The man turning jet planes into cool houses
Wasilla, south central Alaska. Home to bears, lakes, mountains and a flight school that’s fast becoming a private aviation wonderland.
At FLY8MA Pilot Lodge, you can opt for a scenic flight tour with glacier views, take the controls for a flying lesson, or go all in and get your pilot training.
When night falls over the broad vistas of the US state they call the Last Frontier, you can then climb the steps to two unique accommodation experiences: a converted McDonnell Douglas DC-6 airplane and the newest arrival, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 – still with its DHL livery.
The fast-developing site is an ongoing project by FLY8MA founder Jon Kotwicki, who previously owned a flight school in Florida, before working as a commercial pilot and eventually ending up in Alaska.
Flying for the airlines “pays good money and everything, but it’s a very boring job,” he says. “Driving Uber is more interesting because you could talk to your passengers.”
Having fallen in love with the south central region on a vacation spent hiking, fishing and spotting bears and grizzlies, he chose it as a spot where he and his team – and his trusty Pomeranian dog Foxtrot – could “buy a lot of property and perhaps develop our own airport and run our own show.”
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