On this episode I am joined by Steve Anderson, President of Aviat Aircraft as we explore the Husky. Let's be honest, there are very few certified bush/seaplanes being made today. The Aviat Husky is a two place American made and owned aircraft that has the capability to fill a mission few current production aircraft. It boasts a higher gross weight than any other current two seat aircraft, a higher cruise speed, great STOL and low speed performance. Not to mention, folding and adjustable seats and many other innovations.

Learn more about the Aviat Husky at https://aviataircraft.com/

Jack Jacobson and Amy Fenwick from the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association join Steve McCaughey on this episode to provide a recap of the 2023 Tanglefoot Seaplane Splash-In on Priest Lake, Idaho.

Perfectly calm, cool and clear weather welcomed over 30 seaplanes and their pilots. This amazing event which was hosted by the WSPA and Fenwick family at their amazing seaplane base nestled within the backcountry of Northern Idaho, just 40 miles from the Canadian border.

Turbine Grumman Gooses are ultra rare, and Doug DeVries not only spent 10 years restoring one but also has taken this G21G on a series of incredible adventures. In this episode of SPA's WaterFlying podcast, I sit down with Doug to discuss restoring the Goose, learning to fly it, and embarking on a flying boat adventure to the outer most Aleutian islands.

Doug has an amazing passion and commitment to restoring vintage aircraft, including his breathtaking G-21G Grumman Goose flying boat. Just as impressive is the journeys that most of of would dream of taking and that he actually embarks on with these aircraft. Doug is a fascinating pilot who has lived a life putting his passion into action.

Join the Seaplane Pilots Association @ seaplanes.org

Steve & Abbie discuss the process of getting your single engine seaplane rating.

Join Steve & Abbie as they discuss the "Why" you should get your seaplane rating. Learn from the experiences of this owner operator and an active seaplane CFI as they discuss one of the most frequently asked questions fielded by the SPA staff.

David L. Johnston joins Steve McCaughey in this WaterFlying podcast to discuss his experiences as a dock boy for Avalon Air Transport (Catalina Air Lines), which at the time operated a fleet of Grumman Gooses as well as the incredible Sikorsky VS-44 four-engine flying boat.

In addition to working the seaplane dock between 1962 and 1968, David has become a passionate aviation historian of the long and colorful history of the island off the coast of Southern California.

Only three VS-44s were produced by Sikorsky, and the one that David worked with survives today. You can visit it, the last Sikorsky flying boat design, at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

To learn more about this magical time in seaplane and flying boat history you can purchase David's book "The Knights of Avalon" by clicking here.

Having conducted over 19,000 seaplane checkrides; more than anyone else in history - Jon Brown is a true seaplane legend. In this episode of Water Flying, Jon joins Steve McCaughey for a reflection on his 48 years as a seaplane examiner.

Jon's father opened Jack Brown's Seaplane Base, the world's most active seaplane school in 1963. Now, 60 years later business is stronger than ever. This a must-hear and fascinating discussion with one of the highest time seaplane pilots in the world.

Visit Brown's website at: https://brownsseaplane.com

Photos of seaplanes have a magical allure that attracts people to them like a magnet, and this is a well known secret among marketing agencies, movie & tv producers and aviation magazines like AOPA Pilot, EAA Sport Pilot and Flying among others.

Mark Twombly, editor of "WaterFlying" magazine joins Steve McCaughey for an exploration of how to capture great seaplane photos. Whether you are shooting with an iPhone or professional camera there are some tips and tricks to capturing the allure of seaplanes in their environment, and we explore them in this episode of the Water Flying podcast.

Support this podcast by donating at: https://seaplanefoundation.org/donate/

Charlie Hammonds joins Steve to discuss the little known history of the massive floatplane community that used to exist in Louisiana. Over 300 seaplanes worked the oil fields with extremely demanding conditions including weather, night operations, and risky dockings.

