A SEAPLANE PILOTS ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION • NO. 222 • $3.95 JUL/AUG 2017 Coastal Alaska Daytripping

Cross-Country Kitfox

AirVenture's SeaVenture 12 WATER FLYERS

July/August 2017 • No. 222 FEATURES Daytripping Coastal Alaska in the Gweduck By Burke Mees LOW AND SLOW AS A CAREER

Every so often, an especially memorable day of 18flying comes along, and the author recently had DAYTRIPPING ALASKA one of these while making a flight from Juneau to 18 Anchorage in the Gweduck. They covered a lot of ground that day, and discovered that, while Alaska is a large state, it is still a small place.

To AirVenture and Back, Slowly By Joel Mapes

2017 became the year the author finally flew his 24homebuilt Kitfox on floats to AirVenture. Weeks SIGHTSEEING IN THE GWEDUCK of flight planning, making reservations, meeting new friends online, and prepping the plane culmi- nated in launching from KPWT headed to the Vette FLYING TO AIRVENTURE Seaplane Base on Lake Winnebago. 24

AirVenture's SeaVenture

The happy storm of humanity, aircraft, trade show 30displays and campers that is Wittman Field during EAA’s AirVenture stands in stark contrast to the quiet oasis of the Vette Seaplane Base just a few TAKING IT SLOW IN A HOMEBUILT KITFOX miles to the east on the shores of Lake Winnebago. . DEPARTMENTS AIRVENTURE 30 2 Exec. Director’s Message AirVenture 4 SPA in Action Corn Roast 7 SPA Field Directors Listing 8 Briefs ICON "Humbled" 12 Water Flyers Low, Slow, and on Floats 14 Seaplane Fundamentals Having Fun 36 Splash-ins Marion Lake, Alaska 38 Calendar Complete Schedule 44 Snapshots THE SEAPLANE OASIS COVER: The Gweduck—a modern interpretation of the Grumman Goose—photographed over Alaska Cby Ashleigh OOliver. NTENTS Executive Director's Message

AirVenture 2017 was a remarkable easily is the largest single activity the event, beginning with the weather. It association undertakes each year, would was about as perfect as you could hope not be possible without the tremendous for in Oshkosh over a midsummer two- support of the sponsoring companies and 3859 Laird Blvd. week span—that’s how long I’m there organizations: Aerocet, Wipaire, AOPA, Lakeland, FL 33811 each year to set up, manage, and pack Progressive Aerodyne, Falcon Insurance, Toll-free: 888/SPA-8923 Voice: 863/701-7979; Fax: 863/701-7588 up SPA’s presence. The great weather Hartzell, Icon, Clamar Floats, Acorn [email protected] contributed to big attendance numbers. Welding, and Seaplane Safety Institute. www.seaplanepilotsassociation.org EAA reported some 10,000 aircraft We thank them for their many years of Awere on the ground at Wittman during loyal support. SEAPLANE PILOTS ASSOCIATION AirVenture. Remarkable! The focus of seaplane activities at OFFICERS The show—the fly-in aircraft and AirVenture is, of course, the seaplane EXEC. DIRECTOR Steven McCaughey trade show displays, the many fly-bys, base on Lake Winnebago. The base was CHAIRMAN Phil Lockwood the afternoon and night airshows—was noticeably busy this year, both with arriv- BOARD PRESIDENT Stephen Williams VICE PRESIDENT Lyle Panepinto tremendous. I don’t know how it is pos- ing and departing seaplanes and with TREASURER Gordon B. Richardson sible for AirVenture to get bigger and visitors who bus over from Wittman SECRETARY Mark Futch better each year, but somehow it does. Field for the day. The seaplane base is a wonderful venue to introduce many BOARD MEMBERS hundreds of aviation enthusiasts to the Mark Baker unique pleasures of water flying. The John Drury John Gowey large corps of volunteers who prepare Bruce Hinds and work the temporary base during AirVenture deserve special recognition SEAPLANE PILOTS for their dedication and passion. FOUNDATION OFFICERS This issue of Water Flying includes CHAIRMAN Phil Lockwood a photo essay of AirVenture, as well as PRESIDENT Stephen Williams coverage of the Corn Roast. If you have TREASURER Harry Shannon not been to AirVenture or SPA’s Corn SECRETARY Walter Windus Roast, make plans now to be there in SPECIAL ADVISORS 2018. And please consider volunteer- Robert A. Bryan ing some time to help make next year’s Robert Murray show an even more remarkable success David Quam for SPA. EDITOR Mark Twombly Finally, I thank Ben Coleman for hid- ART DIRECTOR Susie Holly Every type of flying machine is repre- ing my cell phone while I enjoyed the GRAPHIC DESIGNER JT Holly sented, from the most inventive home- Corn Roast with 700 members of my AD SALES Chester Baumgartner built, lovingly restored vintage flyer, aviation family. Afterwards, Ben had MEMBERSHIP MGR. Ann Gaines and brand-new production aircraft to to break the news that my father had Copyright © 2017 Seaplane Pilots Association. the latest military hardware. Any per- passed away back in . So, a shout All rights reserved. Water Flying (ISSN:0733- son or company who has an aircraft to out to you, Dad, for providing me with 1754) is published bimonthly (January/Febru- show off or a product, service, or even the support and guidance that made this ary; March/April; May/June; July/August; Sep- an idea to peddle to the wonderful life possible. You passed on a tember/October; November/December) by the community will be at Wittman Field in deep love of adventure and an endless Seaplane Pilots Association, 3859 Laird Blvd., Oshkosh in late July. hunger to learn. You understood that Lakeland, FL 33811. Periodicals postage paid at But the most remarkable thing about it’s more than okay, it’s a gift to be a Lakeland, Florida and additional mailing offic- AirVenture is what makes it all work, strangebird who doesn’t follow a beaten es. Postmaster: Send address changes to Wa- and that is the people. This is especially path in life. I will honor your memory as ter Flying magazine, 3859 Laird Blvd., Lakeland, true of the volunteers, the staff, the I continue to pursue my dreams. FL 33811. Membership fees for the Seaplane sponsors and the donors who devote Pilots Association are $55 a year, of which $25 is for annual subscription to Water Flying. Send their time, energy and passion to mak- all manuscripts to Editor, Water Flying maga- ing SPA’s AirVenture presence such a zine, 3859 Laird Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33811. Rea- resounding success. sonable care will be taken in handling scripts, We had a crackerjack team on the but the magazine assumes no responsibility for ground this year. Joyce, Ernie, Christie, material submitted. Peter, Mary, Ann, Mark and Phil—you are my A Team, along with the more Water Flying magazine is accepting than 18 volunteers who came together to articles and photos for publication! work the Corn Roast. That event, which Technical articles especially welcome. Email [email protected] 2 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2010 Water Flying 3 SPA in Action

Tavares, FL, which calls itself “America's Seaplane City,” is the site of SPA's 2017 Adventure Week. Participants will have a variety of seaplanes to fly out of the large downtown seaplane base. Key West Resort hotel is adjacent to the seaplane base.

planned for the week are a tour of the and worldwide. If you have photos that SPA'S 2017 Progressive Aerodyne factory where the you would like to submit for us to use Searey is manufactured (and a demo from your specific event, please let us ADVENTURE WEEK ride in a Searey), a visit to Wipaire’s know. seaplane maintenance facility at nearby Anything seaplane related, whether IN TAVARES, FL Leesburg International Airport, and it’s an aerial or water shot will be con- evening receptions and dinners. SPA sidered. Multiple or single seaplanes in We’ve had an encouraging response also will hold its 2017 annual Member the photo or perhaps people, pets, or from members interested in par- Meeting Friday, October 20 from 10:00 scenery in the background are a plus. ticipating in SPA’s second annual a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the Picnic Pavilion We also are looking for unique angles Adventure Week, which will take place next to the Seaplane Base. on the aircraft. in “America’s Seaplane City”—Tavares, There will be plenty of free time Please indicate what type of aircraft Florida, on Monday through Friday, during the week to enjoy other water is in the photo as well as the event and October 16-20, 2017. sports such as kayaking and boating, location. We also need the name of the The core activity for the week will or exploring the area including near- person who took the photo and type of be flying in a variety of float and hull by Mount Dora, an historic lakeshore floats, if known. seaplanes—a Piper J3 Cub, Cessna 182 town with many antique shops and Please understand that we will not be and 206, Maule, Searey, Aircam, ICON restaurants. Also, the Orlando area able to use every photo submitted, so be A5, and a Twin Bee. Participants will with Disneyworld, Universal Orlando, sure to send us your best, sharpest, most have the opportunity to fly as PIC (with SeaWorld Orlando and other attractions colorful and highest-resolution photo instructor or demonstration pilot) on is an easy drive from Tavares. for consideration. sightseeing, lunch, and/or instructional SPA will plan and coordinate activi- Email photos to Ann Gaines at anng@ flights if so desired. We will soon have ties during the week, including flights. seaplanes.org. ■ a complete list of aircraft that will be Tavares Adventure Week participants available to fly during Adventure week, are responsible for their expenses includ- and pricing. ing hotel, seaplane rental, and food and SPA'S AIRVENTURE Jones Brothers & Co. Air and Seaplane beverages. Adventures, based at the seaplane base, If you are interested in being part of CORN ROAST will be our host seaplane operator. SPA’s Tavares Adventure Week and Tavares is ideally situated on the would like to receive more information Sure, there’s the aircraft gawking north shore of Lake Dora, in the heart as it develops, please email Ann Gaines and the “gottahaveit” shopping, but of Florida lake country. The city has at [email protected]. ■ two other activities regular visitors a large seaplane base with docks, fuel, to EAA’s AirVenture look forward to a ramp, and hard-surface parking, every year are noshing on just-picked and enthusiastically welcomes visit- 2017 SEAPLANE Midwestern corn and brats-in-a-bun, ing seaplane owners and pilots. SPA as in the German bratwurst sausages has arranged with Key West Resort in CALENDAR that make for great hot dogs, espe- Tavares for a discounted room rate for cially when topped with tangy sauer- SPA Adventure Week participants. For The Seaplane Pilots Association is kraut. Some 700 AirVenturers got their more on the hotel, see http://www.key- putting together its 2018 Seaplane culinary wish when they attended SPA’s westlakedora.com/. Calendar, and we’d like to feature Corn Roast on Thursday evening of Some of the organized activities splash-in events throughout the U.S. AirVenture week.

4 Water Flying July/August 2017 The Corn Roast is the major fund- raising event of the year for SPA, and this year it was rousingly successful thanks to strong attendance, solid spon- sorship, and a long list of auction donors. Aerocet was the Presenting sponsor of the 2017 Corn Roast. Gold sponsors were AOPA, Falcon Insurance, Progressive Aerodyne (Searey), and Wipaire, Inc. Silver sponsors were Hartzell and ICON Aircraft. Bronze sponsors were Acorn Welding/Seaplanes West, Clamar Floats, and Seaplane Safety Institute. Corn Roast sponsors are the foundation of the success of the event. Each sponsor is dedicated to the success and growth of the seaplane community, and we thank Progressive Aerodyne assembled a shiny them for their strong and consistent new Searey to display at the Corn Roast. support. A much-anticipated feature of the Dave Lewis hawks raffle tickets at the Corn Roast. In addition to serving as Corn Roast is the live auction, which gets SPA's Louisiana Field Director, Dave owns Cubs Floats & Fun, and donated Among the ridicu- underway just as attendees are finishing a seaplane rating to the Corn Roast auction. lously entertaining off their brats and have quaffed a bev- activities at the Corn Roast was the Really Small Bike Race, open to adults only. JR Lewis prevailed.

