When coming to Alaska as a professional photographer, there are literally hundreds of pilots to choose from. But what sets photographers apart from others, is that we are not simply looking for a safe flight to a beautiful place. We need a pilot with an almost innate knowledge of the Alaskan landscape, a pilot who can land in places we may have never heard about before we originally planned our trip. Most importantly is a pilot who can anticipate and maneuver his plane according to our needs as photographers.

Zach has flown me to some of the wildest edges on Earth, from remote mountain ridgetops along the Yukon Quest trail in interior Alaska, to the windswept, barren tundra on the Seward Peninsula, to the ice age world of snow and ice in the Chugach Mountain Range in Southcentral Alaska. Zach gained my trust through his impeccable safety record, his sound decision-making skills and his unflappable calm even when flying under the most challenging and extreme weather conditions. As a lifelong Alaskan, Zach’s knowledge of the Alaskan landscape is unparalleled. With his uncanny ability to anticipate my needs as a photographer, I have been able to capture images that I may have otherwise not been able to photograph. If you want to photograph Alaska’s outer limits, Zach is the pilot who will take you there.
Laurent Dick, author & photographer

Flying in Zac’s Super-cub high or low above the Alaskan Wilderness is an experience I highly recommend. Its small, tight and compact, there’s no room for luxuries or excess baggage, forcing you to take only the very critical essentials but the experience is like no other because you can go places no other can go, land in places no other can land, camp wherever you want without minimum runway lengths or planned itineraries. It’s the real deal.

Zac and I flew the Iditarod trail in March 2004, landing in all kinds of places, camping on the trail under the stars, listening to Wolf howl, sitting by the fire as mushers passed with their dogs- the sound of running paws on ice and jingling necklines in the night. We lived the trail, we felt the cold and we flew like birds! The man and the plane bring you to the outer limits of Alaska’s wilderness to places more commercial operations cannot touch. Zac is one of the most experienced pilots I’ve ever flown with, at ease at the controls with a cool head and a big heart to show you Alaska! Coming from Kenya where bush pilots are as numerous in Alaska and being a private pilot myself, I can recommend him highly as a great pilot, a great guide and a fantastic companion to have on the trail.

There;s nothing like being out there alone with Zac and his Super-cub. It works for anything, be it pure travel, photography or film. We’ll definitely fly again soon. Feel free to email me directly with any questions. Go for it! It’s a blast. There’s no other way to see Alaska!
Dominic Cunningham-Reid, IMAX photographer/director