If you're coming to Alaska, you should come to Homer!
And if you're coming to Homer, you should fly with us! We'll take you over the glaciers,
mountains, and islands across
Kachemak Bay in our fully restored classic Alaskan seaplane.
"There are several good air taxis in Homer... but Kachemak Air Service is really special." Frommer's Travel Guide
"Fly with me and I'll show you the Alaska you came to see." -- Bill de Creeft, owner and pilot
"God did a great job with the land. Bill did a great job showing it off."-- W. V. Loger
On our one-hour scenic flight we'll take you over glaciers and icefields, past ridges that are the summer home of Alaskan mountain goats and black bears. You'll fly down green valleys, past waterfalls, through fjords where remote cabins dot the shoreline. You may see eagles, sea otters, and seals. This one hundred mile flight in our wonderful 1929 Travel Air S6000B seaplane is $175 per person (minimums apply).
22,000 Hours of Commercial Seaplane Flying in Alaska from
Homer (click on link for live web cam images)
"We first met Bill and Barbara at an air show in Arizona. We were both hopping rides in vintage airplanes. But it wasn't the aircraft that brought us together. One night over dinner Bill urged Kate to make an honest man out of me. Come to Alaska and be married on a remote lake in our floatplane, he challenged. We did, and our lives haven't been the same--because of our blissful marriage and because of what Bill and Barbara have contributed to our lives.
We've learned it's Barbara who runs the show with quiet finesse. You'll probably find her with a radio mic in one hand and her granddaughter lovingly cradled on her hip with the other. There's something very attractive about a woman who lives in a log cabin, runs a difficult business with aplomb, and reads Scientific American when she has a few minutes to herself.
Bill, we've learned, is modest to a fault about his skill and experience garnered over 30 years and 22,000+ hours of commercial seaplane flying in Alaska. So when we were building this site and wanted to include a headline from the Anchorage Times that names him one of five "Alaskan Heros of the Decade" he demurred. He insisted we just let the clippings in his scrapbook here on this site tell the story. We think the material in his scrapbook and what he's written below is the perfect introduction to a good man, an expert pilot and...in age when they're hard to find...a true hero."
"If you look at my scrapbook you'll find some kind words written about me and
to me; they're a little formidable to live up to!
Friends who are building this website insisted we include them because they
want you to feel safe and to look forward to flying with me.
Thirty years ago the Coast Guard didn't have many helicopters, so I was
frequently called to help out. At that time it was just part of the job; if
someone was in trouble and you had an airplane, you were just naturally going
to be out there trying.
Too many times a search would end on a sad note. . .but sometimes there
was a thrilling and happy ending. Take a look at the story of Roger and
Denise if you want to know the true pleasure of flying in this country.
In those times my responsibility was to do what I could and to fight the
weather if I had to, so I did. But I was usually alone and responsible
only to myself and to whoever I was trying to help.
Now my job is different, and my responsibility is to take care of my
passengers. Sometimes that means not taking you anywhere! I'd rather dissapoint you than endanger you.
There used to be a cab driver in this town who liked to say "Well, I may not
do you any good, but I won't do you any harm!"
I think those are good words for an Air Taxi operator to live by too.
If you show up here but you don't want to go, I'll ask
you if you're broke or scared. If you're broke I'll leave you alone, but
if you're scared I'll talk you into it. And when you get back you'll tell me
it's one of the best things you ever did! I've had to practically carry some
ladies into the airplane, and then had them hug me when they got back.
I've been flying over these mountains since 1962 so we'll see places you
wouldn't see even if you were in your own airplane, and we'll never be over
something I couldn't land on if I had to. Think of it as a Sunday drive in a
Pierce-Arrow. If you'll come with me in an airplane that's been an old friend for over
thirty years, I'll show you the Alaska you came to see."
If you're an aviation enthusiast, a history buff, or just want to see some pictures of our Travel Air, we've put together a few pages dedicated to the people our Travel Air has touched. Click here for some pictures of the recent restoration process. And take a look through the following links too:
"I've flown planes most of my life, but seldom ever a flight like we had with you. The scenery was spectacular, the hospitality great, and the piloting superb." Captain, Eastern Air Lines, retired.
In those times my responsibility was to do what I could and to fight the
weather if I had to, so I did. But I was usually alone and responsible
only to myself and to whoever I was trying to help.
Now my job is different, and my responsibility is to take care of my
passengers. Sometimes that means not taking you anywhere! I'd rather dissapoint you than endanger you.
There used to be a cab driver in this town who liked to say "Well, I may not
do you any good, but I won't do you any harm!"
I think those are good words for an Air Taxi operator to live by too.