(Clockwise from above) John Heilmann makes the winning bid on four hours of factory training in a Searey. (L-R) Rich and After a long day of working or walking the Ginger Davidson, Amy Gesch, and Piper and Glenn Frith chow down on fresh corn and brats. One of Harrison Wheeler's AirVenture show, a cold beverage or two many raffle tickets won him a set of SPA-branded chocks. Some 700 people enjoyed the 2017 SPA Corn Roast. is a welcome treat at the Corn Roast.

6 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 7 SPA in Action SPA Field Directors

Have a question about a waterway or some other sea- are knowledgeable about the waterways and restrictions in donated by Honda Generators plane issue specific to your area? Ask your SPA Field their area, or they know who to contact to get the informa- • Seaplane rating with Cubs, Floats Director! These experienced seaplane pilots and owners tion. They are happy to hear from you. & Fun, donated by Cubs, Floats & Fun • Seaplane flight and two-night stay STATE NAME E-MAIL PHONE on Bimini in for two, Alabama / Georgia Troy E. Wheeler, Jr. [email protected] (404) 702-7766 donated by Tropic Ocean Airways and Alaska John Pratt, Jr. [email protected] (907) 274-2990 the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini Tod V. Dickey [email protected] (602) 525-5916 • Multiengine Sea rating in an Arkansas / Louisiana Lyle Panepinto [email protected] (504) 394-5633 AirCam, donated by Richard Johnson California Steven Price [email protected] (415) 850-5200 • Three-Day Advanced Seaplane California / Nevada / Utah Walter B. Windus [email protected] (408) 255-1917 Training course, donated by Southern Seaplane Colorado Ray Hawkins [email protected] (303) 342-1537 • Sandia Electronic Attitude Indicator, Colorado / New Mexico David Nagler [email protected] (505) 989-7211 donated by Sandia Aerospace Connecticut Anthony Debany [email protected] (203) 895-1204 • A day of fishing and seaplane fly- Florida Jon Brown [email protected] (863) 956-2243 Steve Lawler from Red's Pizza in ing for two, plus two-night stay on Central Florida David Hensch [email protected] (386) 248-2010 Oshkosh oversees the roasting of Boca Grande, Florida, donated by Mark South Florida Rob Ceravolo [email protected] (800) 767-0897 the fresh corn and grilling of the Futch Florida/Missouri Mike Bailey [email protected] (314) 249-6680 brats at the Corn Roast every year. Like AirVenture itself, the Corn Idaho Mike Kincaid [email protected] (208) 635-5102 Roast could not happen without the Illinois / Wisconsin Lee Hilbert [email protected] (847) 652-3526 erage or two. Auctioneer and seaplane headset, donated by Lightspeed corps of volunteers that generously Indiana Randy Strebig [email protected] (260) 424-5371 owner and pilot Greg Smith expertly • Single-Engine Sea rating at Coeur donate their time and effort to making Louisiana David Lewis [email protected] (318) 880-7787 convinced bidders to pay more than they d'Alene Seaplanes, donated by Coeur sure that everything runs smoothly and Maine Stephen Williams [email protected] (207) 350-2120 planned for a wide variety of valuable d’Alene Seaplanes attendees have a great time. This year’s products and services. Here’s the list: • Marvel Schebler carburetor over- volunteers were Mary McCaughey, Maine Dave Latham [email protected] (207) 446-6286 • SunSpot LED taxi light, donated by haul, donated by Marvel Schebler Peter Christie, Dave Lewis, JR Lewis, Michigan Brian Van Wagnen [email protected] (517) 764-4193 AeroLEDs • New Gill/Teledyne aircraft battery, Ed “E.T.” Tello, Randy Shoephoerster, Minnesota Mary Alverson [email protected] (612) 240-0123 • Two-night stay in the New York donated by Teledyne Battery Products Steve Guetter, Todd Ashcraft, Ernie Minnesota Randy Schoephoerster [email protected] (952) 594-1184 Finger Lakes Region, donated by • Vermont seaplane rating, donated Sanborn, Joyce Sanborn, Randy Strebig, Montana Stephan Robinson [email protected] (406) 581-9702 Cameron Dunlap by Doug Smith Allison Wheaton, Mark Heizler, Ken Nevada Robert Lober [email protected] (775) 843-7908 • Four hours of Searey factory flight • Ride with the AeroShell Aerobatic Costa, Bill Bold, Steven Robinson, and New Hampshire Ken Costa [email protected] (603) 630-0076 training and one-night hotel stay, donat- Team, donated by Honda Generators Robert Stuckert. Thank you for your New Jersey Trevor Forde [email protected] (646) 430-0628 ed by Progressive Aerodyne • Honda EU1000i portable generator, time, work, and dedication. ■ New Jersey Vincent Pipitone [email protected] (973) 985-9003 • Lightspeed Tango 404A wireless New York Cameron Dunlap [email protected] (607) 936-2200 New York Steve Kent [email protected] (914) 202-5506 will send a special lapel pin to those Donors North and South Carolina / Virginia Ed “ET” Tello [email protected] (704) 491-3152 who complete a Basic, Advanced, or Stanley Hubbard SEAWINGERS North and South Dakota Jeff Faught [email protected] (701) 250-8081 Masters-level phase. For more infor- James & Cathy Read The FAA’s revitalized Pilot Proficiency Ohio Jim Priest [email protected] (216) 390-3942 Alan Green Program for seaplane pilots, known mation about the Wings program see Oklahoma Steve Robinson [email protected] (918) 289-3940 as “Seawings,” has welcomed a num- FAA Advisory Circular AC61-91J, Oregon Ronald Ems [email protected] (971) 340-3993 New Lifetime Members ber of seaplane-rated pilots who and www.faasafety.gov. Oregon Cliff Gerber [email protected] (503) 313-0840 George Matthews have completed a Seawings phase in The Seaplane Pilots Association con- Pennsylvania Don Williams [email protected] (814) 397-7974 John Power a seaplane or amphibian. gratulates the following for their focus Pennsylvania Robert Stuckert [email protected] (724) 887-8197 Richard Johnson The Seaplane Pilots Association on seaplane safety and proficiency as Tennessee Bill Rucinski [email protected] (615) 308-7274 William Workman encourages all seaplane pilots to par- demonstrated by their participation in Texas Gordon B. Richardson II [email protected] (713) 302-2021 Brent Blue ticipate in the Seawings program, and the Seawings program. ■ Texas / Oklahoma Herbert K. Hagler [email protected] (214) 566-4476 Don Post Vermont Douglas W. Smith [email protected] (802) 324-5464 Virginia Steve Harris [email protected] (301) 606-0723 Steve Taylor Benjamin Pedersen Master Dean Sibley Basic Washington Karen Stemwell [email protected] (206) 232-1644 Derrick Siebert Roy Forsstrom Basic Stephen Bollenbacher Basic Washington Austin Watson [email protected] (206) 979-4654 Bill Siebert Lucas Riggins Basic, Advanced Timothy Ogan Basic Bahamas Nick Veltre [email protected] (800) 767-0897 Mark Heizler Clinton Caruth Basic William Truex Basic Canada Bill Gillespie [email protected] (807) 475-5600 David Sizemore Basic Roberto Serrano Advanced Craig Woodberry Canada Doug Ronan [email protected] (705) 327-4730 Sean Masterson Master Christopher Schaich Master Thomas Hickson Mexico Carlos Gottried [email protected] 52 55-43492400 Gregory Gunn Basic Peter Jeck Basic Todd Ashcraft France Derry Gregoire [email protected] 33607541172 Michael Robinson Basic, Advanced Christopher Freeze Italy Cesare Baj [email protected]

8 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 9 Briefs Briefs

duction retrenchment and, especially, mination, and reliability SEAPLANE PILOT the fatal accident involving two employ- • Reduced complexity and weight of oil ees. In an interview with Water Flying, cooler while also improving airflow RECEIVES MASTER the usually energetic and positive ICON • Stiffer rudder pedals with better grip founder and CEO Kirk Hawkins was and improved adjustment and lock- PILOT AWARD somber as he acknowledged that “get- ing mechanism ting to this point has taken twice as long • actuators with better George C. Kickhofel has been awarded and three times as much money” as was performance at low temperatures the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot projected. “Success has been a moving • Improved canopy design with no air- Award. The award is named after the target, a desert mirage,” he said. “In speed limit for windows-out operation Wright Brothers to recognize individu- 2016, we were naïve. We came out of the • Improved access panels in wings and als who have exhibited professional- gate with our shoes tied, and we tripped. fuselage for easier serviceability ism, skill, and aviation expertise for at We had to learn to walk before we could At AirVenture ICON was taking least 50 years while piloting aircraft as run. It was humbling.” $1,000 refundable deposits for A5s that "Master Pilots." The good news that Hawkins was will be delivered several years down the A retired Navy aircraft carrier pilot reporting at AirVenture is that ICON road (current price is $247,000), but the and civilian air carrier pilot, George has delivered six aircraft to end users. company said several early position hold- has more than 12,500 flight hours with The company has “crossed a major tran- ers had backed out and therefore a “lim- thousands of takeoffs and landings on ICON founder and CEO Kirk Hawkins said that "Success has been a moving sition—we’re shipping production A5s ited number” of MY18 ICON 100 air- land, sea, grass, gravel, ice, glaciers and target." The company has begun delivering A5s to customers, and will ramp to customers, and they love it.” craft are available with first- and second- aircraft carriers. He has operated above up production. ICON says the A5 fleet has flown quarter 2018 delivery dates. Stated price and on most of the world’s oceans, con- about 5,600 hours and, based on that for these early delivery A5s is $347,000. tinents, and island nations. He is active been nearly a decade in design, devel- Sever, a brand-new ICON engineer- experience, a Model Year 2018 (MY18) ICON also announced that Phil as an FAA FAASTeam representative, opment, and LSA certification. ing employee. The A5 that Karkow A5 has been developed that incorporates Condit, former chairman and CEO serves as an AOPA Airport Support Last year, after ICON finally earned was piloting impacted a canyon wall on a number of improvements, including: of Boeing, has joined ICON board of Network volunteer, Senior Docent LSA approval for the A5, the company the shores of Lake Berryessa in Napa • Improved nose gear for easier ground directors. Condit has served as an ICON and volunteer at the Military Aviation said it would deliver 175 aircraft. Soon, County, California. steering advisor since 2010 and has been an Icon Museum, and he is active and accom- however, ICON announced that manu- In its final report on the accident, the • Instruments with better legibility, illu- investor since 2011. ■ plished in the FAA Wings program. facturing and supply-chain issues forced NTSB said “It is likely that the pilot Congratulations to George Kickhofel it to virtually halt production and lay mistakenly thought the canyon that he on a distinguished flying career. ■ off about half its staff. The ambitious entered was a different canyon that led 2016 production and delivery forecast was to the larger, open portion of the lake. scaled back to just 20 new A5s, all of which Additionally, it is likely that, once the would stay with the company to be used at pilot realized there was no exit from its ICON Flight Centers for training duty. the canyon, he attempted to perform a The company also had to backtrack 180-degree left turn to exit in the direc- on a highly restrictive 40-page purchase tion from which he entered. Based upon contract that angered many position performance information outlined in holders, and go back to investors for the Pilot's Operating Handbook for the another infusion of cash. accident airplane, the airplane's altitude This year, just as ICON finally was above the water's surface and its indicat- beginning to deliver aircraft to custom- ed airspeed, and the ridge line elevations ers, two A5s crashed, both due to pilot in the area adjacent to the accident site, George Kickhofel has operated error, according to the NTSB. In the the airplane would have not been able to above and on most of the world's first, which occurred last April, an A5 climb out of the rising terrain that sur- oceans, continents, and island suffered a hard landing during a train- rounded the area, which led to his fail- nations. ing flight in Biscayne Bay off Miami. ure to maintain clearance from terrain.” Neither of the two men onboard suf- The NTSB determined that the prob- fered injuries, but the aircraft sustained able cause of the accident was “the pilot's substantial damage. The NTSB said failure to maintain clearance from ter- Mission Aviation Fellowship International (MAF) soon will be flying a new Cessna ICON RETURNS the probable cause of the accident was rain while maneuvering at a low alti- Caravan fitted with Wipline 8750 floats. Wipaire is donating a single-point fuel- “the pilot’s failure to maintain a proper tude. Contributing to the accident was ing system and one of its new laser gear advisory systems to be installed on the "HUMBLE" descent rate during the approach, which the pilot's mistaken entry into a canyon Caravan. It will be operated in Bangladesh, where MAF flies more than 70 orga- resulted in a hard landing.” surrounded by steep rising terrain while nizations that bring health, hope and healing to some of the most vulnerable and The last two years have been eventful A month later, a tragic A5 accident at a low altitude for reasons that could remote communities in the world. At AirVenture, At AirVenture, MAF International for ICON Aircraft, manufacturer of the took the life of Jon Karkow, a found- not be determined.” Fleet Manager Ed Hawthorn (second from left) and Regional Manager two-seat, Rotax-powered A5 compos- ing member of the ICON team and ICON came to AirVenture bearing Phil Reed (third from left) celebrated the purchase with Wipaire’s Haig Hagopian ite-construction hull seaplane that has lead aero engineer on the A5, and Cagri the emotional weight of last year’s pro- (left) Chuck Wiplinger (fourth from left), and Clint Clouatre.

