Mission: Alaska Seaplanes strives to provide safe and reliable transportation while delivering a high standard customer experience with highly trained and empowered employees.
The company was founded in 1997 by Craig and Aral Loken. The Lokens grew up in aviation with Juneau Air Taxi (later Channel Flying), a pioneering Alaska aviation company founded by Craig's father Ken Loken in the 1950s which eventually became the largest seaplane operator in the world.
In 2011, the Lokens sold Alaska Seaplanes to former Wings of Alaska managers Mike Stedman and Kent Craford. The next year the partners expanded into the wheel plane market with the acquisition of Air Excursions, a long-time Gustavus based air taxi company founded by Steve Wilson and later owned by veteran pilot/mechanic Mike Loverink. In the Spring of 2013, the two sister companies united their operations under one brand--Alaska Seaplanes. The company carries passengers, freight, US mail and UPS shipments and also offers charter flights throughout Southeast Alaska, Canada and the Pacific NW.
Alaska Seaplanes' owner Mike Stedman was born and raised in Sitka. He was formerly the President and long-time Director of Operations for Juneau-based Wings of Alaska. In addition to now owning and operating Alaska Seaplanes, Mike is currently a shareholder in Wings Airways, the employee-owned tour company operating turbine DeHavilland Otters from downtown Juneau. A pioneer in aviation safety, Mike also serves as past-President of the Alaska Air Carriers Association, as a board member of the Medallion Foundation, and member of Governor Walker's Aviation Advisory Board. Stedman was an early promoter of Alaska's Medallion Foundation safety program and led both Wings of Alaska and Wings Airways to become two of the first Part 135 airlines in the state to achieve the Medallion "Shield" status.
Stedman's business partner Kent Craford was the founding President and CEO of SeaPort Airlines, the sister company of Wings of Alaska. Craford pioneered the concept of business commuter service outside of TSA jurisdiction with a route between Portland, Oregon and Seattle's Boeing Field. Craford left SeaPort/Wings of Alaska in November 2009. Stedman left the company in early 2010.
ALASKA SEAPLANES OPERATES
SIX FLOAT PLANES
EIGHT WHEEL PLANES
Alaska Seaplanes utilize ADS-B avionics technology, a significant safety tool allowing pilots to fly with a moving GPS map which continually depicts the plane's proximity to terrain and other aircraft. The company is headquartered in Juneau, employs up to 180 people and operates year-round.
Passenger safety is our top priority at Alaska Seaplanes. We work hard on our company safety culture to provide customers with the safest trip possible. Our safety culture is reflected through our management team, pilots, mechanics, ramp crew, and all staff from the corporate office to the outstations.
STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT
Our aircraft are all equipped with state of the art equipment. We utilize a Chelton Capstone system in our IFR equipped aircraft which provides pilots with enhanced situational awareness and navigation capabilities. This system incorporates synthetic vision as well as a moving map. Our other aircraft also utilize advanced flat screen displays to provide additional reference to the pilots.
REAL-TIME AIRCRAFT TRACKING
Alaska Seaplanes aircraft are equipped with ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) equipment which allow our equipped aircraft to “see” other ADS-B equipped aircraft, and for them to see us. This provides better traffic awareness and separation which increases our safety margin. Our dispatchers also have a real-time view of where each aircraft is any any given time, providing accurate real time location, speed, direction and more.
RIGOROUS TRAINING
Each year our pilots, mechanics, and other staff receive recurrent training and testing to ensure that they are performing to the highest quality standards set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and our safety team. Additional training in a simulator also provides our pilots with training in a variety of weather scenarios.
ROBUST COMMUNICATION, EVEN IN THE BUSH
Our float-equipped aircraft utilize the InReach SE communications device. This device provides additional communication between pilots and dispatchers in remote areas where radio contact may be limited. The system is an Iridium Satellite-based communication program by Garmin.
THOROUGH MAINTENANCE
Each aircraft undergoes regularly scheduled maintenance in our new maintenance facility in Juneau. Our highly-trained mechanics ensure that each aircraft is serviced regularly and is in peak operating condition for our pilots and passengers.
ORGANIZED AROUND SAFETY
Alaska Seaplanes has a Safety Committee made up of employees from each department. The committee meets regularly to ensure that any safety issues are addressed in a timely manner. The committee also works to provide additional insight to the management team on our daily front line operations.
ADVENTURE AWAITS
Are you ready to join the Seaplanes Team? Whether you’re an Alaskan local, an airline industry veteran or just beginning your career in aviation, Alaska Seaplanes offers a broad range of career choices and advancement opportunities for everyone. Come work alongside nearly 150 experienced team members, serving over 75,000 passengers annually. Alaska Seaplanes provides a way of life to 14 rural Alaskan communities.
WHY ALASKA SEAPLANES
People
Our people are the heart of our business. Our employees make the difference, striving to fly at a higher standard 360 days a year. A higher standard means safety and reliability are the core of our business. Our Management Team has over a century of Alaskan aviation experience combined. We pride ourselves in the relationships we have developed with our employees, customers and community members over the years.
Purpose
Alaska Seaplanes is proud to deliver a way of life to the people (and four-legged friends) of 14 remote communities. We transport our customers for various reasons, including medical appointments, student extracurricular activities, business and leisure. Don’t forget the essentials, Alaska Seaplanes provides timely delivery of essential supplies like groceries, medicine, mail, and on occasion, pizza deliveries.
Opportunity
We “grow our own” and offer many advancement opportunities. Our variable fleet offers qualified pilots the chance to begin in a Cessna 207 and progress to the historical DeHavilland Beaver on floats and eventually on to the Pilatus PC-12. The same growth opportunity is offered in every department from Customer Service to Administration. Industry-experienced individuals are highly encouraged to apply, and will find that our standards, commitment to safety, investment in our equipment and people are why Alaska Seaplanes is flying at a higher standard.
PILOTS
We are currently accepting pilot applications. If you’re interested in joining the Alaska Seaplanes team, which operates multiple aircraft types as a Part-135 carrier, we welcome you to review our minimum qualifications and submit an application:
ALL POSITIONS
For all job positions at Alaska Seaplanes, we are looking for strong candidates that have the following qualities in addition to the noted qualifications in our job descriptions:
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Alaska Seaplanes offers a comprehensive employment package to full-time, permanent employees. If you’re a candidate for a pilot position or a position in operations, customer service, administration, management or another career, you’ll find that Seaplanes has a competitive array of both hard and soft employee benefits that promote work-life balance and overall on-the-job satisfaction. In addition to your standard perks, our company size and industry allow us to offer a unique work environment and compelling career growth opportunities.
Helpful (3)
I have been working at Alaska Seaplanes full-time (More than a year)
Pros
Management and operational personal are conservative with the weather and not known to push pilots out the door in the quick changing weather conditions. The equipment is maintained well and if you work hard you’ll be presented with awesome opportunities. Passengers are often regulars and you get to know them and become an integral part of their community and lives which gives you a strong sense of pride in your work knowing you’re making a difference.
Cons
Longer days in the winter season than the summer season due to the lack of pilots, but more time in between flights most days so it balances out.
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