The Idaho backcountry, from the only sensible angle.
Scenic flights over Payette Lake, backcountry and hot-springs access, heli-skiing with local guides, and charter into places with no road, flown by the crew that works this terrain every month of the year.
Two million acres
with no road in it.
McCall sits on the edge of the largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48. West of town is Payette Lake and the Salmon River Mountains; east of it is the Frank Church-River of No Return, a piece of country most people only ever see on a map.
From the ground it takes days to reach any of it. From the air it starts about four minutes after take-off. That gap is the entire reason this side of the business exists.
What you get here that you do not get from a resort operation is who is flying. The same pilots spend the rest of the year working utility patrol, fire and backcountry operations in exactly this terrain. They know where the air goes bad in the afternoon, where the wires are, and which drainage is worth the detour.
- Payette Lake and the Salmon River Mountains
- Frank Church-River of No Return country
- Flown by year-round backcountry crews
- Small groups, no fixed departure schedule
Four ways to see
the backcountry.
Pricing depends on the flight, the season and the group, so we quote it rather than publish it. Everything here flies subject to weather and conditions.
Payette Lake & McCall
The introduction. Off the ramp at McCall, out over Payette Lake and the shoreline, with the Salmon River Mountains standing up behind it. The flight most people take first, and the one most people underestimate.
- Payette Lake and the shoreline
- McCall from the air
- Salmon River Mountains backdrop
- Flies most days, year-round
Backcountry & hot springs
Into the Frank Church country: the drainages, ridgelines and river canyons that are a long, hard drive and a longer walk from anywhere. Landing options depend on season, conditions and land status, and we will be straight with you about that when you book.
- Backcountry drainages and canyons
- Landing options subject to conditions
- Hot springs and river access, seasonal
- Small groups only
Heli-skiing & winter access
Untracked terrain in the Idaho winter, flown in partnership with local guides who own the snow-safety call. The aircraft is the easy part; the decision about which slope is safe today belongs to people who have been reading it all season.
- Guide-led, avalanche-assessed terrain
- Small groups
- Conditions and stability decide the day
- Partnership with local guide operations
Charter & backcountry transfer
Getting people and gear to a lodge, camp, strip or trailhead that would otherwise cost a day each way. Hunters, anglers, film crews, researchers, wedding parties and the occasional very well-organised camping trip.
- Lodge, camp and trailhead access
- Gear and supply movement
- Photography and film work
- Custom routing on request
The practical part,
written down honestly.
What decides whether you fly
- Weather: ceiling, visibility, wind
- Turbulence, especially on summer afternoons
- Density altitude at the landing site
- Total passenger and baggage weight
- Land status and seasonal closures for landings
What to bring
- Layers (it is colder at altitude)
- Sunglasses and a hat you can secure
- Camera with a wrist strap, not a loose one
- Nothing loose that can leave the aircraft
- Your actual weight when you book, honestly
What happens on the day
- Safety briefing before you approach the aircraft
- Boarding and seating directed by the crew
- Headsets, so you can hear and be heard
- No approach to the aircraft without the crew
- Weather calls are made by the pilot, and they are final
Three things that are
not true of every operator.
The same crew, all year
Your scenic flight is flown by someone who works this terrain in every season and every condition, not by a seasonal pilot on a two-month contract.
- Year-round backcountry operations
- Utility and fire flying the rest of the year
- Terrain currency that never lapses
Maintained in our own shop
The aircraft you fly in is looked after by the people who fly it, in our own hangar at McCall.
- In-house A&P maintenance
- No third-party handover
- Availability protected
Part 135 operations
Passenger flights are flown under an FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate, with the crew standards and oversight that come with it.
- FAA Part 135 certificate
- Briefed before every flight
- Weather calls made by the pilot
What visitors ask
before they book.
Call or send us an enquiry with the dates you are in the area, how many people, and roughly what you would like to see. Availability, current pricing and what is realistic for your dates come back from a person rather than a booking engine.
It depends on the flight, the season and the group, so we quote it properly rather than publishing a number that turns out not to apply to you. Ask and you will get a straight price with what is included spelled out.
We reschedule or refund. Mountain weather cancels flights, and it is not negotiable. A scenic flight in poor visibility is neither scenic nor sensible. We will always tell you as early as we can see it coming.
Sometimes, and it depends on land status, season, conditions and the site. Wilderness and some public-land areas have restrictions that we take seriously. We will tell you honestly what is possible for your date rather than promising a landing and finding a reason later.
Yes, and it matters more than people expect: helicopter performance at altitude depends on it directly. We ask for actual passenger weights when you book. It is not a judgement, it is arithmetic, and giving us a low number only creates a problem on the day.
Generally yes, with restrictions that depend on age, size and the flight. Ask when you enquire and we will tell you what works.
Tell us your dates. We'll tell you what the weather is likely to allow.
Scenic, backcountry and charter flights from McCall, Idaho.
CALL DIRECT · 208-315-5769