10 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 11 Water Flyers Water Flyers

her next rating was Single-engine Sea. tours to wilderness areas. Lexi liked the She went to Montana and Backcountry variety of flying opportunities, especially LOW, SLOW, AND ON FLOATS Flying Experience to fly a Super Cub the wilderness tours and the semiannual on straight floats off the Flathead River repositioning flights between Minnesota with instructor Terry Campbell. By and Florida. She applied for the job, and the time she left to pursue her instru- in March 2016 was hired. ment rating, she had logged 60 hours Most of her flying is instructional, in the Super Cub, doing what she now but she has made three Minnesota-to- loved—flying low, slow, and on floats. Florida-and-back round trips, one wil- From Montana, it was on to northern derness journey, and is doing sightseeing California for the IFR rating, and then flights. She looks forward to participat- Lexi Jampolsky is a pilot, which is she graduated from high school, she her professional resume and as a back- to Lakeland, Florida, and Tailwheels Etc. ing in the wilderness trips up into the something very few young people— knew that flying would be her career, stop to volatility in the aviation world. to train for the Commercial and Flight Canadian wilds. Lexi says she is drawn she’s 24—can claim. Even more but it would not be as an airline or She enrolled in Lewis & Clark College in Instructor certificates. Next on the list: to the “tight-knit community of seaplane unusual, she’s a seaplane pilot and a corporate pilot. “All I’ve really known Portland, Oregon, majoring in Hispanic upgrade the seaplane rating to Commercial. pilots” with whom she works and flies. certified flight instructor, which makes is that I like to fly low and slow,” she Studies. It was around that time when That was done at Brown’s Seaplane Base in Her first taste of professional seaplane her a seaplane CFI. She has one more says. She wasn’t sure exactly what that she was invited along on a 20-minute Winter Haven. While there, she heard that flying has strengthened her determination unusual attribute for someone so young: might mean in terms of a career, but she flight in a Progressive Aerodyne Searey. Brian Schanche of Adventure Seaplanes to continue on the path. “I know there are of potential career opportunities. “I need Lshe knows exactly what she wants to started down the path of becoming a It was her first time in a seaplane, and it was looking for an instructor. not a lot of young people who know what to get more experience with weather do with her life, and that is to fly for professional pilot. made quite an impression. Based at the Surfside Seaplane Base they want to do or, even if they do, end up and terrain before going,” she says. “I’m food—for a career. For now, that means Her father soloed her in an LSA, and “I was so excited!” she recalls. “But in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, in the sum- liking it. But my goals haven’t changed,” young. I have plenty of time. I’m not flying seaplanes. then she went to South Carolina to fly at the same time, I was mad because mer and Cherry Pocket Fish Camp in she says. “I’m not going back to wheels. going to rush it. I have to pinch myself It all began when Lexi was a teenager. with an instructor in a Cessna 172 and I realized I had been wasting time. Lakes Wales, Florida, in the winter, I’m nailed down to floats. I’ll see where it every once in a while, because I think Her father is a pilot and flight instruc- an Aeronca Champ to finish up her This—flying a seaplane—was so much Adventure Seaplanes specializes in sea- takes me from here.” I’m pretty lucky. This pretty much is tor, and she often flew with him around Private certificate. cooler than what I had been doing. It plane instruction but also offers seaplane Even though she’s never been to the the greatest opportunity I could have the central California hills. By the time College came next, both to enhance sealed things for me.” So much so that sightseeing rides and conducts seaplane state, bush flying in Alaska is on her list asked for.” ■

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Lexi Jampolsky learned to love low and slow when flying with her father as a teenager. Now she's doing it in seaplanes, working www.FLIGHT-RESOURCE.com for Adventure Seaplanes (upper right photo). STCs available for most popular aircraft Phone: 866-717-1117

12 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 13

FlightResource_ad.indd 1 4/18/16 4:29 PM Seaplane Fundamentals Seaplane Fundamentals LEARNING HOW TO HAVE FUN

Story and photos by Tom Snow

“Water flying is the most fun I’ve ever had in aviation, and if I never fly any- thing other than my Cub on floats, I’ll be happy,” says David Lewis, owner of a flight instruction business based in Pineville, Louisiana, called CUBS, FLOATS & FUN! With multiple fixed-wing, rotor- Wcraft, and instructor ratings, Lewis has the credentials to fly almost anything, including 737 airliners, but his love is flying floatplanes. A natural instructor with an easy-going style, Lewis’ enthu- The converted 90-hp Army L-18C Super Cub siasm for water flying comes through in Preparing to launch the PA-19-S on about to alight on PK1500 straight floats. A every lesson. And, fortunately for my Lake Buhlow in Pineville, Louisiana. 100-hp engine upgrade is planned. son and me, he loves to share his passion with others. The connection was made last year at reservoir that has a charted seaplane of my slim son. However, I benefit- the annual Seaplane Pilots Association landing zone and a resident alligator ed from practicing the precise attitude (SPA) Corn Roast at Oshkosh, where named Elvis. Using a converted helicop- and airspeed control demanded by the I met Lewis, SPA’s volunteer Field ter trailer, Lewis is able to easily launch underpowered Cub. A planned 160 Director for Louisiana, as he was hawk- his 1952 PA-19-S (Army L-18C) Super horsepower O-320 engine conversion ing raffle tickets. None of my tick- Cub on straight PK 1500 floats from a will significantly improve the plane’s ets was a winner, but when it was nice ramp built by a former student and performance. announced that Lewis had donated a local asphalt contractor for his amphibi- Instead of following a set curricu- seaplane rating to be auctioned off, I ous Seabee. lum, Lewis uses a free-form method of knew I had to buy it. Lake Buhlow provides an ideal place flight instruction and lets his students Although I already had a seaplane to learn “confined area” water takeoffs progress as rapidly as possible, with the rating from years ago, most of my time and landings and a roomy mile-long hope that he can include some advanced is in a Lake Buccaneer “” oxbow lake formed by the river is just maneuvers if time permits during the and I wanted to get more experience in a quarter mile away. Since no time is fixed-price rating. a floatplane, with the idea that I might lost flying to and from a remote practice A native of Milwaukee, Lewis, 50, buy one or the other. And, as it came area, a minimum fuel load can be used grew up around aviation as the son of an time to renew the insurance on our and a dozen or more landings are usu- aeronautical engineer. After joining the Bonanza, I knew my son, Sam, would ally logged in a one-hour lesson. Lewis Army right out of high school and learn- benefit from an additional rating and a also uses a section of the Red River ing to fly helicopters (Cobras, Hueys and fresh BFR. (which is actually brown) to practice OH58s) as a Warrant Officer, he later Although you might not think of cen- landing where there’s current. attended Embry Riddle and obtained tral Louisiana as an ideal locale to get a An additional benefit of staying close pro pilot and business degrees. seaplane rating, for the past four years to Pineville is that a 500-foot ceiling and “I failed to follow my father’s advice Lewis has operated from the Pineville a mile visibility is plenty for Lewis to to never fly an ultralight and when the Municipal Airport (2L0), where he dis- conduct a lesson, since there’s no need plane crashed after the engine quit, my covered a perfect venue for seaplane to climb more than 300 feet above the ankles were crushed, along with other training just across the Red River from water. injuries,” said Lewis with a grimace, Alexandria, Louisiana. Since Lewis’ Super Cub only has a “I spent the next three months in the Pineville’s 3,000-foot airstrip hap- 90-horsepower engine, climbing even hospital and over the subsequent years pens to be on a peninsula sticking out that far was a struggle on a hot day with I’ve had over 50 operations related to into Lake Buhlow, a small man-made me on board (at 250 pounds) instead the crash.”

