Lake Hood Seaplane Base

The camera looks out over the water of Lake Hood, where floatplanes taxi, take off and land throughout the day. Small aircraft with pontoons sit along the shore and move across the lake, with trees and the wide Alaskan sky behind them. The constant coming and going of planes on the water is what makes this spot easy to recognise.

Mornings and late afternoons tend to be the busiest times, when pilots take advantage of calmer air. In summer the long daylight hours keep activity going well into the evening, while winter brings shorter days, snow along the shore and often overcast skies. Weather changes quickly here, and the light shifts noticeably through the seasons.

Lake Hood lies in Anchorage, Alaska, and is known as one of the busiest seaplane bases in the world. The lake and its connected waterways give pilots access to remote parts of the state, where roads are scarce. Visitors to Anchorage often stop by the shoreline to watch the planes and learn about bush flying in Alaska.