Does the risk outweigh the reward for Alaska flight-seeing passengers?

Cruising on a large passenger ship is one of the safest ways to explore the vast and sometimes perilous landscape of Alaska. About 1.2 million passengers are expected to do so this summer, and many of them will add float-plane "flight-seeing" to their itinerary.

But after three fatal Alaska float plane crashes in the last month, some travelers may wonder whether those views out the plane window are worth the risk.

Having taken four of these flights, I can attest to the thrills and insight they deliver, including bird's-eye views of rugged mountains, glaciers, lakes, inlets and sometimes wildlife. But no aircraft