14 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 15 Seaplane Fundamentals Seaplane Fundamentals

Fortunately, Lewis has not let the In 2007 he moved to Alexandria to fly Lewis can complete a seaplane rat- accident slow him down. In the early with the U.S. Marshall Service, known ing in two days and allowing three 90s, he flew freight in Cessna 210s and as “Con Air,” and he also spent time as days for the two of us turned out to be Beech Barons from Orlando Executive a civilian contract pilot flying classified just right. Dave currently averages two Airport, and then spent 11 years mov- missions in Afghanistan. Most recently, or three float ratings a month and he ing around the country with Mesa until oil prices tanked, he flew with recommends coming with a buddy so Airlines (US Air Express), including Petroleum Helicopters Incorporated training flights can be alternated and the being based in Maine, where seaplanes (PHI) to deliver workers and supplies to Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), who are very popular. oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. flies in from over an hour away, can test two applicants for the rating instead of just one. Lewis splits his time between Pineville and his main residence in Tomball, Texas, near Houston, where he and his wife, Sandee, operate a growing busi- ness selling all kinds of O-rings. They fell into that specialized niche through sourcing O-rings to maintain spray equipment Lewis used in a previ- ous business. Selling mainly online, he now estimates they are in the top 10 per- cent of O-ring distributors nationwide. Lewis is close to getting his A&P rating and one of the phone orders he received during our time together was for a set of O-rings to rebuild a King Air nose gear. “I like how my life is going these days,” added Lewis as we sat under a shade tree waiting on my son to return from his check ride with DPE Lyle Panepinto, president of Southern Seaplane, who flew to Pineville from his base near New Orleans in his Cessna 185 on straight floats. “I now have the freedom to teach float (Above) Author Tom Snow in the front seat with instructor Dave Lewis. flying and also run our O-ring busi- (Below, left to right) Sam Snow, Designated Pilot Examiner Lyle Panepinto, and Dave Lewis after Sam's successful check ride. ness,” he said with obvious satisfaction. “I can always go back to the airlines, but I’ve made a lifestyle choice that I hope to continue.” As for my son Sam, I’m pleased to report that he passed his check ride “with flying colors,” and we’ve now started our search for a seaplane to be based at Chattanooga, near the Tennessee River and its numerous Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reservoirs. And, since we fly our turbo-normal- ized Bonanza mostly on long business trips at altitude and IFR, we too are hoping that having a seaplane will intro- duce us to a more relaxed lifestyle of fun flying on the water. To contact Dave Lewis, owner of CUBS, FLOATS & FUN, call 318-880- 7787 or email [email protected]. Website: http://www.cubsfloatsandfun. com. ■

16 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 17 By Burke Mees

“While Alaska is very so often, an especially mem- orable day of flying comes along, a large state, it is and I recently had one of these while making a flight from Juneau still a small place.” Eto Anchorage in the Gweduck.

Daytripping Coastal Alaska in the Gweduck Photos by Ashleigh Oliver The Ellison-Mahon crew was bring- by to change the plan, never knowing more calls to see if any of my old Juneau make some water landings on the ing the airplane up from Seattle for how the day will unfold, and alternat- friends were around. An hour later we downtown waterfront for the newspa- the Alaska Airmen’s trade show in ing between two fundamental modes had a small gathering at the airport per photographer who was waiting on May, and I joined them on the last leg of existence—weather hold and full- that included Mike Stedman, who first the docks. The inbound crew was ready of the trip. speed ahead. This routine provides a brought me to Alaska by hiring me for a break and they were happy to turn A long seaplane trip has just as much constant reminder that life is neither over the phone in the 90s, and former the flying over to me for a while. I pro- potential to be a nuisance as it does to be predictable nor under control. It keeps co-worker Kevin Kramer from the old ceeded to show off the airplane by mak- a great adventure, and you can’t tell how you from taking anything for granted, days of flying piston Otters. When Eric, ing several landings and step-taxiing it’s going to play out until you embark and positions you to appreciate the gift the reporter from the Empire showed across the waterfront until it was appar- on the journey. This one took a while to that occurs on the occasional perfect day up, we had a good crowd to give him ent to the most casual observer that the come together. when everything does come together. a taste of the seaplane scene. Then, Gweduck was in town. I had set aside most of the week for right on schedule, the Gweduck made In earlier days, commercial flights this trip, and I spent the first couple days its arrival into the pattern and made a were conducted from the downtown on the phone with the Gweduck’s Ross landing on the runway. Ross Mahon, seadrome, and much of that flying was Mahon and pilot Karen Stemwell in Karen Stemwell, and Walter Fellows done by Grummans. That was before my Seattle. Storms were sweeping down the JUNEAU disembarked and joined the party. time, but revisiting the downtown waters British Columbia coast, and each day we The jet landed in Juneau at 9:00 am, After an interview with the reporter, in a twin-engine hull airplane paid trib- concluded that the next day’s weather which left me with a couple hours it was time to keep things moving, and ute to Juneau’s aviation heritage. outlook didn’t justify me coming to before the Gweduck would arrive. One this is where the good day of flying, after By then, it was about midday and Seattle. On the Anchorage end, the lakes of the first rules of seaplane expeditions all the false starts and seemingly wasted we had a schedule to keep, so we left were still frozen and it wasn’t apparent is to eat when you can because you time, finally started to take shape. We Juneau and set a course west. Everybody that the seaplane season would cooper- don’t know when you’ll next be able had good weather, hundreds of miles seemed content to let me keep flying, ate with their arrival anyway. There was to, so I made the short walk to Donna’s of Alaskan coast to explore, and a twin- so I made some other stops at historic some talk about cancelling altogether, Restaurant, which seemed not to have engine amphib with which to do it. Grumman destinations. We went out A Note About Photos The only thing missing from this trip but finally on Wednesday morning they changed in the 20 years since I’d last The first order of business was to to Elfin Cove, a small fishing town was photos. When you’re having a good time, you just can’t be bothered had an unexpected window of decent been there. protected from the open water of Cross with getting a camera out, and that was the case here. I did want to get weather and started the trip without me. I relaxed over a leisurely breakfast, Sound. The Gweduck isn’t suited to the some photos of the airplane in Alaska, so a few days later we arranged I was resigned to missing out on it, but and as the waitress kept refilling my cof- short landing inside the cove that the a photo shoot with Ashleigh Oliver. The photos that accompany this then I got a phone call at 9:00 that night fee it occurred to me that I should leak floatplanes make, but we easily touched article were taken in the mountains near Anchorage. saying they were in Smithers, British this story to the press. A few minutes down in the light swell behind George Columbia. Weather had forced them later I was confiding the scoop to an Island just outside. inland, but they were expecting good editor at the Juneau Empire, explaining Then we continued to the town of hands waving at us. In a low, lazy cruise, zone causes the ground to subside along weather the next day and planned to be that a prototype seaplane was passing Pelican, flying past the vertical rock we rounded Cape Spencer and over- the fault to create the trench. At least in Juneau by mid-morning. With that, through town that was modeled after pillars at Column Point and down flew the lighthouse perched on a rocky that’s how it’s been explained to me. I’ve things were on again. I packed a bag, set the Grumman design that had figured Lisianski Inlet. Pelican is a small fish- island, and with that we left the inside also been told that this fault is ultimately my alarm to catch the next morning’s so prominently in Juneau’s aviation his- ing town that still has a little bit of the waters to follow the outside coast. This related to the same west-coast system early jet, and 12 hours later I was arriv- tory. People in this part of the world Fairweather feel of old Alaska. It also has a beautiful is a particularly beautiful stretch of coast that includes the San Andreas Fault, ing in Juneau. understand seaplanes, and I didn’t have Trench seaplane dock suitable for the Gweduck. with steep cliffs and big waves crash- and that Los Angeles is slowly making If this sounds a little hectic, it describes to connect the dots for her. She said ing on jagged rocks. In a single-engine its way to this part of Alaska. Obviously, the daily routine throughout much of she’d send a reporter out right away. floatplane, you don’t fully appreciate we’re all a little nervous about this, but my aviation career. Always standing So far so good. Then I made a few this scenery because you’re spending too at only a few centimeters a year, we’ll much time looking at the oil pressure have some time to adjust to the idea. gage. In a capable twin, you can relax The Trench cuts across the natural and take in the view. drainages that come out of the moun- THE ROUTE tains, so when the glaciers flow out of these drainages, they turn right angles to fill the trench before continuing out to the ocean. We flew over some of THE TRENCH these glaciers along the trench until we Leaving the rocky coast behind us, came to the head of Lituya Bay, which I turned inland and flew along the is another point of interest on this route. Fairweather Trench for a while. This is Lituya Bay is nearly closed off at the a long, perfectly straight valley that runs end by a sand bar, and it is famous for The Alaskan daytrip in the Gweduck began in Juneau parallel to the beach for more than a the 1958 rockslide that occurred at the (at far right in map immediately above), then proceed- hundred miles. The straight-line depres- head of the bay. That slide, caused by an ed westbound to landings at Elfin Cove and Pelican. When we left Pelican, we flew across sion was formed by a transverse fault; as earthquake in the trench, caused a big Then it was up the coast (map at above right) to his- the open water of Cross Sound and the coastal plate slides westward, against wave that sloshed around the bay as if toric Lituya Bay and along the Fairweather Trench to overflew a fishing boat rolling on a large the more stationary continental plate, it was a giant bathtub, taking down the Yakutat. The last leg ended in Anchorage at 9:00 pm. swell; we rocked the wings to the deck- the grinding that occurs in the boundary large trees and scouring the land down

