The Pilot Lodge

Spending the night inside a restored aircraft is about as unique an experience as you can have. And the Pilot Lodge serves up 3(!) large retrofitted airplanes to stay in, as well as a geodesic dome and 6 cabins, in Wasilla—about an hour’s drive from Anchorage.

Open year-round, the lodge was the dream of pilot and flight instructor Jon Kotwicki. But it’s not just a novelty. The comfortable, homey spaces include unexpected touches like heated floors and dishwashers, with bedrooms tastefully tucked into the curves of an airplane fuselage.

And because the lodge sits on an active airstrip, flightseeing adventures are literally at your doorstep. It couldn’t be easier to fly over glaciers, explore Denali, or head to Lake Clark to see bears. You may even get to have the experience of sitting in the pilot’s seat on an authentic Alaskan bush plane—while it’s in flight! (Don’t worry, Jon will be the one flying the plane.)

This family-friendly getaway feels wonderfully remote, but it’s just 10 minutes to restaurants and a grocery store, and 20 minutes to Wasilla and Willow. People often stay 3 to 5 nights, but even a one-night visit makes for an unforgettable experience.

The Accommodations

• DC6 airplane. This 2-bedroom, 1-bath plane is set alongside the runway with mountain views; there’s a massage chair in the cockpit.
• DC9 airplane. This 3-bedroom, 2-bath accommodation sits on the runway, with a sauna in the tail cone and a BBQ grill on the wing deck.
• 727 airplane. Stay in the private 1-bedroom, 1-bath in the tail section; the forward half of the aircraft is a common area for the lodge. There’s a firepit in the first-class area of the airplane, with a large table, kitchenette, and couch.
• Glass dome. This geodesic dome is 20 feet in diameter, featuring a wood stove and a queen-size bed. And because it’s all glass, it’s perfect for checking out the northern lights. While there’s no en suite bathroom, guests can use the one inside the 727.
• Cabins. You’ll find 6 cabins with either 1 or 2 bedrooms, each of which has a bathroom and kitchen.

Packages

The Pilot Lodge offers a variety of packages, some of which include transportation to and from Anchorage. You can also build flightseeing tours into your stay, giving you the chance to fly out to the Knik Glacier, Denali, and Lake Clark (for bear viewing).

Summer packages include meals served in the 727’s main lodge space. Start each day with a buffet breakfast, featuring dishes like bacon, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, toast, cereal, and fruit. Lunches can be packed to go. And dinners could bring halibut burgers, salmon and rice, salmon sushi, or BBQ, with delicious wildberry tarts for dessert.

In winter, there’s plenty of adventure, too. Take a flightseeing tour of the Knik Glacier and Denali, or stay on the ground to enjoy snowmobile tours, ice fishing, dog sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, or flight training.

The History

It took a lot of legwork to find these large planes, a lot of logistical work to transport them to the property, and a lot of restoration work to make them comfortable for guests.

Jon found the first plane, the DC6, in Fairbanks, and it took about 2 years to disassemble, transport, reassemble, and redesign. It’s also historic: DC6s were one of the first planes that helped build Alaska by hauling equipment out to the western part of the state. The DC9 was owned by DHL and was supposed to be turned into beer cans before Jon intervened, towing it on its own tires from Fairbanks down the Parks Highway. The 727 came from Anchorage.

Jon started flying in 2012. After running flight schools in Michigan and Florida and working for American Airlines, he came to Alaska in 2018 on a 3-day trip to see a former student and never looked back. He started a fight school here and took his passion for aviation to the next level by combining it with a passion for hospitality.