North by Northwest. (Travel).

When Robert Parker taxis down the runway at Oakland International this summer in his single-engine Bonanza A36 headed for Sunriver, his vacation will begin in earnest. Parker, chairman of Parker Price Venture Capital in San Francisco, will get almost as much enjoyment out of flying to the central Oregon resort as he will unwinding once he gets there.

"When you can combine something you love--flying--with the practical aspects of private plane travel, it just doesn't get any better," Parker says.

Niles Hanson, CEO of Rosen Sunvisor Systems in Eugene, Ore., is another top exec accustomed to private planes. He has flown family and friends in his single-engine Cessna and his company's Citation jet to Mexico, British Columbia and Southern California, and also as far east as Orlando, Fla.

CEOs who fly their own planes, charter aircraft or hop on the corporate jet have come to rely on the convenience of fly-in travel. These trips save time and offer the ultimate in flexibility: You fly where you want, when you want. No check-in lines, no security checkpoints, no baggage claims.

"You aren't tied to a schedule," says Hanson. "And if you have to alter your travel plans, you don't have to change a ticket, pay additional fees or wait for your connection."

According to Tom Evenson, who heads the endorsed lodges and guides program in the West for Orvis, the outdoors equipment firm, "Executives are busy people who don't have a lot of time to waste while traveling. They want: to get to their destinations, recreate and get back to the office. We have CEOs from all parts of the country, as well as Europe and Asia, who fly into our lodges."

With the peak travel season nearly upon us, Chief Executive tracked down a few spectacular Northwest resorts in remote, bucolic places, all of them geared toward guests arriving by private plane. The three we've chosen are in Sunriver, Ore., West Yellowstone, Mont., and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. From any of these spots, you can touch down, take a short drive to the resort and have a five-iron or a fly rod in your hand within minutes.

Wet a Fly at the Firehole Ranch

Tip your wing and buzz the Firehole Ranch in Montana, and your hosts will quickly make the 16-mile trip into town to pick you up at the West Yellowstone airport. In no time, you'll be settling in at the 660-acre ranch, one of the premier fly-fishing lodges in the United States. The ranch sits on the bank of the deep blue Hebgen Lake, with a commanding view of the Madison Range. Aspens and lodgepole pines dot the landscape, and the Gallatin National Forest is right out the back door.

A number of CEOs visit the Orvis-endorsed ranch every year; some fly their own planes, while others arrive on corporate aircraft flown by pilots. "It is not uncommon for guests to put their pilots up in town for a week while they fish," says ranch manager George Kimberly.

One visitor calls Firehole "the Ritz-Canton of fly fishing resorts." While that claim is, of course, highly subjective, the ranch is known for its personal attention and its accomplished kitchen, which specializes in preparing game. The staff-to-guest ratio is one to one, and more than 70 percent of guests return each year. (Visiting CEOs might want to beg some pointers on customer retention from Kimberly and his staff.)

The main lodge and the 10 guest cabins were built in 1947. Over the years, the accommodations have been updated to maintain a high standard of stylish, rustic charm. There are no phones or TVs in the cabins. A phone and Internet access are available in the lodge.

If you want to be wired to the office, this gem of a place isn't for you; the outdoors is too inviting. Named for the nearby Firehole River that runs out of Yellowstone National Park and into the Madison River, the ranch sits in the middle of world-class trout fishing. Guests can hit a different river or lake every day for a week. The top rivers are the Madison for rainbows and browns; the Gallatin for rainbows, browns and cutthroats; and the Henry's Fork of the Snake for big, weary rainbows.

With so many rivers to tackle, staff guides monitor the local insect hatches to keep guests in the best fishing. Even if you're a novice, don't despair. First-timers get excellent instruction and, with the high density of trout in the water, you are sure to land many fish.

While fishing is the top draw at Firehole, there are other diversions as well. The ranch's resident wrangler can saddle up Bullet, Trigger, Doc or one of the other horses and lead you on a daylong ride up to Coffin Lake for float tube fishing or a scenic lunch. Or, you can set out on an all-day ride through the Gallatin National Forest, which surrounds the lodge. You can also go mountain biking, hiking, canoeing or swimming. Trips into Yellowstone are popular, too: You can take in all the sights in the park and see an abundance of wildlife. In fact, this is one of the only places in the Lower 48 where you might see a wolf or a grizzly from the safety of a car.

