In response to our call for seaplane stories, Ed Heinen sent in these two photo with an explanation: “In June 2002 I got my floatplane endorsement when I was over from Holland visiting my parents on Vancouver Island. The pictures were taken while getting the floatplane ready on a deserted pebble beach at Cowichan Lake […]
seaplanes
Seaplane stories: Doug Robertson
We put out a call for seaplane stories to our readers. Here’s one from Doug Robertson: I chartered this de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver N4444Z on straight floats from Rust’s Aviation at Lake Hood Seaplane Base in August 2007. The photo (below) taken from copilot seat shows us rolling out on final for landing at LHD. […]
America’s Seaplane City
By AMELIA REIHELD. And just where, you might ask, is America’s Seaplane City? Anchorage? Honolulu? Somewhere near Seattle? Nope. You’re way off course. America’s self-proclaimed Seaplane City lies nestled on lovely Lake Dora in Florida, amid a charming chain of other lakes, not very far from Orlando. Tavares, county seat of Lake County, Florida, is a former […]
Seabirds flock to SUN ‘n FUN
The Seabird Organization at SUN ‘n FUN reports it is prepared for a gathering of seaplane pilots, seaplanes and enthusiasts at the 2016 Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In and Expo, held at Lakeland Linder Airport (KLAL) in Florida, April 5-10. However, there will not be a Splash-In again this year. The Seabird hospitality tent will be located […]
Clique me
This past Friday I enjoyed the company of nearly a hundred close friends, most of whom I’d never met before. The event that brought us together at Gilbert Field (KGIF) in Winter Haven, Florida, was the annual meeting of the Seaplane Pilots Association. Members gather for this once-a-year event, arriving by land, sea, and air. […]
Picture of the day: Seaplane spray
Mike Kincaid sent us another beautiful photo from his seaplane adventures in Northern Idaho.
New book commemorates anniversary of floatplane odyssey
On Dec. 18, 1990, Tom Casey became the first person to fly solo around the world in a single-engine seaplane, landing only on water. He did it in a converted Cessna 206 named the “Liberty II” equipped with floats. A new novel by William Coleman, “Floatplane Odyssey,” details the account of this historic adventure. Coleman was […]
Meet Juliette, a beloved seaplane
Her name is Tanille Elaine DeLair, a very appropriate name for someone with a passion for flight. She named her light kit seaplane “Juliette.” With an FAA registration of N2269J, this may seem logical, but it’s something most men don’t do, or at least they rarely admit naming their favorite flying machine. But DeLair is […]
Gifts for the seaplane pilot in your life
Sectionals, headsets, kneeboards — all are appropriate gifts for the pilot in your life. If the pilot in your life also has a seaplane rating, gifts appropriate to watercraft operations come into play. One of the most popular items, say veteran seaplane pilots, are constant-wear life vests. These are less bulky than the ones normally worn on boats, […]