20 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 21 to bedrock. The wave rose up the sur- perched in the fading sunlight on the rounding terrain for several hundred north ridge. It turned out that the last of feet, and at its highest point reached all the ice on Lake Hood had just melted and the way up to the 1,700-foot level. The the Lake had officially opened that very bathtub ring that shows the high-water day (May 4, for the record). With a 9:15 mark of the wave is still visible, with pm water landing, Ross brought the trip to old-growth forest above the line and a satisfying conclusion. We had covered a younger trees below. lot of ground that day, and while Alaska is It’s not every day that you pass by a large state, it is still a small place. Lituya Bay in a Gweduck, and it would The next morning, I woke up to a phone be wrong not to stop and check it out. We call from an old Juneau friend whom I landed, looked around, and then took haven’t seen in 20 years, and he chided me turns making several touch and goes. for passing through town without calling We shared the place with a black bear on to say hi. I was trying to figure out how he the beach, but he didn’t show any inter- knew I had been there when he told me est in us and we returned the courtesy. that we had made the front page of the Geologic evidence suggests that Lituya Juneau Empire. Sure enough, the headline Bay experiences these waves on a recur- read: “INNOVATIVE, NOSTALGIC ring basis, so loitering there indefinitely PLANE MAKES STOP IN JUNEAU.” isn’t recommended. But the real reason Under that was the subhead: “RETRO we cut our stay short had to do with AIRCRAFT NAMED AFTER SALT- daylight in Anchorage. After a suitable WATER CLAM.” (Juneau Empire, interlude, we took off to rejoin the beach May 5, 2017) I couldn’t have said it better and continue on to Yakutat, where we myself. The article noted that a modern landed on wheels at the airport. remake of the old Grumman design had found its way home. The salt water of coastal Alaska definitely is the Gweduck’s Leaving Yakutat, we continued along town of Cordova, we made a landing in A lot has to happen for a flying daytrip around Alaska to happen, not the least natural habitat. ■ the coast, crossing the Malaspina and the the lake just for fun. We crossed Prince of which is cooperative weather. When it does, it can make for a memorable YAKUTAT Bering Glaciers, which are covered by William Sound and when we came to the experience of sights, water landings, history, and flying, especially when done Burke Mees flies for a major U.S. airline and For those of you who have made this enough debris on the lower reaches that Chugach Mountains, the ceiling was high in an interesting seaplane like the Gweduck. is a frequent contributor to Water Flying. trip, you’ve probably avoided landing at in some places you can see trees growing enough that we could cross straight over Yakutat because of the imposing Mount on top of the ice. We went by Kayak the top. That took us over a frozen glacial Fairweather-size gas prices that loom Island, where Vitus Bering first sighted landscape with alpenglow softly illumi- large on the horizon and cast a long Alaska in 1741. We saw countless bears nating the curving slopes of the ice fields. shadow on the coast route. I can report and moose in the grassy country along Finally, we descended along the Eagle that this is no longer a problem. Bob the beach. When we came to the fishing River Valley, looking at the Dahl Sheep Miller recently started Yakutat Aviation Services, and now prices are consider- ably lower for both 100LL and Jet A. Bob is a local entrepreneur who lives with his family in the old WWII hangar What Is a Gweduck? on the field, and he also owns the 1941 DC-3 in the hangar. The Seattle-based Ellison-Mahon Gweduck is an all-composite twin- This airplane is a piece of history; engine hull amphib loosely based on the Grumman Widgeon. The air- it started out as a military C-47 and plane has been under development for two decades, and has incorporat- saw wartime service in North Africa, Sicily, and over Normandy on D-Day. ed post-war advances in hull design that have eliminated the Widgeon’s After the war, it spent a lot of time stability problems. It has also taken advantage of modern composite flying commercially in Alaska, includ- materials to eliminate the problem of salt-water airframe corrosion. ing with Cordova Airlines, which later The Gweduck prototype has been in existence for more than 10 years merged with . The air- and has logged about 900 hours. It is on the verge of going into pro- plane’s story is written on its airframe in duction as an experimental homebuilt with a builder-assist option. The patched German bullet holes and corro- sion from making Alaska beach land- long-range plans for the design may include pursuing standard category ings. Bob plans to use proceeds from the certification in the future should sales volume makes that feasible. Parts fuel sales to get the airplane flying again. are currently being made for the first production kit, and the company If you’re in Yakutat you should make a is accepting orders. For more information see http://www.gweduck.com/. point to check it out.

Water Flying July/August 2017 22 July/August 2017 Water Flying 23 To AirVenture and Back, Slowly

Taking time in an amphib Kitfox to smell the... smoke

Story and photos by Joel Mapes

he windscreen in my Kitfox filled with smoke but, fortunate- ly, it was outside the cockpit, primarily due to the forest fires burn- ing in western Montana. I was headed east, to EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh, at 9500 feet near Mullen Pass, Montana, and could see the ground looking straight down. Yes, the visibility was VFR, although in this case VFR stood for Very Fire Restricted. Wanting a definite horizon, I pushed in the throttle on my Kitfox on TClamar amphibious floats and slowly climbed to 11,500 feet MSL. This journey to the Vette Seaplane array of mountains in between. Smooth, for fuel before stopping at Mitchell, Oshkosh Seaplane Base. Landing south Base on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, cool air became warm and bumpy by the South Dakatoa (KMHE), for the night. of the base in the lee of Warbird Island, Wisconsin, began many years ago. After time I was passing through Spokane’s Ma Nature prompted a change in plans I had a long taxi to the dock. After 22.5 getting my private certificate in 1982, I airspace and descending into KCOE. to Sheridan, Wyoming (KSHR), for the flight hours, my ‘Fox and I were finally happily flew asphalt to asphalt until June After stretching my legs and fueling first fuel stop of the day. The excellent at Oshkosh! of 2000, when I earned my seaplane rat- the plane, I launched for Three Forks, staff at treated my After five days soaking up the sights ing at Hurst Landing on the Columbia Montana (9S5), headed to my first Kitfox with as much attention as the and sounds of AirVenture, it was time River in Wenatchee, Washington. I was overnight at the Broken Spur Motel. Citation jet that arrived immediately to go west and begin the journey home. hooked. Needless to say, it was a slow climb to after. Pumping 15 gallons of fuel read- Winds from the northeast drove 18-inch Realizing that the only way I could 11,500 feet in a float-equipped Kitfox ied the plane for the next leg to Philip swells into the Vette Seaplane Base bay, afford a seaplane was to build it myself, Municipal in South Dakota (KPHP), so I waited for things to calm down a bit I completed my Kitfox 5 in 2006 and for another leg stretch and another 16 before launching westbound. With 18 flew it as a taildragger until 2013 when I Needless to say, it gallons of 100LL. gallons of avgas purchased, I was ready installed Full Lotus 1650 straight floats. The morning flights were smooth, to go. Climbing out south over Lake It was back and forth between wheels was a slow climb but by afternoon the South Dakota ther- Winnebago, then turning west heading and floats for a couple years until I mals were developing a real attitude. for home, was bitter sweet. bought a condo hangar at Bremerton to 11,500 feet in a It was like stepping between elevators My ADS-B receiver was active, picking National Airport (KPWT), and then float-equipped Kitfox going up, then down at 500 to 1000 feet up other traffic departing OSH. As I set- my wife suggested I buy amphibious per minute. Lots of throttle movement tled into cruise, I thought of all those pilots floats. Deal! pulled by a 100-hp and pitch management, but only a few and their passengers and wondered about So 2017 became the year to finally fly “significant” bumps. After landing at their AirVenture experiences. Albert Lea my homebuilt to AirVenture. Weeks of ULS. Mitchell, I met a fellow amphibious Municipal Airport in Minnesota (KAEL) flight planning, making reservations, Kitfox owner who graciously let me stay was my next fuel stop, then it was on to meeting new friends online, and prep- in his hangar. This is not your typical Mitchell, South Dakota (KMHE), for the ping the plane culminated in launch- pulled by a 100-hp Rotax 912 ULS hangar as it houses three aircraft (four night. Mitchell is a beautiful town. Lake ing from KPWT headed to Coeur D’ swinging a 70-inch Warp Drive three- with mine tucked in), and has a full bath Mitchell is a busy recreational asset, with Alene, Idaho (KCOE), for the first fuel blade prop. and kitchen and a sleeping loft—more boating, swimming and fishing, but no stop. Cleared through Seattle’s Class B Arriving early evening at 9S5, I than all the comforts of home. visit to Mitchell is complete without seeing Author Joel Mapes with airspace, I breezed over the morning grabbed my bag, buttoned up the plane An early launch from Mitchell took the Corn Palace. This year’s motif features his amphib Kitfox on rush hour, with a dozen airliners taxiing for the night, and walked the mile to me to Jackson Municipal in Minnesota Rock ’n Roll legends including Elvis and the 22.5-hour journey to out for departure at Sea-Tac. the Broken Spur Motel for some well- (KMJQ) , a crop duster’s paradise, over Willie Nelson. AirVenture. It would be needed sleep. Tach time for the day was some beautiful farmland. The air was another 24.4 hours back. 6.9 hours. Up early for the long second silky smooth at 5500 feet and a gentle The Morning View day, one of the friendly local pilots took tailwind pushed my ground speed to Crowd Differences headwinds impacted my original flight ing to the ridges and valleys making for Morning flights over the Cascade my photo as I prepped for launch. over 100 mph. Approaching Fond du After departing KMHE I took on 19 plans, taking me to Sturgis (49B) for my an almost magical scene. Mountain Range are incredible, with The original plan was to fly from 9S5 Lac, Wisconsin (KFLD), I contacted gallons of fuel in Chamberlain, South next fuel stop. The friendly crew at CB After landing in Sheridan, I was once views of Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, to Gillette, Wyoming (KGCC), then on the temporary tower to cross their air- Dakota (9V9), then continued my & B Aviation came out to admire my again greeted by their friendly crew and and Mt. Adams, not to mention the vast to Chamberlain, South Dakota (9V9), space in preparation for landing at the westward trek toward home. Forecast little amphib and ask questions about it. soon resting in the comfortable lounge The town of Sturgis was starting prep- reviewing the weather and watching arations for their annual motorcycle other aircraft arrive. I added 12 gallons A spectacular view of the Rockies rally, with vendor pavilions and camp- to the tanks and then launched for my from the unique perspective of a very ing areas being readied. I thought about overnight stay at Three Forks, Montana. small airplane. the differences between the crowds at Avoiding a bit more weather and then AirVenture and Sturgis and concluded encountering the forecast headwinds that we aviators are a fortunate bunch. added time to this final leg of the day. Climbing out from Sturgis heading Winds at 9S5 were blowing out of the to Sheridan, Wyoming (KSHR), ATIS south-southwest, making for an interest- reported lightning strikes east and west. ing crosswind landing. It can be difficult Flying well south of the active cell, I to be sharp at the end of a long day of dodged the rain and only experienced a flying, and I’m afraid I scored less than little turbulence. a 10 on my arrival at 9S5. Fortunately, Circumnavigating the weather got no one was there to grade my landing, me to the edge of the forest fire smoke. so I quietly put the cover on the ‘Fox and However, instead of the smoke climbing made my way to the motel. high into the atmosphere, it was cling- Part of the adventure of a trip like this is the culinary diversity one can Electronic ADI shows 11,000 feet MSL experience, and I had my first taste of and climbing to reach smooth air—a green bean fries that evening. Definitely slow process in a 100-hp Kitfox on floats. a culinary treat. This, the second day of

