Ketchikan Floatplane Advice

[Lsb58]

Can anyone advise me about the entry in to the floatplane? My Mother in law booked this excursion because it had the "Limited Mobility" symbol next to it. We rec'd a 2009 excursion booklet with our documents and the Ketchikan Floatplane excursion no longer displays the symbol. Are there steps involved, or a step ladder? She is also concerned about the Tracy Arm excursion, which was never advertised as a handicap excursion, but we were told she should be able to board the boat. She is not in a wheel chair, but would have trouble if there is any "climbing" involved. She wants to free up the excursion ASAP for someone else if it turns out to be too difficult for her. I knew I could probably get a better answer here than calling Regent. Thanks.

[cruiseej]

For the Misty Fjords floatplane, you have to walk down a modest ramp to a large floating dock where the planes are tied up. It's probably less than 100 yards in total, but depending on the tide, it could be a bit of an angle to walk down. Getting into the plane involves a step or two, but no climbing; I'm sure the pilot can help most people with som emobility impairment to get into the plane. When the plane lands in Misty Fjords, people can get out and stand on the plane strut on the water; if she wants to stay in the plane for this 10 minutes, she won't miss anything, and she should just tell them when checking in at the dock, so they seat her in a seat that won't block others from getting out.

 

For Tracy Arm, it involves walking down a flight of metal stairs outside the Mariner onto the boat -- the same as boarding one of the Regent tenders in sitka. I have seen Regent crew carry a passenger down the stairs in a wheelchair before, so if she can't walk up or down that flight of stairs, she may be able to get help on and off the boat. Once on the boat, she can stay on the lower level if she desires; she'll miss the opportunity to go up on deck, which is nice, but not necessary.

 

I'd think from your description that she could do both these excursions. My recommendation would be to keep them for now, and talk to the destination services manager once you get on board. They'll be able to tell you definitively. If they or your MIL feel either will be a problem, she can decide then to cancel the excursion and turn in her tickets; if the tour is sold out, Regent maintains a waitlist, so the tickets will go to someone who wants that tour.

 

-- Eric

[OrpingtonT]

There are some exellent pictures of a trip on a floatplane on http://slipperati.com/. Just let the sldeshow take it's course and you will see that there is a boarding ladder on that plane. I don't suppose all the aircraft are the same.

[cruiseej]

Regent was using two different companies, Taquan and Promech, for the Misty Fjords trip when we were there earlier this month. I don't know if their planes are identical, but they should be very similar. Below is a picture of the ones used by the company (Taquan) we were on, showing three steps up a metal ladder.

 

-- Eric

[Lsb58]

Thanks everyone! I sent your responses to my MIL and she will have to decide for herself how adventurous she wants to be.

[montblanc2]

We were assigned the Promech Touring company and there was a dock to walk down and they utilized a small ramp to load the passengers from the dock. A ladder was used to exit the plane when we landed in Misty Fjords (optional). Half of the passengers chose not to venture out of the plane onto the pontoon.

 

Attached is a link to a photo of the ramp leading to the plane.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8wXSdrlG4hCHOqvLiFAf5w?authkey=Gv1sRgCJfBkKTQzKPIEg&feat=directlink

 

Sorry for the color flash went off while the UV Haze filter was on.

[poss]

I'm curious about something. It's not terribly important, and there's probably no answer (that we can know).

Repeatedly I read about this one "best" float plane company in Ketchikan (Island Wings). Supposedly it's the only float company that actually taxis to shore and lands and lets people walk on shore, which people say is quite a lovely thing to do. I've always wondered why Regent doesn't book Island Wings. Just curious.

[cruiseej]

I'm curious about something. It's not terribly important, and there's probably no answer (that we can know).

Repeatedly I read about this one "best" float plane company in Ketchikan (Island Wings). Supposedly it's the only float company that actually taxis to shore and lands and lets people walk on shore, which people say is quite a lovely thing to do. I've always wondered why Regent doesn't book Island Wings. Just curious.

 

Poss, I believe the answer is that Island Wings is a one-plane, one pilot owner-operated company. People on the Alaska forum rave about Michelle's flightseeing trips, but you never hear about anyone else at Island Wings -- and looking at her web site, I think she's it. That type of tour operator doesn't work for Regent, who needs to be able to accommodate a much, much larger number of passengers with many planes.

 

On our Misty Fjords trip, we had a very nice trip with good pilot -- but I wouldn't give him the same superlative accolades I've read about Island Wings, and that I experienced in a different flightseeing trip at Denali post-cruise. With our two different flightseeing experiences this trip, I can now appreciate how an excellent pilot/guide can really enhance an excursion, not only with commentary, but turning and banking the plane to facilitate better viewing and picture-taking.

 

Anyway, that's why Regent doesn't use Island Wings, I believe.

 

-- Eric

[OrpingtonT]

Attached is a link to a photo of the ramp leading to the plane.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8wXSdrlG4hCHOqvLiFAf5w?authkey=Gv1sRgCJfBkKTQzKPIEg&feat=directlink

 

 

Thank you for that. It is clear that a person with limited mobility could take that trip, without climbing that ladder, just as cruiseej says.

[poss]

Thanks, Eric. Makes sense. So long as we're safe, I can forego the beach walk, though it'd be very pleasant to be able to get off the plane. (The pontoon stand doesn't have a whole lot of appeal.) I'm just hoping that this white-knuckle flier can steel herself to do the float and copter trips-- if the weather is ok, that is. (I've read so many times, in a number of guide books, that so many of these excursions are simply not worth doing if the weather isn't good. E.g. from the Skagway section of ALASKA CRUISES AND PORTS OF CALL, on the White Pass excursion: "Don't take this trip on an overcast day-- you won't see anything." (etcetera) You are so fortunate that you had good weather.

[cruiseej]

Poss, if you visit the Island Wings web site, you'll read how the owner/pilot Michelle talks about how the larger flightseeing companies used by the cruise ships will fly as long as the weather meets FAA minimums -- which are safe, but not necessary sightseeing-worthy -- whereas she will cancel trips when she believes customers won't be happy with the experience. I agree with you that her longer trip, and stopping on the beach rather than standing on the pontoon for five minutes, sounds nice -- but it's hard to argue for doing that on your own for $239 versus the nominal price Regent now charges.

 

Hopefully, you'll just have good weather. :) Remember that you can't really judge what the weather is like inside Misty Fjords Monument from the weather on the dock; it's often cloudy in town and clearer as you get further inland. (This is especially true in Skagway, where it's cloudy/rainy 2 days out of 3 -- as you get partway up the mountain, and certainly as you come through and past the pass, the weather can be bright and sunny; don't cancel just because it looks cloudy on the dock.) In the absolute worst case scenario, if the tour company runs the flight, and you feel you have a truly impaired experience because of the weather, I'd raise a complaint as soon as you return to the airplane base office; I don't know how often they do anything to make good, especially since your payment is to Regent and not the tour company, but it can't hurt to ask. The good news is that in all my months of reading on the Alaska forum, I don't recall anyone writing that they had a poor trip to Misty Fjords due to flying in bad weather.

 

-- Eric