Charlie was one of the pioneers of the floatplane community starting a commercial seaplane operation, base and flight school when he was only 21 years old. In addition to seaplanes, Charlie founded an airline at 26 years old , trained movie stunt pilots, broke the speed of sound in a F-15, and his son flew in the original "Top Gun."

Kaylab Verdin from Fire and Medical Training Centre in Houma, Louisiana joins Steve McCaughey to talk about the AUET (Aircraft Underwater Escape Training) for seaplanes that they provide in their Triton training system.

Leading by example SPA's Board member's recently joined SPA staff members Steve McCaughey and Carter Clay for this invaluable training for seaplane pilots. This discussion explores the course, its value in a life threatening scenario like a gear down water landing and the challenges of doing so - even in a controlled environment.

For more information on this course please reach out to the Seaplane Safety Institute at http://www.southernseaplane.com/seaplane-safety-institute

Seaplane Pilots Association members get a discount on our group programs.

SPA Lifetime Member Dave Wellman returns for a fascinating account of his attempt to fly a straight float Cessna 172 across the United States. In part 1 of Dave's journey, we discussed the inception of the idea, the planning and preparation and the training that took place before he started this epic journey east bound from Washington state to Maine to attend the Greenville International Seaplane Fly-In.

Will he make it? Tune in to find out, as he shares his incredible journey across the top of the United States in his Cessna seaplane.

SPA Lifetime Member Dave Wellman joins us on this episode of Water Flying to explore whether or not it is possible to fly a straight float seaplane across the United States.

This is the first of a two part episode exploring Dave's attempt to fly a straight float Cessna 172 from Washington state to Maine. This is the kind of adventure many seaplane pilots dream of getting the chance to embark on. We discuss the planning, the training, the research and the execution of this ambitious cross country flight.

SPA's event and volunteer coordinator Carter Clay, joins Steve to discuss the opportunities, and many of the needs the Seaplane Pilots Association has for volunteers in 2023.

Volunteers are the real horsepower of non-profits like the Seaplane Pilots Association, and we have numerous ways you can put your passion into action helping the Water Flying community.

Whether you volunteer for a single event or become one of our regular team members, volunteers are the force multipliers that will continue to make the Seaplane Pilots Association more effective in our mission of protecting and promoting water flying.

To inquire about volunteering contact: Carter Clay at Carter@seaplanes.org or call us at 863-701-7979.

Seaplane Pilots Association Chairman Steve Williams joins Steve McCaughey for a 2022 "Year in Review." As the last episode of the year we always like to take time to provide a very condensed and shortened version of our activities during the year.

As always, 2022 was a busy year dividing our time, energy and resources between in person events, safety & education, communications activities such as this podcast and Water Flying magazine and advocacy at a local, state and national level for our members.

This podcast provides a informative review of our agenda and accomplishments across 2022.

seaplanes.org

Whether we want to discuss it or not, having seaplane owners and operators being the best possible stewards of the environment is not an optional topic. The spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is not limited to the waters of the United States, aquatic ecosystems arounds the world are being infected by non-native aquatic invaders.

Sid Pinney from Turbo Float Pump has been working with the Seaplane Pilots Association for over two years on the topic of this episode, the "Turbo Float Pump." This cordless drill powered float pump actually includes a field replaceable filter that allows seaplane pilots to pump their floats without risking the discharge of any aquatic invasive species.

The Turbo Float Pump is a great development that will help SPA and seaplane pilots continue to prove that:

1) We care about the environment

2) We are committed to proactively addressing the threat of AIS to our waterways

3) We are working to ensure that we are matching and/or exceeding the efforts that are being asked of other users groups like the boating community

Aquatic Invasive Species are second only to Safety issues at SPA, as they have become our largest threat to water access, so we highly encourage all seaplane pilots to stay informed on this topic and listen to this episode.

TurboFloatPump.com

Steve McCaughey is joined by Peter Christie, Slade Rosamond, and Carter Clay to discuss their lessons and experiences learned flying with Steve on a 5,000 mile seaplane cross country.