26 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 27 my return flight, was supposed to be the from the pilot lounge vending machines longest of the trip and by tach time (10.3 and chatted with a group of Civil Air hours) it was. But the third and final leg Patrol cadets waiting their turn for a had its own special surprises waiting. flight. A Cessna Skyhawk pulled up After a good night’s sleep at the to the self-fuel pump so I walked out Broken Spur motel I got a lift to 9S5, to chat with the crew, only to discover stowed the cover and filled the tanks that no 100LL was available due to a with 17 gallons of avgas. Climbing out contamination problem. With only five westbound in the early morning air was gallons on board, I was at my personal pleasant, but it didn’t take long for the minimum of one hour of fuel on board. forecast headwinds to make themselves FortunateIy, I was able to borrow the known. The plan for the day was to courtesy car and an empty five-gallon reverse my eastbound route and stop for jug and headed in to town. Stopping at fuel at KCOE. Ground speeds in the 60s a hardware store, I purchased another made this plan less and less practical as five-gallon container (the most expensive the flight progressed. gas container I have ever purchased) and I crossed Missoula only a few min- proceeded to get 10 gallons of premium utes behind schedule, but groundspeed mogas. Rotax engines prefer unleaded continued to decline as I progressed 92 octane fuel, so this wasn’t a problem, westward, picking my way through just a significant delay. After transferring the forest fire-induced TFRs. Smoke the fuel to my wing tanks, I launched filled the canyons, well below my flight Friendly, accommodating controllers made overflights of major airline airports for direct Seattle (KSEA), direct Home level of 8500 feet. The pucker factor non-events in the little Kitfox. Sweet Home (KPWT). Once again, the was increasing as the projected arrival climb to 8500 feet was slow and bumpy, time moved further into the future. My women accept great personal risk to turned west at Mullen Pass and followed but I reached the necessary altitude to ‘B’ plan was Mineral County, Montana protect lives and property from fires, a string of small airports leading to safely cross the Cascade mountains. (9S4), just east of Mullen Pass along regardless of the cause. Pangborn Memorial Airport (KEAT) The busy, but always helpful, Seattle Interstate 90. My GPS showed 9S4 not in Wenatchee, Washington. Thermal Approach controllers cleared me through far ahead, just past the smoke-filled activity over Eastern Washington made Seattle’s Class B airspace, directly over canyon below me. I pulled back power, A Long and Bumpy Ride for a bumpy ride, keeping my day- Sea-Tac and pointed me to my home announced my intentions on Unicom, The climb out of 9S4 along I-90 was a dreams and drowsiness on “Line up and field of KPWT. I merged with the traffic and landed on runway 30 to use the self- slow, bumpy process. Headwinds and wait.” After a long, hot leg, I descended and made perhaps my best landing of the fuel. Several helicopters were there in density altitude kept me over the high- into the beautiful Columbia River basin trip on runway 02, completing a fantas- support of the firefighting efforts, along way until reaching 8,500 feet. No lon- for a landing at KEAT. tic adventure with 46.9 hours of flying with their crews. These brave men and ger needing to stop for fuel at KOE, I I took time to get a soda and munchies over 11 days; three days out, five days at AirVenture and three days back home. Flying a plane I built to EAA AirVenture etween the Olympic Mountains, the Cascades, was definitely a bucket list item for me. the Pacific coast and Puget Sound, there are Kitfox on Floats Getting to do it on amphibious floats was many opportunities for float flying. While lakes truly icing on the cake. within the national parks are closed to float This journey is a testament to the free- Boperations, many lakes that are open and enticing. around Puget Sound dom and flexibility that our current air Additional destinations include the many large low- traffic system provides. Let’s work togeth- land lakes, like Lake Washington with a seaplane base er to keep it working for all of us. ■ at both ends. Add the San Juan Islands, with many wonderful bays, coves, eateries and overnight options. Joel Mapes earned his private certificate in And then there is Copalis Beach, the only public-use 1982 at Bremerton Airport and soon bought airport on the sand on the west coast. a share of a straight-tail C172. Flying in the Since switching to floats, I’ve been averaging about Seattle area prompted a desire for an instru- 60 hours per year and look forward to my next Fox on ment rating, so he sold his share of 15T and floats adventure. Flying on straight floats for two seasons joined Kitsap Aviation Squadron, flying 172s, gave me the opportunity to improve my float-flying skills, 177s and 182s. After earning a seaplane rat- and explore water landing sites in the area. Moving to ing, he built a Kitfox 5 and has been enjoying amphibious floats has expanded my float-flying options, flying adventures ever since. His wife, Lisa, providing the flexibility to find fuel on longer flights while supports his flying and his oldest son is an still enjoying the magic of water operations. And, going aeronautical engineer. His youngest son, an slow is really a bonus because it allows me to soak in electrical engineer, designed his custom trim the scenery and fully enjoy the experience. indicator. His daughter and other two sons have shared in his flying adventures.

28 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 29 (Clockwise from near left) Seaplane Base dockworkers make it happen. Grumman makes a low pass over the seaplane base while a floatplane taxis out for takeoff. SPA Executive Director Steve McCaughey addresses girls participating in the Women Soar program at AirVenture. Photo opportunities abound. Air Cam with new full-coverage canopy. A irVenture’s SeaVenture EAA’s annual Oshkosh gathering is a showcase for seaplanes

EAA’s AirVenture is all about scale—some 600,000 attendees, 10,000 airplanes, and 4,000 campers parked slide- out-to-slide-out in Camp Schoeller. Wittman Field is a happy storm of humanity, aircraft, and shopping during Oshkosh week. Then there’s the tranquil oasis that is the Vette Seaplane Base a few miles east of Wittman, on the western shore of Lake Winnebago. Just a handful of vendors, some display aircraft, one food stand and, like Wittman, a wonderful crop of smiling volunteers. The best thing about this AirVenture outpost: it’s all about seaplanes. The pace is leisurely, the flying dependent on the how much the wind is whipping up the shallow lake water. Conditions this year were great, making for lots of seaplanes, lots of flying, and lots of fun. AirVenture AirVenture

That’s Jeff and Patty Planz standing on Jeff started it all. He and his brother fuselage, replica PA-14 wings, Lycoming the starboard float of their…what, PA-12 decided to commemorate the 100th anni- IO-360 engine, and Czech Aircraft Works Pacer? No, not quite. The wings? Super versary of the Wright Brothers’ flight at 1900 amphibious floats. Cub, maybe. And the floats? They’re not Kitty Hawk by getting their seaplane rat- They are in their fifth season of fly- Edos, that’s for sure. So, what the heck kind ings. They flew with Adventure Seaplanes, ing Betty around the country, camping of seaplane do they fly? and Jeff was immediately hooked. “I was most of the time. Late July is reserved for It’s a JP 1, serial number 1. Also known as obsessed,” he says. “I wanted a seaplane.” volunteering at the AirVenture Seaplane Betty. Designer? Jeff Planz, with help from Frugal and handy, he decided to build his Base. This year Patty took several Women friends. Builder? Jeff Planz, with help from own to be sure it could do what he and Soar You Soar participants on their first Patty “and a lot of fabulous friends.” Betty Patty wanted: a decent useful load, good seaplane ride (below, with Kim Hickson of was a favorite aunt who helped finance the fuel capacity, and the ability to carry a lot of Poplar Grove, Illinois). project, and who passed away before it was camping gear. “It’s become a part of us,” Jeff says of completed. It’s the airplane they’ve always The result of scrounging parts and 10 their seaplane. “When you mix passion wanted, at least from the time they fell in years of labor is this beautiful amalgam of with persistence, it’s amazing what can love with seaplanes. a seaplane: a Wag-Aero Sportsman 2 + 2 happen.”

(Clockwise from bottom left) J3 coasts to the dock at Vette Seaplane Base. Tall floats and high wing on Turbine Helio Courier provide ample room to pitch a couple of tents. Amphibs at Wittman. New-production Viking Otter dominates Wipaire display. The Otter rides on Wipline's largest floats—13000s. Exchange weight for amphibs is 1,560 pounds. Aircam on amphibious Clamars on display at sea- plane base. Moored in the SPB protected cove. Cessna 185 is towed from the fueling dock to a mooring ball in the cove.

32 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 33 AirVenture AirVenture

Best Amphibian: John Bronze Lindy: J. Slingsby, Williard, Rockwood, ME, Rapid City. IA, Cessna 185, Glastar N110BJ. N2577Q.

Best Fabric: Tim Best Metal: Rob Haglund, Hazelwood, Van Buren, AR, Maple Grove, MN, Cessna SeaRey N353TH. 185, N4220Q. Lindy Award Winners

Gold Lindy: Tim Newton, Cedar Falls, IA, Dehavilland DHC-2 "Beaver", N450TN.

Silver Lindy: Clair Sceli, Denfield, Ont.,Glasair, C-GXXG.

34 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 35 Splash-ins Splash-ins

In other Grumman news, earlier this Jim Moriarty, the new owner summer John Pletcher’s Goose made a of Oren Hudson's Widgeon. ALASKA GRUMMAN—AND trip to the Aleutian Islands to partici- pate in events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of OTHERS—FLY-IN Dutch Harbor. As far as I know, this was the first time a Goose has been seen By Burke Mees in the Aleutians since Penair retired the airplane in 2012, and it received a warm welcome from the locals. The plane was there for a week and was a frequent The 9th annual Alaska Grumman Fly-In everyone is welcome. This year, of the brought his Goose. Bret and Shirley, who sight above town flying in formation took place at Rob Hutchison’s home on 17 airplanes that showed up, only three have been organizing the event from the with a T-6 that the Commemorative Marion Lake this past July. The tradi- were Grummans. Eleven other sea- beginning, showed up in their Widgeon. Air Force brought out for the event. An tion started in 2009 when Terry Smith planes came into the lake, and three Two other Widgeons didn’t make it account of that trip will appear in an attended a gathering at Rob’s house in wheelplanes landed on the 600-foot strip because of work obligations or mechani- upcoming issue of Water Flying. his Grumman Albatross, and it has been in Rob’s front yard. cal issues. The fly-In was the usual gath- Anchorage is seeing a net gain in its an annual event ever since. The Grummans in attendance includ- ering of good people with abundant food. already sizeable Widgeon population. TThe fly-In provides a place for the ed Oren Hudson’s Widgeon flown by its The event is too casual to have award After seven years of inactivity, the Alaska Grumman crowd to get together, but new owner, Jim Moriarty. John Pletcher categories, but if we did recognize spe- Aviation Heritage Museum’s 1943 cial distinctions, two people would stand Widgeon is back in service. It flew for the out this year: farthest distance traveled first time at the museum’s annual sum- would go to Bob Hough, a Widgeon mer event with Bret Brown at the con- owner from New Hampshire. Bob trols. Carter Garrett has also completed a came to Anchorage to get his Flight restoration, and his distinctive yellow and Review in John’s Goose, and scheduled blue G44A is becoming a common sight his trip to coincide with the fly-In. Most around Southcentral Alaska. recent Grumman pilot would go to The date for next year’s fly-In has Carol Zerbe, who had just taken her already been set for July 14, 2018. More Commercial MES check ride in John’s information and photos can be found at Goose two days earlier. alaskagrumman.com. ■ LAURIE LAURIE RORD ASHLEIGH ASHLEIGH OLIVER

(Above) Alaska Heritage Museum's 1943 Widgeon on its first flight after seven years of inactivity. (This photo) One of three Grummans at the Alaska Grumman Fly-In. The event attracted 14 other aircraft. READY FOR Gear up. Take off. Up to 25% o plus TAKEOFF other great o ers. When it’s time to get away, get moving with more savings. Book today at budget.com/seaplanepilots or call 1-800-527-0700. Be sure to use o er code (BCD) Z661800 when booking.

