

Loved Rust's! They did a last minute trip over the Chugash which was an amazing way to start our trip. The pilot was a little cold at first but ended up being a nice guy in the end. Scenery was amazing and I appreciated them doing an on the spot flightseeing. The real winner was Katmai which was a breathtaking experience - literally and figuratively - with the most incredible flight and interesting times with the dozens of bears nearby. The pilot for that trip was an ornery old bastard as wel so I don't know if that's par for the course. I did appreciate their shuttle service but their clerk doing the phones was a total pain in the ass. Overall a very good experience.

Rust's was our chariot into the wilderness for some back-country fishing, and we found them to be great to work with throughout the process. We booked flights months in advance to get out into the Chugach National Forest, but when the day came, it was foggy and raining in Anchorage, foggy in the mountain pass, and raining in the little valley and lake we were flying into. Rust's let us know early that they weren't going to be able to fly us based on the weather and the forecast for the day, so we were able to spend the day around town. The next day dawned poorly, but when the weather lifted they were able to get us out on about 90 minutes notice, which was awesome (as was the flight itself, if there is a better way to see Alaska in all its glory than a sight-seeing flight, I don't know what it would be). Then a day and a half before our scheduled flight out of the wilderness back to Anchorage we called to check the weather forecast, and it wasn't good. On less than a day's notice, they were able to come back out 12 hours early to pick us up before the weather moved in, and again we had a stunningly beautiful flight (but sure enough the weather was awful by the time we'd have been trying to fly back out at the original time). On top of their flexibility, everyone we dealt with, from the reservations folks, to the shuttle driver that picked us up from the hotel, to the baggage handlers and our awesome pilot was friendly and professional. I wouldn't fly with anyone else next time, but the weather is unpredictable, so you've got to take it in stride like they do!

We had an amazing day, felt safe landing both times and had an enjoyable flight! Saw 11 bear sightings, along with Salmon everywhere learned about spawning and had breathtaking views!

Us four geriatric adults flew from Anchorage to Katmai for scheduled bear viewing experience. Our pilot, Steve Brooks, who flies for Rusts, made sure our flying experience was educational, memorable and most of all safe. His navigational and flying skills combined for amazing views of numerous lakes, glaciers and mountains during our three hour flight to and from Katmai. We also enjoyed our healthy box lunch provided by Rusts. We highly recommend flying with both Rusts and Steve!

More than just an air taxi service, the pilots are experienced and trained guides as well - a real plus. We booked a one hour flight from Anchorage over to our lodge in Tutka Bay and I was left wishing that it would have been a longer flight. It was so spectacular. Rust's is first class all the way. From the time your greeted at the front desk to the point of boarding your plane, you're treated as a VIP. Friendly staff that was willing to help with anything from general information to historical facts. Our pilot was an experienced guide that made our trip go quickly. When he spotted some orca's in the water he circled back to we could get a better view. He wanted us to have a great experience. Smooth flying and comfortable seats allowed for spectacular views out the windows; it was enjoyable.

Great experience. One of the best things to do in the Anchorage area. I walked from the home I rented to a local hotel to be picked up, and the cheerful minivan driver took all of us to the check in area. There are restrooms and areas for seating. We boarded the plane and the entire process and the flight was very smooth. When you are near the Denali area you really can see the geolocial beauty of Alaska and the entire range. We got what felt very close to the mountain and it's peaks, along with narrative from our very knowledgeable pilot. Really a great experience and the tales from the pilot gave a unique insight as to what life in Alaska is like, and the benefits and dangers of the large amount of flying that takes place all over Alaska. We saw moose on the way back. Mid way through the flight, we landed on a beautiful still lake and exited on the shore and got to walk around and take photos. An amazing experience. I see from my photos and videos that I am now the envy of all my friends.

Today I took a floatplane sightseeing trip over Anchorage and up through the mountains. Omar was our pilot. Words cannot describe how awesome this trip was. Omar was a great tour guide and a very patient pilot. He made us all feel very comfortable. I highly recommend Rust's. They are a great operation. Thanks Again Omar!!

