Lake & Peninsula Airlines

The Lake & Peninsula Story

Lake and Peninsula Airlines has always been an Alaska family-owned and -operated company.

Lake and Peninsula was started by Dave and Jacque Wilder and is now owned by their son, Lyle, and his wife, Heidi. 

Dave began flying at age 20 and has been a commercial pilot since 1969, logging 40,000+ hours. Though he was raised on the south side of Chicago, he says life didn’t start until he moved to Alaska at age 21. Jacque was born and raised by homesteader parents in Pile Bay in bush Alaska. With her office skills and Dave’s knowledge of Alaskan terrain, they created Lake and Peninsula Airlines in 1992.

Lyle has been flying since he was a teen. He attended college at Moody Aviation in Tennessee and became LPA’s second pilot in 2002. He met Heidi while she was teaching at the school in Port Alsworth; they married in 2008 and took over LPA in 2016. Heidi is a former firefighter from Montana and the founder of the Port Alsworth Women’s Gun Club. She and Lyle have two kids, Bones and Maggie.

Lyle and Heidi are continuing Dave and Jacque’s legacy of integrity, generosity, service, and safety. They love Alaska and the people they get to serve here!

The Lake & Peninsula Team

Lyle Wilder / Owner & Pilot
Heidi Wilder / Owner & Office
Dave Wilder / Founder & Pilot
Brian Geerdes
Brian Geerdes / Pilot
Levi Wilder / Pilot
Justin Schoffer / Pilot
Josh Blom / Pilot
Breanna Wilder / Anchorage Office
Katie Burrows
Katie Burrows / Port Alsworth Office
Kacy Lou Leyba
Kacy Lou Leyba / Port Alsworth Office
Annie Fink / Iliamna Office
Bailey Brown / Expediting
Lena Gibbs / Anchorage Office
Dana Natwick / Anchorage Office
Gloria Alsworth / Anchorage Office
Megan Rowland / Port Alsworth Office
Jared Drinkwater / Mechanic
Mark Smith / Mechanic
Hosannah Valentine / Anchorage Office
Corin Smith / Expediting

The Lake & Peninsula Fleet

Cessna Caravan

Ideal for moving large groups of people, or for hauling large freight. With three on our fleet, they’re ready to meet your needs!

Stats

Passenger capacity: 9

Payload capacity: 2500 lbs

Beechcraft Bonanza

A smaller, faster aircraft, our Bonanza is perfect for small groups in a hurry.

Stats

Passenger capacity: 4

Payload capacity: 800 lbs

Cessna 206

This is our workhorse, capable of landing on short runways and beaches. Get out and adventure!

Stats

Passenger capacity: 5

Payload capacity: 800 lbs

Piper Super Cub

We also operate a Piper Super Cub, perfect for off runway bush landings. This aircraft is great for shuttling to some of those harder to reach places.

Stats

Passenger capacity: 1

Payload capacity: 500 lbs