Sheldon Air Service, Talkeetna

According to Malcom Gladwell’s hypothesis from Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours of practice in a field to reach the heights of success achieved by Bill Gates, the Beatles, and other icons. This makes Sheldon Air Service’s David Lee the Paul McCartney of pilots—every time he takes to the air, Lee draws upon experience gained during more than three decades of experience and 12,000 flight hours.

Lee’s carefully honed talent—and his specialization in glacier landings—makes him an ideal guide for the company’s three flightseeing tours. One heads to the Mountain House Shelter, which founder Don Sheldon built, while others glide to Kahiltna Glacier Base Camp or Denali National Park. The air service can also aid arctic adventurers, offering air support to mountaineering expeditions or skyward tracking of the Iditarod’s meandering course.