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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am currently trying to justify a helicopter ride to a glacier for dog sledding in Alaska. [/quote]
Dog sledding is a not-to-be-missed experience, but there are plenty of places you can access it without a copter. Helicopters are inherently dangerous. Any hint of unpredictable wind gusts or of humidity that could lead to fog, and you can crash so, so easily.
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Alaskan here.  I fly in helicopters and small planes every year for field work.  I have had several field seasons where I was in helicopters 7 days a week for months.  They are very dangerous and Alaska's weather and terrain are very unforgiving.  Google "temsco helicopters crash skagway" as just one example of just one company in just one town in Alaska.  Last year I lost 3 coworkers in a helicopter crash, pilot also lost.  The year before we lost a pilot in a crash.  It is not a joke and you don't have to trust my anecdotes, you can easily do your own research.
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Do you feel the same way about the float planes?  I am also eyeing a day trip to Lake Clark or Katmai for bear viewing. [/quote]

I’d be interested in hearing the Alaskan perspective on this but my impression is that the float planes have a worse safety record.  The pilot we used for our float plane tour of misty fjord who was very highly recommended and experienced sadly died in a crash a few years later—his plane was hit by another plane as they were taking off or returning to the one small launch area for float planes.  The time I did the helicopter tour, they actually held us on the glacier for quite a while because of fog, then finally set us down in elevation on a snow cat where the helicopter could fly safely.  The pilot grumbled a lot saying it was perfectly safe but they have particularly stringent rules for flying tourists so he couldn’t take off until the clouds cleared. The second time I had a helicopter tour scheduled they had to cancel due to cloud cover.  It is one of the few tours I would book through the cruise (assuming you are cruising not doing a land tour) because the risk that you’ll be delayed or cancelled is pretty high.  [/quote]

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