Sunriver: A High Desert Playground

If you've got a yen for golfing or hiking (as well as fly-fishing, horseback riding and whitewater rafting), head southeast to Oregon's Sunriver Resort, which has a private 5,500-foot airstrip. Perched on the banks of the Deschutes River in a broad meadow carved out of the Deschutes National Forest, and offering breathtaking views of Mount Bachelor, Sunriver offers more fresh-air activities than a CEO can tackle during a week's stay.

The area around Sunriver and nearby Bend (pop. 55,000) comprises the golf capital of Oregon. Located on the sunny side of the Cascade Mountains, it's home to nearly two dozen courses. Sunriver has three of them, including Crosswater, which meanders back and forth across the Deschutes River. Named one of America's top 100 courses, Crosswater is long by any standard: From the back tees, it stretches to 7,683 yards. Fortunately, you get a long carry in the thin mountain air.

Fly-fishing and rafting are popular at Sunriver. The Deschutes is one of the West's most productive streams for redband rainbow trout, and other nearby rivers and lakes also can satisfy your angling fix. The Hook Fly Shop on site at the Sunriver Mall will set you up with gear or a guided trip.

If you're up to the challenge, you can bag one of the Three Sisters, a trio of 10,000-foot-plus peaks just up the road. Middle and North Sister require technical climbing skills, but a local outfitter and guide service, Timberline Mountain Guides, can help you to the summit during a three-day trip. Even without a guide, you can climb South Sister on a day trip. Meanwhile, Smith Rock, one of the top rock climbing spots in the world, is just a 15-minute drive up Highway 97, north of Redmond, Ore. One-day introductory rock climbing programs are available. No matter what you choose to do, after a day of exertion the resort's new Sage Springs Spa can smooth out your sore muscles.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon

If you want to really get away from it all, consider booking a whitewater trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River with Solitude River Trips. Proprietors Al and Jeana Bukowsky will be your hosts for six days as you slice through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Need references? The Bukowskys and their local guides can put you in touch with satisfied CEOs, U.S. Presidents, Hollywood stars and families from around the world.

If you fly in, it's best to touch down in Salmon, Idaho, and either get dropped off or park your plane. Then hop a short backcountry flight (Salmon Air is one of the best) to Stanley, Idaho, your jumping off point for the trip. Fly-in opportunities are limited in Stanley because the runway is a dirt strip. When you come off the river at the end of your trip, your guides will shuttle you back to Salmon.

The whitewater trip down the Middle Fork is suited for family trips or business outings. You can either settle into a paddle raft with other guests and a guide, pilot your own inflatable kayak or sit back and let a guide do all the work in a larger boat.

If you prefer to fish, you'll float the river in a wooden drift boat. The Middle Fork offers outstanding dry fly fishing for native cutthroat trout. The fish aren't huge by Rocky Mountain standards -- they average 12 to 15 inches--but there are thousands of fish per mile. Novices can expect to catch and release lots of trout. Solitude is the only outfitter on the Middle Fork endorsed by Orvis, the venerable manufacturer of fly fishing gear.

Life on the river is by turns exciting and relaxing. You'll conquer more than 300 rapids during the voyage, from soothing Class 1 riffles to heart-pounding Class 4 sets. The river gains speed and pitch every day you're on it. Your guides will pull over for a riverside lunch at noon and stop along the way so you can take a dip in a natural hot spring, hike, birdwatch or view Native American pictographs. You can see bighorn sheep, deer and elk, black bears, eagles, river otters and, if you're really lucky, hear a wolf howl.

One of the best things about running the rugged canyon is getting to your destination each night, where a cozy tent will be set up. Just settle in and get ready for another home-cooked meal. Al and Jeana grill sides of salmon, barbecue double-cut pork chops and fry chicken in enormous skillets. The hearty fare is just what you need to fortify yourself for another exhilarating day in the churning waters before it's time to fly home.

If You Go

Sunriver Resort

Sunriver, Ore.

www.sunriver-resort.com

Firehole Ranch

West Yellowstone, Mont.

www.fireholeranch.com

Middle Fork of the Salmon River

Solitude River Trips

Stanley, Idaho

www.rivertrips.com