Flightseeing and air charters

Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve

Hopping on board a prop plane or helicopter for a high altitude view is an exhilarating way to appreciate the sheer size of Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve.

Several air charter companies offer day-long flightseeing tours that take visitors deep into Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve, while others offer a sampler ranging from a few hours to half a day. Choose a flightseeing tour package or create a customized tour that better suits your personal interests. Air charter companies also provide drop-offs and pick-ups for independent travellers, such as hikers and canoeists. Interested? Find a licenced air charter company.

If you are flying with a commercial operator, it is the responsibility of your air charter company to have a business licence and aircraft access permit.

Flightseeing tours

Each company offers their own tours, and you should contact the companies directly to find the best trip for you. The price will vary depending on aircraft size and type and the distance travelled.

Float/ski plane companies operating out of:

  • Yellowknife: Ahmic Air, Air Tindi, and Hoarfrost River Huskies Ltd.
  • Hoarfrost River: Hoarfrost River Huskies Ltd.

Most companies offer packaged flightseeing tours and all will be able to work with you to develop a custom tour.

Ahmic Air operates two DHC-2 Beavers. Each aircraft can carry a maximum of 6 passengers. Ahmic Air offers custom and packaged flightseeing tours including:

  • 4.5 hour East Arm tour with a scenic snack stop
  • Deluxe East Arm Tour that includes Great Slave and Artillery Lake – where the treeline meets the Barrenlands. Options for a stopover include Pike’s Portage, Fort Reliance National Historic Site or Crystal Island on Artillery Lake.
  • The Ultimate East Arm Fishing trip where the floatplane becomes your private limousine for the day on an up to 10 hour flying and fishing trip that you plan with your pilot.

Air Tindi operates several aircraft and offers a two-hour tour of Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area, flying over scenic sites. Air Tindi also offers a fishing day trip to the Etthen Island area in the Territorial Protected Area.

Hoarfrost River Huskies Ltd. offer specialized custom flightseeing tours. Do you want to walk in the footsteps of legendary icons or have ties with the area you want to explore? As the closest air charter company to Thaidene National Park Reserve, the owners have lived in the area for decades and can help create a unique custom flightseeing tour like no other. Trips departing Yellowknife and Łutsël K’é.

Air charters

Pick-up / Drop-off air charters

Each company has different planes as part of their fleet. Contact the companies directly to find the best option for your trip. Payloads, passenger numbers and price will vary depending on aircraft size and type and the distance travelled.

Below is a list of companies licenced to operate in Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve. Details are included on their planes and passenger capacity, as well as if a particular floatplane can transport canoes and kayaks.

Floatplanes
Company Location Planes Maximum number of passengers Canoes and sea kayaks
Ahmic Air Yellowknife de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (x 2) 6 External load of 1 canoe or sea kayak (max 20 feet) with up to 3 passengers. Internal load of two pack canoes/kayaks and up to 4 passengers.
Air Tindi Yellowknife Cessna C-208 Caravan 7
de Havilland Twin Otter DHC-6 (x3) 14 Internal load of 3 canoes (max 18 feet) with 6 passengers
de Havilland Turbo Otter DHC-3T 9
Hoarfrost River Huskies Ltd. Yellowknife and Hoarfrost River Aviat Husky 1 1-2 pack canoes/ kayaks (internal load)* dependant on weight of passengers and gear
Bush Hawk 4 1-2 pack canoes/ kayaks (internal load)* dependant on weight of passengers and gear
Northwestern Air Lease Fort Smith de Havilland Turbo Otter 8
Cessna 185 3

* Regular canoes may be available for rent from Hoarfrost River Huskies Ltd., located at the mouth for the Hoarfrost River on McLeod Bay. These canoes cannot be transported in their planes.

Ski planes
Company Location Planes Maximum number of passengers
Ahmic Air Yellowknife de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (x 2) 6
Air Tindi Yellowknife Cessna C-208 Caravan 7
de Havilland Twin Otter DHC-6 (x3) 14
de Havilland Turbo Otter DHC-3T 9
Hoarfrost River Huskies Ltd. Yellowknife and Hoarfrost River Aviat Husky 1
Bush Hawk 4
Northwestern Air Lease Fort Smith de Havilland Turbo Otter 8
Cessna 185 3
Air access for private aircraft

Private aircraft operators are welcome to visit Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve. You will need an aircraft access permit to land in the National Park Reserve.

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