We used them for our bear watching tour on Lake Clark and they were just exceptional. Went in a Beaver which was an amphibian plane, taking off and landing were smooth. They took us to Lake Calrk - views on the route were amazing. From there we went on a pontoon boat for bear watching and were able to spot 6 bears catching salmons, crossing the water banks. The whole experience was the highlight of our trip. It was planned in detail by them and they took good care. On the way back the plane which was supposed to pick us up got delayed and they had to send another one out. But apart from this, it was a tip worth remembering.

Had the perfect day traveling to Katmai with Mike, our pilot for the day trip. He was very knowledgeable and pointed out specific landmarks, volcanoes, and Beluga whales throughout our air travel. I HIGHLY recommend Rust's Flying Service for your travels.

Super awesome experience flying with Rusts. Originally had a tour of Denali booked but weather was not good so was offered another option to see the glacier fields and a volcano. Ummmm, yeah! Views stunning, our pilot Mike was they guy you hoped would be your pilot -- tons of experience both flying and tour guide. We got up close and personal with some amazing sights,,,,,saw Beluga whales and moose, circled for pics, enjoyed a quick break along the shores of a glacier lake, and learned about the area, the industry, the history, the environment. Highly recommend this company. Family run and the folks in the office couldn't be nicer and eager to please.

Went on a 3 hour tour to Denali national park. Pretty calm weather which lead to a smooth flight. Our pilot Dan was a pro. Provided lots of information of the land we flew over. He got us some great views from both sides of the plane at Denali. Overall great experience.

Hubby and I really wanted to experience a nice float plane adventure while we were celebrating our 25th in Alaska. We decided on this company based on recommends from yelp. Unfortunately, we did not fully enjoy our trip. First, the headset I was provided was not functional. Second, the man who piloted our plane was not the friendliest sort of fellow. He was curt and somewhat condescending (which seems nuts since this is obviously geared for tourists). And third, the guide provided almost no information on the things we were seeing and never looked for wildlife at all. Perhaps we had a guide who would rather have been somewhere else or perhaps they are all like this. I can only speak for our experience, which was certainly not worth the over $700.00 we spent for two hours of flying. UPDATE: The company reached out to us and refunded half of the cost of our trip. I appreciate the willingness to work with us on these issues and greatly respect the decision to offer us a refund. Thanks "Cole" for your effort.

Booked an all day guided salmon fishing trip. Kinda pricey ($600 each plus $25 one day fishing license) but so worth it. Rust only flies you there and back. Rust partners with McDougal Lodge for the fishing. Both Rust and McDougal were top notch. Rust picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the lake near Anchorage Airport. Check in was fast and easy. They got us our fishing license and off we went. Mike took a group of 5 in the De Havilland Beaver float plane. We had a smooth take off from the lake, smooth 35 minute flight, and smooth landing at Lake Creek. McDougal Lodge is kinda like a rustic B&B. Our fishing guide Jim was super nice and knowledgeable. Forgot a pair of rain pants and Jim rounded up a pair to borrow. He took a group of 4 of us out in a small aluminum boat. Jim did all the heavy lifting - setting the rods and reels, baiting the hooks, and taking care of the fish. He found a spot for us to fish from the boat and within 90 minutes all 4 of us had our limit of 3 fish each (silver salmon...7-8 pounds). McDougal provides lunch cafeteria style. We had beef soft tacos and nachos in a ranch style dining common. Very satisfying lunch. While we ate lunch Jim took care of our fish - he cleaned, fileted, and vacuum packed our fish. Then it was back out on the lake for more fishing. Catch and release since we already had our limit. But we caught another 9 silver salmon using bobbers and spinners. It's easy to give them 5 stars because we caught so many fish. But regardless it was an amazing day - float plane ride, nice views, peaceful lake, and good food. McDougal and Rust staff all very friendly and accommodating. Both helped us get our catch back home on the airplane (you can either freeze and take back in a travel box or use a local processor). Special thanks to Jim our guide and Mike and Bruce our pilots. Tip - take rain gear and dress in layers.

