I can't imagine a more perfect place to learn to fly seaplanes. This had been a bucket list item for years, and I can confidently say it didn't disappoint. Brad runs a very laid back, but professional, operation - show up on day one, get about an hour of ground school (you should come prepared - their website has a number of flows to memorize and a question packet to complete before arriving). After that you'll have a couple flights per day. The first couple you won't be able to stop saying how incredibly gorgeous the whole area and flying is.Instructors were are well prepared and extremely enthusiastic (special thanks to Aidan and Cass). There's a good syllabus that's followed, and each lesson builds on aspects of seaplane flying. By the end of 7 flights I felt confident for my check ride, and having the DPE onsite made this an easy way to finish my time in Moose Pass. During your non-flying time you'll have the opportunity to relax and spend time with other students. Just meeting other pilots, all of whom were just happy to be there, was a great experience, and I met a lot of really interesting people. While not required, if you haven't done some tailwheel flying before, getting some time in a Decathlon or Super Cub before coming will make your life easier. I had just finished my tailwheel rating in a Decathlon and that made the initial time in the Super Cub feel much less intimidating.

Best destination to get a float plane rating! I can empathize with the person who gave a bad rating claiming a toxic environment but the reality is that the owner, 82yr old, Vern is a man full of wisdom that wholeheartedly desires to teach. He refuses to waste time on people’s sensitivity and goes straight for facts, logic and historical experience in aviation. Vern’s mountain flying and float experience is unmatched by anyone! If you need to hear encouraging words or require a participation trophy, don’t go here. If you are demanding and entitled, it won’t work out. Vern is upfront, he say’s “go with the flow”because there is no telling what can delay your training. My first day, 2 planes were down and it rained for 3 continuous days. We still trained in the rain but it caused delays. Plan on 3x 1hr flights a day maximum. You need a lot of time to digest the experience. Plan on 9-11 flights prior to check ride if you are current in GA. Airliner time is inapplicable, you need some tail wheel time before coming and SuperCub experience if you want to fast track. Several 20k hr pilots with no proficiency in GA got surprised. You will need min 6 flights if you are SuperCub proficient. You need to memorize the checklist or you are behind the airplane!The website has all the curriculum you need and the questions will prepare you for the experience and are required for the check ride. This course is not a regular float plane rating school. It is far more reaching by adding in the mountains. Doing a 300’, power off, 180deg, water landing, in a boxed canyon for a confined area landing is a skill that can be obtained in this course and nowhere else. You regularly fly very close to mountains that the the tops are covered by clouds. It is an unbelievable experience! Be current, memorize the checklist, be malleable.

It has been a 47 year aviation dream of mine to obtain my Seaplane Rating in “Real Alaska Bush Mountain Flying,” because I wanted to do it right! Anyone can just check off obtaining a Seaplane Rating in the minimum time in an area that doesn’t present challenging conditions. However, Moose Pass, Alaska offers one of the most spectacular places, which is surrounded by snow covered mountains, numerous multi color blue lakes and an abundance of wildlife...where there isn’t a Control Tower, ATIS, Unicom or a Windsock.Magnificent natural beauty describes the environment of Alaska Float Ratings in Moose Pass, Alaska. As a recently retired Boeing 777, 35 year Captain for United Airlines with approximately 27,000 flight hours, including prior experience aa a Check Airman, Simulator Instructor, Corporate and Flight Instructor experience, I had no prior knowledge of Seaplane and Bush Flying in the mountains of Alaska. I contacted Vern well in advance a few times to find out what I needed to study in advance to provide the best preparation prior to the start of training. Vern was very helpful in providing the proper guidance. I devoted a tremendous amount of self-studying and preparation for my flight lessons prior to and during flight training. The self study preparation covered a wealth of material, which was a huge challenge, but extremely rewarding. If I wasn’t able to research the information successfully, I scheduled Ground Instruction with an instructor. All of the instructors are very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The more you out into this course, the more you’ll get out of it. This unique environment offers numerous lakes within close proximity, which are surrounded by magnificent mountains. This provides a constantly changing and challenging environment where the winds can be prevailing in several directions, even on the same lake! You will encounter up and downdrafts from the surrounding mountains and valleys. Without a Control Tower, ATIS, Unicom or a Windsock, you must determine the wind direction and velocity direction of takeoff and landing and the type of takeoff and landing. That’s where the challenge starts and fun begins! Based on the water conditions and wind, you’ll have to determine what type of takeoff and/or landing is desired: Normal, Rough Water, Glassy Water or Confined Space. Alaska Float Plane Ratings in Moose Pass Alaska offers the best location, instructors and equipment nestled in the most picturesque and challenging mountainous terrain. You will take off and land on numerous close by lakes with challenging winds and weather. The mountains, shorelines and approaches Ofer a wide variety of challenging mountain flying. You can complete your training in a Piper PA-18 Super Cub Seaplane or a Cessna 172 Seaplane.Excellent professional flight instruction plus many hours of self study prepared me very well for a very successful oral exam and checkride. Vern did an excellent job in providing a safe, professional and productive checkride. There are no words to describe this magnificent epic opportunity to complete my 47 year dream of obtaining my Seaplane Rating in Real Alaska Bush Mountain flying at Moose Pass, Alaska.As I said, “I wanted to do it right,” . . . And I’m thrilled I did! Mission Accomplished!-Bill B.June 2021

