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About Kingfisher

A Kodiak family aviation story.

Three generations of flying, a lifetime in Kodiak, and a name with a story of its own.

Our roots in Kodiak

A family story that took flight here.

Marty and Linda Eaton moved to Kodiak in 1965 and raised their three sons, Andy, Glen and Kyle, on the island. Glen and Kyle were born and raised here, and the place they call home became the place they would build their flying careers.

Glen started Kingfisher Aviation in 1998 with a 1947 Aeronca Sedan while working for Zachar Bay Lodge on Kodiak Island. The company grew out of years spent flying in the country around Kodiak, where local knowledge and a willingness to change plans with the weather matter every day.

Today, brothers Glen and Kyle operate Kingfisher Aviation. Kyle works across the business, from reservations and the website to flying and aircraft maintenance. Glen flies and supports the office during the busy season. Kyle’s wife Teri helps keep the office and reservations moving.

Glen and Kyle Eaton standing beside a Kingfisher floatplane in Kodiak
Glen and Kyle Eaton with a Kingfisher floatplane in Kodiak.

Pilot · Kingfisher Aviation

Glen Eaton

Glen began flight training in 1990 and has flown commercially since 1995. He is a certified flight instructor with more than 8,500 hours of flight time and over 22,000 takeoffs and landings, most of them in Alaska.

His work with Island Air in Kodiak and PenAir in Kodiak, Bethel and Dillingham gave him experience across different aircraft, regions and operating environments. Kingfisher has drawn from that experience in developing company policies centered on conservative decision-making and a safety-first approach.

Glen earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Although he did not pursue biology as a full-time profession, that background remains valuable while flying through Kodiak’s remote country—especially when helping guests understand the wildlife, habitat and seasonal changes they see on bear-viewing tours.

Pilot / Mechanic · Kingfisher Air Inc

Kyle Eaton

Kyle started flying in 1998 and has flown commercially since 2001. He has accumulated more than 7,000 hours of flight time and over 19,000 takeoffs and landings, most of them in floatplanes around Kodiak Island.

Working at Zachar Bay Lodge from the age of 10 gave Kyle countless hours around floatplanes, bears, and the remote lakes and rivers of Kodiak. He also gained flying experience along California’s central coast, in western Arizona, and throughout the mountains of Idaho and Washington while attending the University of Idaho. Much of that flying was in his Aeronca Sedan on weekends and days away from class.

Kyle earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Idaho in 2003. After years of apprenticing in aircraft maintenance, he earned his FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanic certificate in 2014 and added Inspection Authorization in 2018. Today, he works across Kingfisher’s operations as a pilot, mechanic and business owner.

Framed portrait of aviator George Iley Steinke
George Iley Steinke, Linda Eaton’s father.

The aviation heritage

It began before Kingfisher had a name.

Linda’s father, George Iley Steinke, bought his first airplane in 1925 and taught himself to fly. He earned pilot certificate number 1582, back when certificates were issued in numerical order.

His career went well beyond those first flights: he barnstormed, flew for corporations and started an airline. In 1991, George was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame. His story is an important part of the family’s aviation heritage, and the Kodiak chapter continued with Glen and Kyle.

Family & company milestones

How we got here.

Four turning points in our family story. Open the full timeline for the flights, people and airplanes in between.

1965Marty & Linda make Kodiak home
1998Kingfisher Aviation begins
2004Kingfisher Air Inc is formed
2016N46DG joins the fleet
View the complete timeline 1925–2016 · 14 milestones

  1. George’s first airplane

    George Iley Steinke purchases his first airplane and teaches himself to fly.

  2. The Eaton family comes to Kodiak

    Marty and Linda Eaton move to Kodiak. Marty’s first full-time position with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is managing the Frazer Fish Pass in 1965 and 1966.

  3. Glen begins flight training

    Glen Eaton starts learning to fly.

  4. George’s aviation career honored

    George is inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame.

  5. The Aeronca Sedan arrives at Zachar Bay Lodge

    Zachar Bay Lodge purchases a 1947 Aeronca Sedan.

  6. Kingfisher Aviation begins

    Glen starts Kingfisher Aviation while working for Zachar Bay Lodge, flying the Aeronca Sedan.

  7. Kyle begins flying

    Kyle Eaton starts learning to fly.

  8. The first Bush Hawk

    N777ZB, Bush Hawk serial number 30, is imported into the United States for Zachar Bay Lodge and Kingfisher Aviation.

  9. Kingfisher Air Inc takes shape

    Kingfisher Air Inc is formed. A new Bush Hawk, N818ES (serial number 48), is purchased, and the business acquires its location at 1829 Mill Bay Road.

  10. Teri joins the office crew

    Teri Eaton joins Kingfisher’s office team.

  11. N705BH comes north

    Kingfisher purchases N705BH in Idaho and ships it to Alaska.

  12. N705BH enters service

    Repairs to N705BH are completed and the aircraft enters service.

  13. A new hangar

    The Municipal Airport hangar is constructed.

  14. The Beaver joins the fleet

    Kingfisher purchases and refurbishes the 1952 de Havilland Beaver N46DG.

The family behind the flights

From one generation to the next.

Our history includes the people who made Kodiak home and the next generation finding its own way into aviation.

Marty and Linda Eaton standing beside an airplane
Marty and Linda Eaton

Marty & Linda Eaton

Marty and Linda moved to Kodiak in 1965 and raised Andy, Glen and Kyle here. Marty worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; his first full-time assignment was managing the Frazer Fish Pass in 1965 and 1966. After 20 years with the department, he retired and started Zachar Bay Lodge on Kodiak Island.

Linda’s family brought its own aviation history through her father, George Iley Steinke. Together, Marty and Linda helped establish the Kodiak roots from which Kingfisher grew.

John

Kyle’s nephew John is working toward his flying certificates, carrying the family’s interest in aviation into another generation.

The name

Why “Kingfisher”?

One summer at Zachar Bay Lodge, a belted kingfisher struck a large window. Glen cared for the stunned bird over several days until it recovered, then released it back into the wild.

The next morning, a kingfisher was perched on the tail of the lodge’s Aeronca Sedan. That sight gave the company its name. The bird still has a place on Kingfisher’s aircraft today.

Kingfisher Aviation bird and company name painted on the tail of the floatplane
The Kingfisher name and bird on the tail of our Beaver.

Those who showed us the way

Remembering Kodiak’s aviators.

Kingfisher’s story belongs to more than one family. Pilots and mechanics who flew and worked in Kodiak before us shared their experience, set an example and helped shape the way we approach a day in the air.

We’ve begun a tribute to Burdette “Jack” Lechner, Charles “Steve” Harvey and mechanic Ken Daniels. Their lessons, friendships and influence deserve a place in the story.

Read their stories →

Weather comes first

Glen and Kyle take a conservative approach to Kodiak weather. A flight may be delayed, changed or cancelled when conditions will not support a safe trip.

Experienced local flying

Kingfisher Air Inc operates under FAA Part 135. Our pilots and aircraft meet the requirements for commercial passenger flying, backed by years of experience in Kodiak and the surrounding country.

The trip is personal

Whether this is your first floatplane flight or one of many, our goal is a safe and memorable experience shaped by the people, place and conditions of the day.