WOW...JUST WOW Needed to get to a remote lodge to go fly fishing. I had never flown in a small plane before. These guys are top notch! The office was great. Super friendly. They picked me up at my hotel and dropped me off. The pilot was great. Absolutely perfect experience

Took a float plane from Rust's to go salmon fishing. From booking to the return flight everything was excellent. I forgot our fishing licenses in the hotel and the girl at the desk was able to use my phone to get a copy. The pilots were great. We were taken to Mcdougal's Lodge where we met Scott our guide for the day. Scott was great got us on the fish and the lunch at the lodge was great. Would highly recommend Rut's, Mcdougals and Scott. Can't wait to go back.

We were scheduled to fly from Anchorage to Katmai National Park for bear viewing and, unfortunately the trip was cancelled due to bad weather, but we were very impressed with how Rust's handled everything. They monitored the weather patterns closely and kept us well informed during the hour between our check in and our scheduled departure time. Although we did not get to go to Katmai, I was glad that they put safety first and did not try to chance it. Once it was clear that we would not be able to make the trip, they offered the option of a full refund or an alternate trip with a partial refund. We took the alternate trip and flew to Redoubt Bay instead. I have a fear of small planes, but the ride was smooth and comfortable and the pilots to and from were highly skilled; I always felt safe. Redoubt Bay was a great alternate trip to a tucked away location with a nice, gourmet lunch, a pontoon ride with great views of brown bear swimming and fishing in the bay, and a roaring fire to warm us up after being out on the water. The staff at Rust's and on our full trip to Redoubt were all friendly and accommodating and we really enjoyed our day. Rust's also offers free shuttle service to and from the area hotels.

Had a fantastic time. Our pilot Paul was very genuine and knowledgeable. Would 10/10 book again! Also Piper the dog is the cutest thing!!!

This was the highlight of our trip. We chartered a trip to Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks. Checking in was well organized and we (family of four adults) were introduced to our guide/pilot, Chet. He gave us the safety run down, happily took our pic in front of the small float plane we would spend the day in. We flew through Cooks Bay and down to Katmai NP, seeing awe inspiring sights, scenery and listening to Chet's interesting commentary. We landed at Brooks Camp, ate lunch, stamped our National Park Passport and watched the bears! So crazy incredible. We got back into the plane and headed to Port Allsworth to refuel. Quick stop and back into the plane to get to Dick Proenneke's cabin on Twin Lakes, Lake Clark NP. WOW. We were met by the NP ranger who gave us the tour of the site. Thanks Ranger Anya. And she had a stamp for our book too! It was then back to Anchorage with the sun setting at our backs. Chet was just amazing. Securing the plane quickly at every stop, helping us on shore, letting us know where we were and what we were seeing AND making super smooth landings and take offs. We give you a 10 Chet! At times some of us weren't feeling so well and he found smoother air for us. We didn't know the area and he showed us the incredible variety of landscapes found in the two parks. Snow and ice, glacial lakes, vast grazing plains, narrow passes, grand peaks, glaciated valleys, Dall sheep, Caribou, salmon, bears, birds, huge glaciers, even a lake in an old caldera. What started as a quest to check off 2 National Parks became an all day adventure, filled with a never ending smorgasbord of "wow" moments that our family will never forget.

Very professional and safely run operation in my opinion. Great trip and I will fly with them again soon I hope. Outstanding pilots and staff.