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36 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 37 Calendar Calendar

FEATURED EVENT planned to accommodate both splashing in or driving. September 15-17 - Virginia: Lake Gaston Resort A minimum fee will be required to attend to cover the Seaplane Splash-in. N36-33.5237 W077-51.4649. cost of provided meals and a t-shirt. Any funds left Unicom 123.45. See wonderful and various kinds of over will be donated to support the new Lake Flyers seaplanes taking off and landing using one of our Club. Visit www.tanglefoot2016.com for more details. two watery "runways." Food & drinks provided to pilots and their passengers. Rental accommodations September 8-9 - Oklahoma: AOPA Fly-in, Norman, & amenities available. Contact Bill Fosdick, VSPA OK (KOUN) University of Oklahoma Westeimer Airport. President, at 540-872-6744, [email protected]; or If you've been to an AOPA Fly-In, you know what these Steve Harris, VA SPA Field Director, at 301-606-0723. fun grassroots gatherings are all about. If you haven't, Lake Gaston Resort 434-577-2193, seaplanes@ you're in for a real treat. New fly-in destinations. lakegastonresort.com or www.lakegastonresort.com/ Hundreds of aircraft, old and new. Aerobatics from splash-in_map.jpg. some of the best in the business. Dozens of exhibitors featuring their latest cockpit boxes and technologies. September 16 - Maine: Belfast Lobster Fly-in And speakers that make you laugh and think. New and Open House, KBST Belfast Municipal Airport. for 2017, AOPA Fly-Ins expand to two-day shows! So 7:30am-3:00pm. Rain date September 17. Multiple fly, drive, thumb, ride your bike – whatever you have awards for Experimental Aircraft, photos taken on to do to get there, get there. Meet old friends, make arrival, food, prizes, free fun for all ages. Breakfast new ones, and rediscover what makes aviation and its from 7:30am-9:00am. Food trucks on sites after 9:00. people so special. AOPA.org. Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ EAA-1434-Belfast-ME-1629170564035243/. Also September 9-10 - Oregon: Hood River Fly-in. 1600 accept the Facebook calendar event, photos from Air Museum Road, Hood River, Oregon. Hundreds of last years Fly-In are on Facebook, and as we get close airplanes! Biplane rides and more. Food and fun both more information will be posted on how to arrange for days. Pancake breakfast Sat. and Sun. 8am-11am. lobsters to fly out. Last year we had 400 leave KBST Admission $10 adults, $youth. For more information heading to points in Maine and as far as Maryland. visit www.WAAAMuseum.org. Please contact David or Duke at the chapter email, [email protected], for more information. September 10 - Maine: SPA Member Appreciation Breakfast at the International Seaplane Fly-in, September 23-24 - Indiana: Indiana Seaplane This event is always the weekend after Reno. Contact Greenville, Maine. Join Aerocet and the Seaplane Pilots Association Splash-In at Pokagon State Park, Randy Strebig 260-466-3961, randy.strebig@strebig- Pilots Association for a departing day full course Lake James, Angola. This seaplane event has been construction.com or http://seaplanepilots.org/inspa. breakfast aboard the good ship, Katahdin, in the held since 2002 with two days of food, fun & flying. Greenville Harbor. Beginning at 7:30am Sunday morning the gangway will be lowered to extend our hospitality and thanks to all SPA members. Email [email protected] for full details. SEPTEMBER 2017 Seaplane Splash-in/Fly-in, Greenville. Since 1973. This seaplane splash-in has a strong reputation as September 14-17 - California: Clear Lake Seaplane September 7-10 - Ontario, Canada: Northern Lake being one of the world’s largest and oldest continu- Splash-in, Lakeport. Since 1979. Unicom 122.90. Amphibian Pilots' Fly-in/Splash-in, Kilarney. Contact ously held seaplane events. Thursday boat ride with Docks will serve straight-float planes, and the ramp at Donna Louth 905-304-6337, donnacalderlouth@aol. food and drinks on the Katahdin. Friday dinner at han- the Natural High School field is available for amphib- com or [email protected] gar. Saturday dinner and guest speaker at hangar. A ians. Thursday Welcome BBQ for early arrivals, also or www.northernlakeamphibianpilots.com/. Killarney must-see event. Contact Darralyn Gauvin at 207-695- Friday night welcome reception with appetizers Mountain Lodge call Bonnie 800-461-1117, escape@ 3631, [email protected] or 207-695-2928, and Lake County Wine for pre-registered pilots and killarney.com or www.killarney.com. [email protected] or www.seaplanefly-in. guests only. Call for more info. Aircraft unable to land on water more than once are welcome at Lampson September 7-10 - Maine: Greenville International September 8-10 - Idaho: Tanglefoot Lake Splash-in, Field (1O2); shuttle service will be available Saturday Tanglefoot SPB (D28). Join us for a Lake Amphibian and Sunday from airport to splash-in venue. Skylark Splash-In and seminar on beautiful Priest Lake, Shores Resort is the event headquarters. Saturday Please notify Christie Kenyon christie@seaplanes. hosted by the Tanglefoot SPB. This three day fly-in spot-landing, takeoff, and water-bombing contests, org and the Seaplane Pilots Association spa@sea- will include guest speakers, great food, and awesome rides will be available to the public for a fee, and BBQ planes.org with any new orupdated information. The information in this directory has been provid- destinations! Camping is available at the SPB base or dinner with raffles and awards followed by seaplane ed to the Seaplane Pilots Association by volunteer local airport and there are several local resorts avail- flying presentation. Contact: Melissa Fulton 707-263- seaplane pilots. If you feel that there is a mistake, able as well. All those interested in Lake aircraft are 5092, www.clearlakesplashin.com. Skylark Shores please notify SPA as soon as possible. invited and welcome to attend this event, via plane, Hotel, 1120 N. Main St., Lakeport, California, 707-263- car or airline (GEG). This Splash-In and seminar will 6151 or 866-365-9867, [email protected]. be held regardless of weather, and destinations are

38 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 39 Calendar Calendar

September 16 - Maryland: Essex Skypark (W48) September 17 - Connecticut: Simsbury Fly-in and September through October - Wisconsin: October 6-8 -Louisiana: Fall Fly-In, Splash-In, and Annual Fly-in and Splash-in Pancake Breakfast. Car Show at Simsbury Airport 4B9. The largest event Cranberry Tours at Cranberry Seaplane Base. Camp-Out. Pineville Municipal Airport (2L0), 200 8:30am-4:30pm. There is no cost; donation only. of its kind in the Northeast, featuring displays of 700+ September through mid October call Lake Nokomis Lake Buhlow Road, Pineville, LA. 4pm Friday, October Plenty of parking for aircraft and cars on field, as beautiful airplanes and autos. Many amphibs show cranberries 715-479-6546 for updates of our times. 6 – Noon Sunday, October 8, 2017. Pilots supply your well as seaplanes on a 100-ft-wide sandy beach up, plus homebuilts, helos, antiques, small warbirds, This event is at cranberry international seaplane base own anchor kits and tie-downs, motorhome and travel area. Seaplane pilots passengers transportation gyrocopters, and lots more. Many new aircraft (and WN 66 it is available all summer and fall but main trailer campers. Contact Ron Elliott @ 318-487-0324. from beach to airport call on Unicom 122.7. Mogas autos) on display by dealers. Over 100 added attrac- event is our harvest. Tour bus gift shop and winery. & 100LL available. For general information contact tions and exhibitors, making this like a country fair Groups welcome. Contact David Zowistowski (715) October 6-8 - North Carolina: The Big Splash – [email protected]. For seaplane information contact for aviators. Aviation seminars. Judging and trophies, 892-1712 [email protected]. Seaplanes on Lake Hickory! Join the fun Friday or Rob Richardson, [email protected]. See http:// Ben and Jerry's, live music, Displays by several avia- Saturday to watch seaplanes take off and land on www.essexskyparkassn.org/essex/index.jsp. tion museums, pancake breakfast, lunch. Full details, OCTOBER 2017 Lake Hickory. Get a close look at the planes, meet the schedule, directions, seminars, and lots more at www. pilots, explore a world-class aviation museum, watch September 16 - Wisconsin: Scarecrow Fest, simsburyflyin.com. NOTE due to the high volume of the planes fly over downtown Hickory and ride the Phelps Pholk Phest and Phly-in, North Twin Lake. aircraft arrivals, FAA has established arrival proce- October 6-7 - Connecticut: AOPA Fly-In Groton, CT Lake Hickory Adventures dinner yacht. Food and fes- N46-03.5959 W089-05.1888. 20 moorings, pontoon dures: please see them on our website. (KGON) Groton-New London Airport. If you've been to tivities will be available at the Wittenburg Access Area boat, parking for 5 flying boats. Noon-dusk. Contact an AOPA Fly-In, you know what these fun grassroots on Lake Hickory and at the Hickory Regional Airport. Colin Snooke 4238 Deerskin Rd., Phelps, Wisconsin September 23 - Washington: American Lake gatherings are all about. If you haven't, you're in for a Food purchases and cruise ticket sales will raise 54554. Call 715-545-2022, [email protected]. W37 Fall Splash In, Lakewood, WA. Hosted by the real treat. New fly-in destinations. Hundreds of air- money for a local Boy Scout troop and a local veterans Accommodations at Lakeview Motel 715-545-2101, Washington Seaplane Pilots Association. 10AM-2PM craft, old and new. Aerobatics from some of the best aid organization VetKids.org. Learn more and sign up [email protected]. 13024 Naomilawn Dr SW Lakewood, WA 98498. Visit in the business. Dozens of exhibitors featuring their for event updates at www.LakeHickoryAdventures. http://www.washingtonseaplanepilots.org/eventcal- latest cockpit boxes and technologies. And speakers com/activities/seaplanes. September 16-17 - New York: Curtiss Seaplane endar for more details. that make you laugh and think. New for 2017, AOPA Homecoming and Hammondsport Seaplane Splash- Fly-Ins expand to two-day shows! So fly, drive, thumb, October 13-14 - Texas: Fall Festival of Flight, in and Fly-in on Keuka Lake, Hammondsport. Please September 29-October 1 - North Carolina: Long ride your bike – whatever you have to do to get there, Gainesville Municipal Airport, TX (KGLE) join us at the south end of Keuka Lake the week after Island Airpark (NC26) Splash-In/Fly-In, Lake get there. Meet old friends, make new ones, and redis- Gainesville, TX. FLY-IN OR DRIVE-IN FOR A WEEKEND Greenville International Seaplane Splash-In. Friday Norman, Long Island. Social gathering since 2001. cover what makes aviation and its people so special. OF CELEBRATION, INCLUDING: Antiques, classics, no planned activities, but town docks and amphib- Food, fun, & flying. Room for 8-9 straight-floats AOPA.org. warbirds, replicas, and homebuilts. Static displays, ian ramp available. Those who arrive have a great seaplanes on the lake. Friday night dinner party at time in the local bars and restaurants. Saturday local ET’S house, 8291 Clipper Ct. Long Island, NC 28609. flying and seaplane parade around Keuka. Unicom Saturday: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, flying, seaplane 123.45. Cocktail hour 5pm, dinner 6pm, guest speaker splash-in, big party at hangar. Sunday: Breakfast, pic- 7:30pm. Call Curtiss Museum 607-569-2160 or con- nic at Lake Norman's Island. Contact ET Edgar Tello Seaplane tact Jean Doherty [email protected]. Be 704-491-3152, [email protected]. careful at the docks. If you pull in nose first there is no facing on the boardwalk. The floats can go under the September 30 - Virginia: Mid-Atlantic Seaplane Pilots boardwalk, exposing your prop and cowling to dam- Splash-in. On the broad James River, 4 miles east age. If the wind is out of the north, making the docks of Hopewell, VA., 13 miles SSE of KRIC. Cordinates: Association unusable, there is a beach on the southeastern shore. N37.305, W77.215. Lots of amphibian parking on the Amphibians may drive up the ramp just west of the lawn; floatplanes on the sandy beach. 9-5, lunch docks. Small grass strip, Kolo Field, uncharted, about around noon. Contact Don Maxwell 804-543-7110, Become an SPA member 1 mile south of town just east of Route 54. Try on [email protected]. More info: 123.45 to get a ride, or call the museum. https://amphibflyer.wordpress.com/. Rain date October 1. Who belongs to the Seaplane Pilots Association? Everyone who loves seaplanes! Anyone who enjoys flying them, riding in, seeing, reading about, or learning more about seaplanes... www.seaplanes.org •Federal, state, and local representa- •Members-only website tion to help keep our waterways open •Seaplane insurance program •SPA publications: •Technical referral services The bimonthly Water Flying •Special information mailings magazine, Water Flying Update, a •Car rental discounts bimonthly e-newsletter, and Water •SPA insignia items Landing Directory •Affinity MasterCard A membership in the Seaplane Pilots Association is only $55 per year, which includes six issues of Water Flying magazine, access to the members-only section of the website, and all of the benefits above.

