The Planes

Although Alaska contains the largest protected wilderness on earth, most adventurers never get past overcrowded Denali or at best McCarthy. The Wrangell Mountains are notoriously dangerous and difficult to navigate on foot, even in summer. The Chitina is a braided river, a network of intertwined currents and sandbars miles across. In most places, hikers can’t ford it on foot.

It was love of this wilderness that led John Claus to the cockipt in 1959. In the 1980’s John’s son Paul Claus pioneered the art of landing bush planes with tundra tires on ice glaciers. Airstrip? Who needs it?

Now Paul and John have been joined by a third generation of Claus family pilots – raised in the cockpits like their dad.
 

The Planes of Ultima Thule

These planes are the physical expression of the Claus family’s love of wilderness. For all of time most of this wilderness was unexplored. Now, with the Claus family’s celebrated gift for landing gently in the wild, you can actually interact – actually touch a part of this vast wilderness.

These planes, and this remarkable family of pilots, are the heart of Ultima Thule. There is no added or hourly charter cost for flying – it’s part of the experience. There is really no other way to see this land.