Hello I normally do not post bad reviews but I've lost close to $500 rebooking my entire trip because of terrible booking experience and cancellations by "Rust's Flying Service". Initially I've booked a Bear viewing tour for two for $1800 for the entire day of August 30th. The website displayed clear open dates and processed my booking request after taking my payment. I began to book my entire trip around this full day activity. Soon after I received an email from Rust's indicating that the date i chose was not available??? I called Rust's and spoke to Sage who apologized for the website not being 100% accurate for bookings and assured me he can reschedule my trip for the following day which we did over the phone. I proceeded to reschedule my Airbnb and other overlapping activities I've committed for the day. Despite losing out on a few hundred dollars I was still extremely overjoyed because Bear Viewing expedition was the highlight of my trip. After some time I noticed I've still have not received an email confirmation so I've decided to call back to request one. To my surprise I've learned my reservation was once again cancelled because the representative on the phone failed to call the lodge to see if two more people could be accommodated. At least that's the explanation that was given to me. I was once again in an unfortunate position having to cancel all my prior plans and reshuffle my entire trip losing out on more money. I'm sure their expeditions are wonderful but the booking service was a nightmare. I was offered a 10% discount but that doesn't help me when the tour is totally booked for the 3 days that I'm in Alaska. All in all very disappointing and its experience I wish i had not gone through.

Excellent service, customer focus, and experience! We took the 3 hour flight over the glaciers and truly enjoyed the experience. Our pilot was a retired air force pilot and very knowledgeable of the ecosystem over the glaciers. We landed on a beach and a couple of water landings to watch glaciers up close and flew over and around several glaciers. It is not cheap but worth every dime! A trip to Alaska is a life experience and well worth the expense. I highly recommend this place for taking glacier sight-seeing flights.

Don't fall into this bear trap ! They have pics of bears on their website but where they're authorized to land the bears have disappeared. Not sure why but some locals say the bears are tired of Rusts tourists and have found better fishing spots upstream which isn't accessible. In our 6 hour tour we did not see a single bear and this was peak season. The bears aren't there anymore. These guys are overpriced and totally worthless. To top that the front desk guy (big guy who manages their shop) is extremely rude and nasty. If you aren't white he treats you like crap. Even if you're white his attitude isn't much better. Drive a couple hours south , Seward or Whittier, and take tours from there , much cheaper and high chances of bear watching. Rust is a huge expensive disappointment.

We were so excited about flightseeing in a float plane and Rust's did not let us down. We had to reschedule because of the weather, but when we got to go this morning, it was a fabulous time! If you've never been on a float plane, you have got to put this on your Anchorage must-do list. It was so cool. The lake was the run way!! Our pilot, Pete, was great and the flight was so much fun. I can't believe I'm saying that even though we had to watch this poor gal from Belgium be sick. At least the airflow was good. Anyways, that's besides the point. (Although, if someone starts out the flight talking about being scared of heights and looking for the vomit bag, that might be a bad sign). We took the wilderness and glacier tour and had a grand old time! We saw moose, one black bear, a whole group of sheep, some birds (I wasn't listening about that part), and a bunch of beluga whales. We also saw three different glaciers. The view of Colony glacier and the one next to it was absolutely breathtaking. Gosh Alaska is gorgeous. Pete was really knowledgeable and it was a smooth flight for being such a small little airplane on a windy day. What an adventure!!

This was really disappointing. We booked a 3-hour flight at 10:00 AM that was supposed to land on a lake. They told us to arrive half an hour only, so we got there at 9:30 as requested. The gentleman at the counter said our pilot Scott was checking the weather for the flight. As a pilot myself, I do this before all of my flights as well. They said it would take him about half an hour which sounded fishy to me, but what can you do. We waited outside on a picnic bench for 15 minutes, then 30 minutes. 10:00 came and went with nothing. We saw another guy Scott who turned out to be our Scott taking another group away at our time. The guy inside said that Scott hadn't landed yet which is why we were delayed. So first you tell me he's briefing and now he just hasn't landed when we saw him leave? Don't lie now. Our flight got underway at around 10:30, half an hour late. Well, actually, we didn't take off because a water rudder connection snapped (a piece of string). The repair was completed around 10:50, and we were finally off. There really wasn't much to see. Most of the flight consisted of me getting nauseous because of the steep banks we made to see bears and moose. That was cool but even when my mom mentioned she wasn't feeling great we continued to do it. Scott was pretty good. He talked to me about my flying, told us some history, and made sure we saw some wildlife. He said it was too windy to land on the lake (understandable) so they would refund that part of the trip. Overall, I left with a queazy and frustrated mind. I wouldn't take a flight tour of Alaska and I certainly wouldn't use Rust's again.

