At the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport in Lewiston, Idaho, three passengers huddle around pilot Gary Kraft and his tablet as he talks through an hour-long flight plan.
There’s no TSA, no baggage check and no boarding passes. That’s because this is an EcoFlight.
EcoFlight flies small groups in prop planes, advocating for the environment from the sky. The nonprofit, based in Aspen, Colorado, operates throughout the western United States.
Kraft has been a pilot with EcoFlight for 12 years.
“What we try to do is bring every side of an issue together. And we try to create conversations, and we hope that those conversations will provide for better outcomes for the environment,” Kraft said.
During this flight, passengers discussed topics ranging from the environmental impacts of dams, to the economic impacts of fishing.
“You can actually see how all the different aspects of the environment are linked and how they affect each other,” Kraft said.
On this EcoFlight, passengers are from the Idaho Wildlife Federation, the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association and the Association of Northwest Steelheaders. Passengers on past EcoFlights have ranged from members of outdoor advocacy groups to Indigenous tribes.
Kyle Maki is the North Idaho field representative for the Idaho Wildlife Federation. He’s flown with EcoFlight before.
“You could be on a boat, you drive up it, it’s gonna take a lot longer. But you’re not gonna see the whole scene that lays out … underneath you when you’re in the plane,” Maki said.
Kraft said he learns a lot from the local knowledge that’s shared on the flights. He considers his job to be the “facilitator” and to get people talking.
"If people aren't talking, we're not going to get good solutions," Kraft said.
This story is part of a continuing series highlighting nonprofits in the Northwest.