The Super Cub's first stretch was flown by Slade from home base in Winter Haven, FL to 19-Mile Bay, NH in support of keeping the Lake Winnipesaukee bay open. After the public hearing in New Hampshire the plane was flown to Brunswick, Maine where the Super Cub sat for two months during Oshkosh. Carter flew the second leg from Maine to Minnesota in support of the Greenville International Seaplane Fly-in and the MSPA Safety Seminar at Maddens Resort in Brainerd, MN. The Super Cub sat again for two months this time at Wipaire's Factory in Minnesota. The last leg was flown with Peter to return the Super Cub back to home base in Winter Haven.

Once all was said and done, the Super Cub logged 80 hours and crossed 25 states in this seaplane cross-country adventure.

Todd Rust the owner and operator of Rust's Flying Service the largest seaplane operator in Alaska joins Steve for a fascinating discussion of the history of Rust's and the unique experiences that you can have when flying with them.

From glaciers to beluga whales, moose and bears when you fly with the largest off-airport operator in the United States every flight is a dream come true for those seeking unique experiences.

Visit Rust's website at: www.flyrusts.com

Brian Flegel, Chief Flight Instructor at Kenmore Air, joins Steve for an exploration of seaplane training at their facility in Kenmore, Washington. Brian's journey to becoming the Chief Flight Instructor at Kenmore is a true success story not only for him, but also for the effectiveness of the Seaplane Pilots Association's seminar and workshop programs.

This is both an informative podcast for those seeking a seaplane rating, but also an inspiring story of going from an aspiring pilot in the crowd at a seminar to becoming the Chief Flight Instructor at Kenmore Air.

Visit Kenmore at: https://www.kenmoreairharbor.com/flight-instruction.html

Winter seaplane operations are the focus of this episode of Water Flying. Curt Sneddeker, the Maintenance Department Manager at Wipaire in South Saint Paul, Minnesota joins me to discuss useful tips for seaplane owners to conduct for protecting their aircraft during winter operations.

With over 40 years of aviation maintenance experience and over 20 years specializing in seaplane maintenance, Curt is a wealth of knowledge and seaplane wisdom. It was great to sit down with him and get up to speed with things that I would need to know and do before departing on my first multi-day cross country flight in sub-freezing weather.

Richard McSpadden, the Executive Director of the AOPA Aviation Safety Institute, joins us on this episode of Water Flying to discuss the results of the recent Seaplane Study the Seaplane Pilots Association partnered with ASI to conduct.

In this episode, Richard and Steve McCaughey review some of the most important results of this study. These results will guide our areas of focus as we develop future safety seminars, videos, and other safety programs.

Increase your safety awareness, by watching the Seaplane Foundation Amphibious Gear Safety Video and taking the short test afterwards at: https://www.classmarker.com/online-test/start/user-info/?quiz=pbk6283dac5e4d02

Kelli O Donnell is a passionate Seaplane Pilots Association volunteer, marine biologist with NOAA fisheries and is dedicated to helping more women enter the wonderful world of seaplane flying.

In this episode of Water Flying, we will discuss the Seaplane Sirens (Women who charm the winds) Facebook group and how it is serving women who want to join our seaplane flying community.

Roger Paradise from Currier's Flying Service sits down with Steve in Currier’s hangar lakeside Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine, for this episode of Water Flying.

Currier's is currently operating two ultra-rare Cessna 195s on floats as well as a De Havilland Beaver and couple of Cessna 180s on floats. Learn what kind of challenges Roger faces operating this historic seaplane service flying vintage seaplanes including the only two commercially operated Cessna 195 floatplanes in the world.

Check out Currier's website at https://curriersflyingservice.com

Missy Lee from Alaska Floats & Skis @AK8 joins Water Flying on this episode to discuss the unique experience pilots will have flying with them in Talkeetna, Alaska.