If you could imagine flying in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, surrounded by majestic mountains, deep blue lakes around every ridge, seeing the big Alaskan brown bears, moose, bald eagles and big horn sheep on almost every flight, combined with the best float plane instruction you can get.....then you might be getting close to what its like to get your float plane rating at Vern’s school. It’s nothing short of amazing. As a captain for Delta Airlines with over 18000 hours of flying time and prior experience in the USAF, night freight, corporate, and flight instructing, I was the low man on the ladder experience wise. The wisdom, expertise, and generations of experience that Vern and his flight instructors pass on to his students is invaluable. They’ve been teaching for a long time and their system and method of instruction are very well thought out and organized. Vern’s school is one of the most thorough, professional and safety conscious programs I’ve ever attended. I was challenged and I worked hard preparing both before and during the program, but there’s a saying in life that the more you put into something the more you get out of it and that definitely applies to his program. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.....like a good movie that you never want to end. The day I finished my check ride my instructor and I flew up to this little hidden gem of a lake and caught rainbow trout on almost every cast. We were catching and releasing them but one got hooked pretty deep and didn’t survive. It was floating about 10 yards in front of us when a bald eagle swooped down with its talons extended and snatched it off the surface. It was a National Geographic moment. Bottom line: I can’t imagine learning to fly float planes anywhere in the world that would surpass the experience at Verns school in Moose pass.

I recently earned my seaplane rating from Alaska Float Ratings and would highly recommend the operating for both the instruction and the setting. Vern Kingsford has managed to create the single best learning environment that I have ever experienced, which surpasses my prior experiences at a college prep school, Ivy League university and on-the-job training at top Wall Street firms. Vern's level of knowledge of floatplane flying, mountain flying / weather and bush flying is unparalleled...he's been a seaplane designated pilot examiner for nearly FIFTY YEARS, and is passionate about making sure that AFR students learn to fly floats safely and proficiently. This course is a minimum of 8 hrs total (most other operations are 5-6 max)....this is the school to attend in order to learn, not to receive a guaranteed rating. As far as the setting, check out the site pics. You'll be learning while flying between mountain lakes and through mountain passes...the setting is absolutely unparalleled. Quick rebuttal of Tom's review -Apparently Tom failed his float checkride (administered by the owner), and has decided to complain about the operation as retribution -Restaurant proximity: why should a flight school be blamed for a student's poor research and planning? Yes, Moose Pass is small. Yes, Seward is a half-hour away. Alaska Float Ratings does not advertise itself as an all-inclusive resort, and there are plenty of grocery stores in both Seward and Anchorage to stock up on supplies -Number of instructors / planes: AFR is a small, family-type operation, and if you're looking for a small group of people that genuinely care about your development as a pilot, it couldn't be any better. If you're looking for a large academy / pilot mill with a fleet of aircraft and hangar full of instructors that may or may not remember your name, there are other operators that offer such an environment