Only four stars because they still can't control the weather/animals. The Denali flight seeing tour is by far the best way to see the mountain other than standing at the peak. If the weather sucks they will try to work with your schedule to get you out on tour. They are good at what they do.

On our flight out, we were delayed (ultimately for six hours) by weather, but Willis (the flight manager?) did a great job keeping us apprised of what he knew and what we could expect. When we knew it would be a while before the weather would clear, Willis arranged for us to be driven to a local restaurant for lunch and then to a hotel / pub so we could be more comfortable during our wait. When we did fly, John (one of their pilots) took the four of us in a Beaver (upgraded from a smaller float plane) through pretty rough weather because they really wanted to get us to our lodge (and get the four outbound passengers from the lodge back to Anchorage) in safety. John didn't have much attention to spare for explaining what little we could see (he was busy on the radio making sure to avoid the worst of the weather and the other air traffic - there was no air traffic control guiding the planes around; the pilots had to do it all themselves), but John still did a great job tending to the four of us. While the weather cleared up as we got to Finger Lake and the Winter Lake Lodge, it's still a float plane and it still lands on water - so I was expecting a bit of an adventurous landing. No such thing. John's landing was amazing! So, the above descriptions would have been enough for five stars...but the return trip was even better! This time the weather was perfect. Our pilot, Stu, on learning that we had not yet seen Denali (and we had even been in the Denali National Park and hadn't seen it), he flew out of his way to give my wife a chance to snap a picture or two out an open window on the right side of the plane. How cool is that? Oh, and for Stu's landing, I did not even feel the plane land...it was that smooth. All around, these folks are tops in our book. Many thanks to everyone at Rust's.

My first time in a small float. We had a smooth flight and the pilot checked in with me several times to make sure I was ok. Very well run. We used Rust's to get to our lodge north of Anchorage. Would definitely use them again.

This is a must-do activity and easy to get to from Anchorage. We did the bear watching tour (about 6 hours total). Bart was our pilot and gave a great tour of the surrounding area on our flight down to Chinitna Bay AKA Bear Mountain. At this location you are pretty much guaranteed to spot some bears. We saw over 30, including mama bears with bear cubs. Such a great experience!

Our flight to and from Redoubt Lodge for bear viewing was smooth, but our pilot was a bit disappointing. He was perfectly adequate in actually flying the plane and I don't question his skill set there, but he offered little to no personality, conversation, or Alaskan viewing points/info/facts as we flew (which is advertised as part of the package and a reason to tip your pilot on their FAQ posters at the office). He didn't offer to ask as much as our names and where we were from so it just felt like getting in a taxi with a driver who is just there to get us from A to B. He even played music over our flight headphones the entire ride back to the office after bear viewing. He didn't seem particularly enthused - but rather just showing up to get the job done. It's hard to not compare him to our excellent & engaging pilot at K2, Rust's sister company. At K2, the pilot was very reassuring about pre-flight and safety, whereas we felt rather rushed onto the plane this time with Rust's, with minimal safety & flight info ahead of time. We were glad our first flight experience was with K2, as it felt more reassuring as new bush/float plane fliers. The bear viewing itself was wonderful and the lodge was quaint and cozy! Lunch was good. Wonderful, friendly, engaging, & helpful staff there. The staff at the Rust's office was also very friendly. Overall, the experience was pricey but worth it, mostly because of the bear tour & to see a remote National Park, but we just had higher expectations from the experience with the pilot, as that's a part of the day & price.

I think our trip was a little less than the adventure we had hoped it would be. Weather permitted us to fly through a great canyon glacier which was definitely the highlight of the trip. Otherwise the majority of the trip was over flatland before we got to the mountains. If the pilot would not have been able to go through the canyon, the trip would have been very uneventful. We were also able to land on a lake for a short, short bit. The flying service needs to make sure to replenish the vomit bags and have tissue and water available. They are a relatively expensive adventure for what we experienced.