Visit www.seaplanes.org or Tel. 888/772-8923

40 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 41 Calendar

tion enthusiasts to visit or even call home.” Jana added, AND REAL ESTATE exhibits, and vendors. Discounts on fuel. Door prizes, plenty of bathrooms, an air condition office to relax “We invite prospective exhibitors to review the event food, music, and flying. BRING YOUR AIRCRAFT PARTS in and plan, a carnival like environment for family fun site map. The 2017 event will welcome up to 40 indoor TO SELL OR FIND THAT SPECIAL PART YOU’VE BEEN and the added advantage of the city of beautiful New and 40 outdoor exhibitors, with electricity available to LOOKING FOR! Friday, October 13: Fly-in starts at 1 Bern on the opposite side of the river for relaxation all indoor exhibitors.” In addition, forum and workshop p.m. Fly-mart opens: 1 p.m. Happy hour and hamburg- and entertainment after the flying is done. Last year’s facilities are also being established with full services, ers: 5 - 7 p.m. Saturday, October 14: Fly-mart: All day event was highly enjoyed by all participants and the as well as the food vendor area. A separate entrance Pancake breakfast: 8 - 10 a.m. Lunch on field: 11 a.m. 2017 splash in promises to be bigger and better in for exhibitors and media will make entry/exit from the - 2 p.m. Happy hour: 5 - 6 p.m. Awards, door prizes, every way. More food trucks, more vendor booths, event easy for those participants. For visitors flying in and banquet: 6 p.m. Event website http://www.texas- more activities and more audience. Please mark your to the event, under-wing camping will be available with antiqueairplane.org. Contact Joel Meanor joelmean- calendars for October 21 & 22, 2017 and keep track of portable toilets, and there will be a designated home- [email protected] (817) 832-5064 for more information. developments at the website: www.flybridgeton.com. built parking area on the Showcase field. Visit sporta- Applications can already be downloaded. viationvillage.com for more information. October 16-21 - Florida: Seaplane Pilots Association Member Trip to Tavares—Come to “America’s October 26-29 - Australia: 2017 Rathmines Catalina November 12 - Florida: Sunset Grille, Sebring. Seaplane City” and join other SPA members in the Festival Splash-In, 1 Stilling Street, Rathmines NSW Since 1993. N27-28.400 W081-27.000. Sunset Grille second annual SPA excellent member adventure trip. Australia. Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia. Restaurant, 2650 US 27 South; 863-471-3900. Social Participants will have the opportunity to fly a variety 'Splash-Down 2017' Seaplane Pilot's Conference and event 10am–4pm. Lake Jackson is spring-fed and the of seaplanes including a Piper Cub, Cessna 182 and Rathmines Catalina Festival. Join us at the former most beautiful and clearest lake around. Over 2 miles 206, Maule, Searey, AirCam, ICON A5, and a Twin Bee. Rathmines RAAF Flying Boat Base for our third bien- in diameter with parking for 100+ seaplanes with white

We’ll tour the Progressive Aerodyne (Searey) factory, nial Seaplane Pilot's Conference for discussion about sand and green grass shoreline. Recommend 123.40 for SEAPLANE DESTINATIONS and enjoy the hospitality of America’s Seaplane City. Seaplane Training and Safety topics with members Lake Jackson operation, left-hand traffic. Uncontrolled Tavares is ideally situated in the center of Florida and guests of Seaplane Pilots Association Australia. airspace and waterway. Contact Steve Walsh, (561) 305- lake country, offering unlimited opportunities to enjoy Fly to Sydney NSW Australia, then drive two hours 2190. Second Sunday in November every year! instructional, sightseeing, and lunch flights. Several north to Rathmines on picturesque Lake Macquarie. dinners and social events are planned as part of the Contact Malcom Burns for more information: presi- November 12 - Florida: 8th Annual Searey Inaugural Advertise in Excellent Adventure week. The event coincides with [email protected]. Flight Anniversary Splash-In, Umatilla Florida. 9am- the 2017 SPA Annual Member Meeting on October 20. 4pm. Bowden's Landing at Island Lake Private Seaplane Water Flying If you are interested in participating in SPA’s Excellent October 27-28 - Florida: AOPA Fly-In Tampa, FL Base, 16761 Keene Road, Umatilla, FL 32784. Food, Adventure/Tavares and would like to receive more (KTPF) Peter O Knight Airport. If you've been to an Flying, Fun, Door Prizes. Food will be supplied by EAA information as it develops, please email Ann Gaines at AOPA Fly-In, you know what these fun grassroots gath- Chapter 534. This is a free event. A donation box will be The best way to reach [email protected]. erings are all about. If you haven't, you're in for a real at the EAA Chapter 534 table for the food they will be active seaplane pilots ALL YEAR! treat. New fly-in destinations. Hundreds of aircraft, supplying. The EAA will keep 100% of the proceeds that October 20 - Florida: Seaplane Pilots Association old and new. Aerobatics from some of the best in the goes in that box. Contact Thomas Bowden 352-669- For more information, contact Chester Annual Member Meeting, Tavares Seaplane Base. business. Dozens of exhibitors featuring their latest 3752, [email protected] for more information. ■ 727.641.5436 or [email protected] cockpit boxes and technologies. And speakers that October 21- Florida: Monster Splash Halloween make you laugh and think. New for 2017, AOPA Fly-Ins Seaplane Fly-in, Lake Dora, Tavares — “America’s expand to two-day shows! So fly, drive, thumb, ride your Seaplane City.” N28-48.043 W081-43.655. If you bike – whatever you have to do to get there, get there. ADVERTISING INDEX house_ad.indd 1 11/1/13 12:17 PM have never been to Tavares Seaplane Base (FA1), you Meet old friends, make new ones, and rediscover what need to see what the city has provided for seaplane makes aviation and its people so special. AOPA.org. pilots worldwide. Tavares has two seaplane events AEROCET, INC each year, one in the spring & one in the fall. Or stop NOVEMBER 2017 www.aerocetcompositefloats.com...... FALCON INSURANCE/ BOYD KLEYPAS PREFERRED AIR PARTS in any time—Tavares caters to seaplanes. Join us at C2,11,17 www.falconinsurance.com...... 3,39 www.preferredairparts.com...... 29 beautiful Wooton Park Saturday 9am-3pm for com- AIR RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY INC. FLIGHT RESOURCE SCHWEISS BI-FOLD DOORS petitions such as the Smashing Pumpkin Drop! Prizes November 2-4 - Florida: DeLand Aviation Showcase. www.wingxstol.com...... 35 www.flight-resource.com...... 13 www.bifold.com...... 29 & awards. Seaplane pilots who fly in will receive a As DeLand’s Sport Aviation Village comes to life, AIRCRAFT SPRUCE FLYING FISH AVIATION SEAPLANE SAFETY INSTITUTE/ $10.00 dining voucher to downtown restaurants. DeLand Airport Manager John Eiff and Sport Aviation www.aircraftspruce.com...... 15 www.flyingfishaviation.com...... 29 SOUTHERN SEAPLANE Parking, seaplane ramp, docks & green grass shore- Administrator Jana Filip are busy planning DeLand’s AVIAT AIRCRAFT HARTZELL PROPELLER INC. www.southernseaplane.com...... 16 line. Visit www.tavares.org for event information & first-ever Sport Aviation Showcase set for November www.aviataircraft.com...... C3 www.hartzellprop.com...... 5 SEAPLANES WEST registration packet. 2-4, 2017. Designed to be small in nature, the 2017 AVIS J.H. CUNNINGHAM www.seaplanewest.com...... 41 Preview Showcase will offer people an opportunity www.avis.com/seaplanepilots...... 37 www.jhcunningham.com...... 17 SURVIVAL PRODUCTS October 21-22 - North Carolina: Wings Over to become familiar with the DeLand Airport and the BUDGET LAKE & AIR www.survivalproductsinc.com...... 29 Bridgeton Bridgeton Harbor Marina, 1101 B community of DeLand. Jana said, “Our goal is to create www.budget.com/seaplane pilots.... 37 www.lakeandair.com...... 13 TEMPEST Street, Bridgeton, NC. The Bridgeton Improvement an annual destination event for recreational aircraft CITY OF TAVARES MT PROPELLER www.tempestplus.com...... 7 Committee and Bridgeton Harbor Marina are bring- enthusiasts from the U.S. and the world. DeLand is a www.tavares.org...... 43 www.mt-propeller.com...... 35 TREASURE COAST SEAPLANES ing the “Wings Over Bridgeton” splash in back to the progressive community offering a wide variety of social, CUB CRAFTERS NORTHWOODS AVIATION www.flytcs.com...... 40 banks of the mile wide Neuse River. The producers cultural, and recreational activities along with a great www.cubcrafters.com...... 23 www.northwoodsaviation.com...... 40 WIPAIRE INC. feel we can offer a wonderful event experience with climate, making it a wonderful location for sport avia- www.wipaire.com...... C4

42 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2017 Water Flying 43 SNAPSHOTS

Steve Walsh’s view of his Maule on Wipline 3000 floats, taken while relaxing at the Hillstone Restaurant on Lake Killarney in Winter Haven, Florida. “Six years ago, we were looking for the right Maule and this one had everything we wanted, and it just happened to come with floats that I did not think I would use,” he says. “After we brought it home our daughter decided to go to school in Winter Park, so we started flying there, filling the Maule with clothes, furniture and whatever else she needed. Since then we have flown in to so many places for lunch and to friends’ homes. We are living the dream in the air and on the water.”

John Hefley stuck his camera out the door of his 1947 Piper J3C-65 on Edo 1320 floats to take this shot taxiing away from his Lake Champlain beach in Georgia, Vermont. That’s his house up on the hill in the clearing between the trees. “It's really nice in the summer to just go to the end of the drive- way, onto the beach, preflight, launch, and fly,” he says. Life is good!

Randy Strebig’s Maule against a setting sun over Lake James in Angola, Indiana. Grace Kendra shot the photo from the Angola flying club’s Cherokee 140.

Capturing all of the beauty of seaplane fly- ing is the simple goal of "Snapshots." Send your best photo, along with a brief explana- tory caption, to [email protected].

44 Water Flying July/August 2017 July/August 2014 Water Flying 19