Whether it be remote river bar landings, landing on roads, ski operations, or seaplane training, pilots flying with Alaska Floats & Skis will expand their flying horizons!

https://www.alaskafloats.com

John Gowey, Director of Flight Operations at Kenmore Air Harbor, joins me for an in-depth discussion on how the wind affects seaplane operations. How to properly read wind direction on the water and align correctly for a safe landing into the wind.

Additionally, what you need to know about wind sheer which occurs when wind flows over and around terrain or other vertical obstructions and how this will affect both your landings and takeoffs in a seaplane. Counter intuitively, protected harbors can create wind hazards for seaplane operations. Listen in and learn to improve your piloting skills and safety!

https://kenmoreair.com/

The Birches is a must visit seaplane friendly resort in northern Maine and a frequent destination for the Seaplane Pilots Association. John Willard who owns this amazing resort joins us on this episode of Water Flying.

John is a passionate seaplane pilot and owner operator and has worked tirelessly to create a resort that offers a seaplane destination seaplane with a marina, gravel strip, numerous wildlife tours, private cabins, a great on site restaurant and bar among the many other opportunities that can be enjoyed by visitors to this play ground in the wooded lake country of northern Maine.

https://www.birches.com

SPA Board Member Harry Shannon joins Steve McCaughey to review our recent SPA advocacy tour through Alaska. During the trip SPA conducted numerous safety workshops, visited Alaska Seaplanes' amazing operation in Juneau and attended the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering. The crew traveled over 2,500 miles during the three week trip that included stops in Anchorage, Palmer, Talkeetna, Fairbanks and Juneau.

Steve Williams from Acme Cub joins Steve at Lake Hood to discuss the in-depth seaplane instruction that they provide in Alaska. The sheer number of seaplanes and seaplane operations at Lake Hood is unlike any other seaplane base in the world, but it share the strong sense of community that seaplane pilots are known for.

With well over 17,000 hours of backcountry Alaska on big tires and floats Steve Williams has a perspective and wisdom regarding seaplane operations and flying in Alaska that is hard to eclipse. Recorded at the beginning of the 2022 Alaska float season this is must listen episode.

SPA Field Director, Don Goodman, joins Steve to discuss seaplane flying opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. A mountain climbing expedition ignited Don's interest in pursuing his pilots license, and lead to Don owning a Cessna 182 on straight floats.

From boarder crossings to island destinations and even inland alpine lakes the Pacific Northwest abounds with a diverse variety of seaplane flying opportunities for pilots to explore.

TR Wood from Epic Seaplane Adventures joins Steve to discuss the recent attempt to ban seaplanes from 19 Mile Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire.

The Seaplane Pilots Association with support from AOPA, RAF, the New Hampshire Pilots Association and Maine Aeronautics Association prevailed against a group of well intended but grossly misinformed residents that had been stirred into a anti-seaplane frenzy.

We discuss the concerns, the realities and the outcome of the public hearing and the decision that followed.

It's great to be back again for another week of Water Flying!

This week Aaron Martin from U.S. Fish & Wildlife joins Steve on location on the shores of Lake Hood to discuss seaplanes and invasive species in Alaska.

Listen in and get an understanding of invasive species, and the impact they have on the ecosystems and the seaplane community. Aaron Martin is the Invasive Species Program Manager and Coordinator of the Anchorage region for the United States Fish and Wildlife.

Aquatic hitchhikers can and must be stopped!

Gary Norris president of the Greenville International Seaplane Fly-In joins Steve this episode to discuss the 2022 seaplane event at Moosehead Lake in Maine.

Listen in and get a feel for the small town, large mountain lake, numerous events and variety of aircraft that will be attending this event.

This is the "World's Largest Seaplane Event" and one that has a unique character that one can only truly appreciate by experiencing the event in person.

Note: There are audio hits from a thunderstorm in the area.

This episode of Water Flying reveals the surprising amount of seaplane flying opportunities in the state of Texas. SPA Texas & Regional Field Director Mike Eiras elaborates on the laws, water access and possibilities that abound for seaplanes in Texas. Honestly, it sure sounds like more seaplane pilots need to take advantage of these and we are sure you will agree after listening to this episode of Water Flying.

