Where you stay changes everything
Getting to a remote Alaska lodge typically costs $500–$1,000 per person in charter flights before you've seen a single bear or glacier. The Pilot Lodge sits on the road system — 50 miles from Anchorage, 15 minutes by air. You drive or fly here for free.
Then we put you in a plane and take you to the exact same destinations those remote lodges call home. Lake Clark brown bears. Knik Glacier. Denali's south face. The Talachulitna headwaters. All within 150 miles. All on your schedule.
Choose your adventure
From a 4-day budget sampler to a full week with your own dedicated aircraft and pilot. Every package departs from our private runway in Big Lake.
Basecamp · 3 nights / 4 days
"Your First Taste of Wild Alaska"
$1,895 / person
Up to 5 guests · Standard cabin
Basecamp · Up to 6 nights
"Six Days, Six Adventures"
$3,295 / person
2–5 guests · Up to 6 nights cabin
★ Expedition · 3 nights / 4 days
Most popular premium choice
$7,000 / person
Additional guests: $3,900/person · Max 5
Expedition · 6 nights / 7 days
Dedicated aircraft + pilot, full week
$11,000 / person
Additional guests: $5,900/person · Max 5
Alaska fishing license not included on any package — guest responsibility if fishing is selected. Questions? Call Jon directly.
Where you'll sleep
Three retired aircraft, fully converted into private accommodations. No hotel in Alaska has anything like this.
What you'll do
Every experience departs from our private runway. No shuttle buses. No shared planes with strangers. Your pilot, your schedule.
~95 miles · Lake Clark National Park
Fly southwest across Cook Inlet to one of the premier brown bear viewing sites in Alaska. Bears fish for sockeye at close range, mothers teach cubs, and big boars defend their pools. Your pilot is your naturalist guide. Gourmet field lunch on the beach, bears optional as table companions.
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~100 miles · Denali National Park
North from Big Lake, the Alaska Range grows from a horizon smudge into something that rewires your sense of scale. You fly the full orbit — south face, west buttress, Kahiltna Glacier amphitheater. Conditions permitting, your pilot lands on a gravel bar within 10 miles of the summit. Nobody is nearby. The ice is visible from where you stand.
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~30 miles · Knik Glacier
The closest glacier in our backyard and the most dramatic. Your pilot flies low over the Knik's blue crevasse fields, then lands on the adjacent gravel bar for a walk to the ice margin. The contrast of the moraine, the ice, and the water beyond it is something cameras underdeliver on. We fly this one on a lot of Days 1 — first flights deserve first impressions.
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Expedition Packages Only
Two overnight options for Expedition guests: the Pincher Creek Cabin — a remote fly-in retreat, spend the night in the bush with no roads nearby — or a glamping setup on a remote river gravel bar with a tent, wood stove, chef-prepped meal cooked over the fire, and a sky that doesn't go dark in July. Your pilot drops you off and picks you up. Between those two flights: it's just you and Alaska.
See Expedition Packages150-mile radius from Big Lake
Every destination accessible by your dedicated aircraft. No dead-head flights. No shared planes.
Expedition packages only
Two overnight options, each counting as 2 of your activity slots. Weather-dependent. Unforgettable.
Remote fly-in cabin
Your pilot flies you to a remote cabin with no road access. Spend the night and most of the following day in genuine Alaskan wilderness before your morning pickup. The cabin is simple, the silence is not.
Gravel bar glamping
Flown to a remote river gravel bar. Tent with a wood stove, campfire, chef-prepped meal cooked over the fire, s'mores, and a sky that doesn't go dark until midnight in summer. Your pilot drops you and picks you up. Between those two flights: just you, the river, and Alaska.
Add on to any package
Our pilots hold CFI certificates and the aircraft are approved for dual instruction. Log hours toward your Private Pilot or Sport Pilot certificate while flying over the Alaska Range — not in a traffic pattern somewhere flat.
What guests say
"Jon and his team went out of their way to ensure we had a comfortable stay. The aircraft cabins are by far the best — the kids loved it, as did we. Highly recommend one of the flying tours. We did the Glacier View experience. The place is incredible."
"Staying at Jon's airplane Airbnb was an incredible experience. The airplane is situated right on a small runway that occasionally sees bush planes, making it a dream for aviation enthusiasts. Even if you're not into aviation, the stay is well worth it."
"I wanted to stay in this plane for my 50th state! I can't say enough good things. The views brought me a rainbow. The northern lights popped out to say hello. I ate takeout on the deck with the wonderful fire pit. Jon was very responsive. JUST BOOK IT."
Follow along
Featured in
AOPA Travel Alaska EAA Outdoor Life Alaska Magazine Aviation WeekSeason runs May – September
Expedition packages book 6–10 months in advance. Basecamp packages have more flexibility. Call Jon directly — he picks up the phone.
📞 Call or text Jon directly: 907-268-3100
Big Lake, Alaska · 115 Acres
Jon Kotwicki came to Alaska in 2018 as an airline pilot and never left. He built Fly8MA into one of the most recognized online flight training programs in the country — and channeled that same obsession with aviation into something you can sleep in: The Pilot Lodge.
The 115-acre property in Big Lake has two private runways, three converted airplane houses, five cabins, and a bush plane fleet that goes where you want to go. Rated among the most unique stays in Alaska. Airbnb Superhost with hundreds of 5-star reviews. AOPA-featured. And still run by a pilot who picks up the phone.
More About the Lodge
