“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will always long to return”
Aero Alerce is a local charter company based in Puerto Montt that specialize in custom flight charters, both on land and water.
Aero Alerce is owned and operated by pilot Rodrigo Noriega who began his flying career over 20 years ago with renowned Conservationists Douglas and Kris Tompkins. With over 10,000 flying hours, most of it in the backcountry of rugged southern Chile from Puerto Montt all the way to Cape Horn, Rodrigo’s flying skills are unmatched in one of the world’s most challenging regions, the extreme wilderness of Patagonia that he calls his backyard.
Flying a Cessna 206 (on floats or off), they can carry up to 4 passengers with 20lbs each. Customized charters from remote fly-fishing in secluded and inaccessible lakes in Chilean Patagonia to aerial photography over the Patagonian Ice Cap, there is no airstrip or body of water unknown to Rodrigo.
He has spent hundreds of hours with world-renowned photographers, and his ability in manoeuvring and positioning the plane has allowed them to capture and prolifically publish stunning aerial images of the raw Patagonian beauty.
"Chilean Patagonia has been our backyard of for the last 20 years and it never stops to captivate and inspire us, and we are thrilled to share this extraordinary experience with you. We are highly experienced aviators that are passionate about flying in the wilderness, and we take pride in our customer service. We take flight safety very seriously and have an excellent track record; our aircraft are maintained to the highest standards. All pilots are seasoned aviators with vast experience in southern Chile."