Glacier Discovery by Helicopter

Per TEMSCO Helicopters’ Passenger Mobility Policy, service animals shall not be permitted on Temsco Eurocopter Astar, Hughes 500 and Airbus H130 aircraft used by Temsco for flightseeing and tours. Passenger seats in these aircraft are emergency exit accessible; the exit doors represent the only emergency exits. This policy is consistent with the Air Carrier Access Act that prohibits service animals to be located in an exit aisle.

Due to weight and balance limitations, as well as guest safety and comfort, passengers weighing 250 pounds (113kg or 18 Stone) or more will be charged an additional $150.00 to reserve adequate space onboard the helicopter. Total weight includes shoes and clothing. Surcharge must be paid at time of booking.

TEMSCO’s policies prohibit you from taking the following items on our aircraft/tour:

• Bags or cases of any kind
• iPads or tablets, tripods
• Selfie sticks or other extendible items
• Drones
• Water bottles or liquids

We will provide you with lockers at our base where you may leave such items.

No smoking of any kind is allowed for the duration of the tour.

When booking in Skagway, we ask that you make your own way to our base for the start of your tour. From the furthest pier to our location, it is about a mile walk. Alternatively, there is a shuttle service called the S.M.A.R.T. Shuttle that can bring you here for $3.00 per person. At the end of your tour, we do provide transportation either back to your ship or into town. We have a map to provide for guests who book in Skagway.

All TEMSCO excursions are listed as “MODERATE” activity level for the following reasons:

• The distance walking from our heli base to the aircraft and the distance from the helicopters to our camp on the glacier. This is approximately 200 feet (30 meters)
• The 2 sizeable steps that guests must navigate while getting in and out of the aircraft are approximately 18” in height.
• The natural surface of the glacier can be uneven and cracked. Once on the glacier, there is about a 1/4 mile walk over uneven, rocky terrain led by a knowledgeable glacier guide.
• Due to liability reasons, our employees cannot lift guests in or out of the helicopter. TEMSCO staff will be there to lend a helping hand, though ultimately guests are responsible for navigating these steps on their own

We arrange seating based on the weight, balance, and safety of the whole departure, and cannot guarantee that we will be able to keep groups together on the aircraft. Please note that we will do everything possible to keep groups together for the flight portion of the tour, but we are sometimes required to split a group between multiple helicopters. All groups will be together for the glacier portion of the tour.

A child does not need their own seat if they are under 24 months old on the day that they take the tour. These children are considered a lap child and are free of charge. A parent or guardian is responsible for holding the child securely for the entire tour. Any child 24 months of age or older is required to have their own seat per FAA regulations and therefore will require a full fare ticket for our tour.

Parental Consent forms: A parental consent form is required for all passengers ages 12 to 17 who will be participating on any tour unaccompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to fly without a parent or legal guardian.

We recommend dressing in warm layers, as clothing is not provided by TEMSCO. Gloves, hats, sunglasses, and a good pair of walking shoes are recommended. We will provide the guests with over-boots for walking on the glacier.

Unfortunately, the weather in Alaska does not always cooperate and there are times when we are unable to fly. If we are unable to fly a tour due to weather, our guests will receive a full refund. In most cases, we will not make the decision to cancel a tour until within an hour of departure, as the weather can quickly change and we do not want to preemptively cancel a tour if it is at all possible it will run.

If you choose to cancel prior to the departure, there is a 10% cancellation fee up until 24 hours prior to the excursion. If you cancel within 24 hours, the tour becomes non-refundable. If we need to cancel due to weather or any unforeseen circumstance, you’ll receive a 100% refund.