Summary
- A former commercial pilot’s unique flight training school in Alaska features unique lodges created from aircraft.
- The FLY8MA property offers various courses and spectacular lodging, attracting both students and tourists.
- The cost to maintain the aircraft can be up to $2,000 during the coldest months of the year.
After spending a career as an airline pilot, Jon Kotwick now welcomes aspiring aviators and aviation geeks alike to his flight training school in Alaska. Unique to his institution are aircraft that have been transformed into lodges for visitors.
After taking a vacation to Alaska’s south-central region, spotting bears and – most importantly – plenty of real estate, the pilot-turned-flight instructor, along with his team, settled on the city of Wasilla to develop a pilot ground school known as FLY8MA. The school has several courses, such as tailwheel training and commercial pilot boot camp.
Being a pilot was “a very boring job”
As reported by CNN, this is not Kotwicki’s first go-around as a flight instructor. Before working as an airline pilot, he owned a flight school. He explained why he decided to return to his roots, even though it does not necessarily pay the bills.
Photo: Jon Kotwicki
Working for airlines “pays good money and everything, but it’s a very boring job,” Kotwicki said to CNN. “Driving Uber is more interesting because you could talk to your passengers.”

Check It Out
Got $3M To Spare? You Could Buy A Connecticut House With Hangar & Runway
The home is perfect for pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike.
The FLY8MA property started as just a runway, but now reportedly covers more than 100 acres. Cabins to house students were first built before additional cabins were constructed for visiting tourists. They are very fancy spaces with heated floors, but Kotwicki figured that something even better could be offered for visitors, such as a real aircraft, according to CNN.
“And then, like, let’s one up that. It would be cool if we got an old airplane to turn into a house. Let’s make it really nice and put a Jacuzzi on the wing and a barbecue grill. Let’s get two more and have three of them.”
Noting that he has “a tendency to go a little overboard,” Kotwicki and his team built a second runway and hangar to make his dream become a reality. However, it was no easy task.
“It’s fun, whether it’s grown adults just in awe of the place, or it’s kids running up and down the whole length of the airplane, going crazy and running to the cockpit,” he explained. “It’s frustrating and stressful and overwhelming and expensive to do these things – but it’s rewarding.”
Two aircraft with two more on the way
Kotwicki converted a 1956-built Douglas DC-6, which formerly transported cargo and fuel to remote areas around Alaska. The second is a DC-9 that was previously operated by courier, package delivery, and express mail service company DHL. The plane is still painted in its burnt yellow and red livery.
The DC-6 has two bedrooms and one bathroom, along with a full kitchen, living room, and cockpit. It is located alongside FLY8MA’s 1,700-foot-long private airstrip, providing plenty of room for car, truck, and bush plane parking.
Bookings have just opened for the DC-9, which can host seven guests in three bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to CNN. The lodge also has a sauna and hot tub. Two aircraft, however, are not enough for Kotwicki, as he is reportedly planning to transform a Boeing 727 into a lodge where guests will be able to gather.
He told CNN that the tri-jet will have “a big kitchen” and a “big dining room table” where “people can have meals together.” He also explained that it will feature a hot tub on the wings and a rooftop deck with a fire pit to “hang out.”
Kotwicki has also bought a fourth plane and is reportedly constructing a 60-foot control tower with an all-glass dome. It will be another accommodation for guests, but will uniquely provide a front-row view of Alaska’s breathtaking Northern Lights.
“It makes it really special”
Due to extremely frigid temperatures and climate, Kotwicki says maintaining the aircraft can be difficult. During the coldest parts of the year, the heating bill for each plane is between $1,500 and $2,000.
Nonetheless, the geography and scenery seem to outweigh the challenges.
“Alaska is a really spectacular place in terms of offering,” Kotwicki said. “It makes it difficult, but it makes it really special.”

Read Next
How Do Student Pilots Learn Etiquette, Terminology, & Conventions For ATC Communication?
Aviation phraseology allows for clear and concise communication between pilots and ATCs.