Private Cessna 185 Charters

Whether you’re traveling to a remote lake, lodge, community, or wilderness destination, our Cessna 185 floatplane provides access to areas throughout Southeast Alaska that are difficult or impossible to reach by road. With seating for up to four passengers and the ability to carry gear and supplies, private charters are a flexible way to get you and your equipment where you need to go. Careful planning and packing will help make your charter safe, efficient, and enjoyable.

1. Choose Your Destination

Determine where you would like to go and what you’ll be doing once you get there. Our Cessna 185 can provide charter transportation to many remote lakes, saltwater destinations, communities, lodges, and wilderness areas throughout Southeast Alaska.

For hunting and fishing drop-offs, customers are responsible for selecting their own destination. As an air taxi/transporter, Family Air cannot recommend hunting or fishing locations based on where fish or game may be found.

2. Contact Family Air

Contact us with your requested destination, travel dates, number of passengers, and an estimate of the amount of gear you’ll be bringing.

We’ll confirm whether the destination is suitable for our aircraft, provide charter pricing, and check availability.

For wilderness drop-off trips, be sure to arrange both your outbound and return flights—we don’t leave you out there!

3. Understand Aircraft Weight & Space Limitations

Family Air operates a Cessna 185 floatplane with seating for up to four passengers. Maximum payload depends on the destination:

• Large Lakes & Saltwater Destinations: Maximum of 900 lbs total, including passengers, baggage, gear, and supplies.

• Small Lakes: Maximum of 750 lbs total, including passengers, baggage, gear, and supplies.

• Final allowable weight is determined by the pilot based on the destination, conditions, and aircraft weight and balance requirements.

Cargo Space:

• Belly Pod: 35" × 18" × 108", up to 300 lbs; door opening 25" × 15".

• Float Compartments: Two compartments with up to 100 lbs capacity each; door openings approximately 12.5" × 20.5".

• Bags placed in the float compartments should be water-resistant, as small amounts of bilge water may be present.

Please provide accurate passenger weights and a realistic estimate of your gear weight when booking. Groups exceeding the allowable payload may require additional flights.

4. Pack for a Small Aircraft

Soft-sided duffel bags and backpacks are strongly recommended. Flexible bags are much easier to load into the aircraft, belly pod, and float compartments than hard-sided suitcases, large totes, or oversized coolers.

Pack efficiently and keep individual bags reasonably sized. Avoid unnecessary bulky items whenever possible.

DO NOT BRING SINGLE PIECE FISHING RODS

If you plan to bring large, heavy, or unusually shaped equipment, please let us know ahead of time so we can determine whether it will fit in the aircraft.

5. Arrange Rental Equipment if Needed

Family Air has select equipment available for rent for remote trips, including items such as outboard motors, sleeping gear, cooking equipment, and other camping essentials.

You Can Rent them here - https://www.familyairtours.com/equipment-rental

Let us know what equipment you may need while planning your charter. Renting equipment locally can reduce the amount of gear you need to bring with you to Ketchikan.

6. Arriving in Ketchikan & Airport Transportation

If you are arriving in Ketchikan on a commercial flight, we can help make the connection to your charter as simple as possible.

Family Air provides van pickup from the Ketchikan Airport Ferry Terminal on the Ketchikan side and transportation to our facility for your floatplane departure.

Depending on your charter and scheduling, we can also arrange for your floatplane charter to depart directly from the Ketchikan International Airport dock, allowing you to connect to your charter without traveling into town.

Please let us know your commercial flight information when arranging your charter so we can coordinate the best option for your trip.

Weather in Southeast Alaska can change quickly and may cause flight delays or schedule changes. For multi-day wilderness trips, we recommend planning one or two days in Ketchikan after your scheduled return before an important connecting flight. This provides additional flexibility if weather delays your pickup.

7. Prepare for Your Charter

Before your trip, double-check your equipment, food, clothing, and supplies. Make sure you have any required fishing licenses, hunting licenses, tags, permits, or other documentation before departure.

Please provide accurate passenger weights and a realistic estimate of your gear weight before your flight.

8. Day of Your Flight

Unless other arrangements have been made, meet us at the Family Air Tours shop at 1601 Tongass Avenue in Ketchikan. We’ll organize and weigh your gear as needed, review your flight details, and load the aircraft according to weight and balance requirements.

If you have arranged an airport dock departure, we’ll coordinate the meeting details with you in advance.

From there, we’ll fly you to your destination. For wilderness drop-offs and multi-day trips, we’ll return on your scheduled pickup date to bring you and your gear back to Ketchikan.