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
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!
Passenger capacity: 9
Payload capacity: 2500 lbs
Beechcraft Bonanza
A smaller, faster aircraft, our Bonanza is perfect for small groups in a hurry.
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!
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.
Passenger capacity: 1
Payload capacity: 500 lbs
