Flying the Mountains
We Call Home
Private scenic flights and one-on-one flight training around Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada, departing from the Truckee Tahoe Airport.
Lake Tahoe Scenic Flights & Flight Training
North Tahoe Aviation offers unforgettable scenic flights aboard a classic Cessna 180 bush plane, plus flight instruction for pilots who want to fly the mountains with confidence. We're owned and operated by an experienced local mountain pilot and flight instructor with 20 years of local mountain and weather experience and more than 10 years of flying in the Tahoe region.
Safety Drives Every Flight
Flying the Sierra Nevada demands specialized training, disciplined decision-making and a deep respect for weather and terrain. We go beyond FAA minimums with advanced recurrent training, conservative weather standards and detailed performance planning for high-elevation flying around Lake Tahoe and Truckee.
Built for the Mountains
Our Cessna 180 is known for its versatility, climb performance and backcountry capability, which makes it ideal for this environment. It's equipped with state-of-the-art avionics for backup navigation, communication and weather updates, and we maintain it beyond FAA-required inspection intervals.
Local Knowledge
We live, play and fly here year-round. Over two decades of reading Tahoe's terrain and weather mean every route, every lesson and every go/no-go call is made by a pilot who knows these mountains best.
Two Ways to Fly With Us
See Lake Tahoe from the air, or learn to fly with a local mountain pilot right here in the Sierra.
Scenic Flights
See Tahoe From the Air
Scenic flights depart from the Truckee Tahoe Airport. The plane seats up to three passengers, and every seat has a window.
- Emerald Bay
- Sand Harbor
- Mt. Tallac
- Donner Summit
- Castle Peak
- The Sierra Crest
- Lake Tahoe
- Palisades
- and more!
Flight Training
Learn to Fly in the Mountains
We teach out of the Truckee Tahoe Airport (KTRK), a high-elevation mountain airport where every lesson builds real skills for density altitude, mountain weather and terrain.
- Private Pilot: start from zero, or finish training you've already begun
- Commercial Pilot: move up your skills and your certificate
- Tailwheel Endorsement: stick-and-rudder flying in our Cessna 180
- Mountain Flying: canyon turns, ridge winds and good go/no-go calls, in the Cessna 172 or 180
- Flight Reviews: worth your time, not just a signature
Most training is done in our Cessna 172. Tailwheel training is done in our Cessna 180, and mountain flying can be done in either airplane.
Keith Davis
Certified Flight Instructor · Instrument-Rated Commercial Pilot · Wilderness First Responder
Keith Davis is the owner and operator of North Tahoe Aviation and has lived in North Lake Tahoe for more than 20 years. That time gives him local knowledge of the Tahoe basin and the Sierra Nevada: its terrain, its weather patterns and the conditions that make mountain flying here a unique experience. He has more than a decade of local mountain flying experience, as well as ski flying in Alaska, where he has flown some of the most remote backcountry in North America.
Keith is also a certified Wilderness First Responder and experienced, AMGA-trained mountain guide. He has worked as a heli-ski and ski touring guide in Alaska and internationally, and as an avalanche safety instructor and guide in the Tahoe area. His dedication to safety, professionalism and adventure ensures that every flight with North Tahoe Aviation is both secure and unforgettable.
- Tahoe resident since 2004
- 10+ years local mountain flying
- Alaska ski flying
- AMGA-trained mountain guide
- Wilderness First Responder
Ground Crew
Esha
Head of hangar morale and our most enthusiastic co-pilot. You may meet her on the ramp before your flight.
Ready to Fly?
Join us for a scenic aerial tour, or come learn to fly with us in this beautiful, unique mountain environment.
Questions? Text 530.426.5072 or email hello@northtahoeaviation.com