This episode is dedicated to all that contributed to creating the amazingly successful year the seaplane community has experienced in 2021.

Thank you and we send our warmest wishes for a Merry Seaplane Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.

Join us for a discussion on flying seaplanes in California with severe drought conditions, glassy water landings and insights into the Seaplane Foundation scholarship programs.

Water Flying welcomes Terry Hayes a legendary seaplane pilot, seaplane instructor, aviation advocate, SPA volunteer, Seaplane Foundation Scholarship Committee Chairwoman, activate donor, retired DPE and mountain pilot.

Wow that was a mouth full... Terry is inspirational and one of most experience mountain seaplane pilots in the lower 48.

Apply for scholarships or donate at 

seaplanefoundation.org

Email Terry at flyames@gmail.com 

Amphib seaplane owners, operators and those wishing to purchase an amphibious seaplane will not want to miss this episode discussing amphibious seaplane wheel maintenance tips and tricks.

Chris Shannon from Amphibians Plus, shares numerous antidotes for amphib owners to extend their bearing life and reduce maintenance expenses along the way.

https://www.amphibiansplus.com/

Email Chris at amphibplus@gmail.com

Andy Jackson the Flight Training Network Manager at Icon Aircraft joins us on this episode of the Water Flying podcast to discuss the numerous flight training programs currently offered by ICON Aircraft.

From ICON Authorized Flight Instructors programs to Single Engine Sea Ratings and owner transition programs ICON Aircraft has developed a much more impressive training curriculum than most people realize.

Join us on this episode of the Water Flying podcast to learn more.

Toby Ortega from Alaska Seaplanes joins us to discuss what it is like to fly for this industry leading seaplane company. They operate primarily throughout the Southeast Alaska region.

Alaska Seaplanes recently hosted SPA and provided us with a tour and introspection into their growing and amazingly well organized seaplane business while celebrating their 25 year anniversary. Operating over 15 aircraft, half of which are seaplanes, Alaska Seaplanes flies 90,000 passengers and over 2.7 million pounds of cargo annually.

flyalaskaseaplanes.com

Why is the Cessna 185 Skywagon such a legendary seaplane and bush plane? In this episode of Water Flying, we discuss this topic with Stephen Williams who has been an owner and operator of his Cessna 185 for over 26 years.

This is part of an on going series within the Water Flying podcast where we explore different specific types of seaplanes providing a general overview of their operations, as well as, a many of the more notable talking points that will help you our listeners be more knowledgable regarding these aircraft.

Peter Christie is one of the most active Seaplane Pilots Association volunteers, and for nine years and running he has traveled from Alaska to Florida working events with our staff and volunteers.

In this episode of Water Flying, Peter shares his experiences, motivations and thoughts on why volunteering has been so rewarding to him.

Water Flying magazine's editor Mark Twombly joins Steve McCaughey for an in depth discussion on the small but effective team that puts together the seaplane community's flagship magazine. Just as importantly, we discuss how much member input goes into the publication and we provide guidelines for aspiring writers within our community to submit content of their own.

Join us as we visit Lake Fest 2021 the largest event for the Lake Amphibian community. Myron Mitchell, Adrian Wood and Bill Greenwald from the Lake Amphibian Club's board join Steve for a review of this year's event which was held in Pineville, Louisiana. No less than 18 Lake aircraft and approximately 60 people attended this 4 day event dedicated to fun social, educational and flying activities.

Tavares, Florida has become a "Mecca" for seaplanes, one where the city, businesses and residents have fully embraced seaplanes as and integral part of their community. John Drury the City Manager and Seaplane Pilots Association Board Member is the visionary behind this unique redevelopment of the town's economy around seaplanes and the results are truly impressive.

This episode of the Water Flying podcast is a must listen for seaplane pilots and the leaders of water front town's looking to develop new economic health in their community.

Tavares.org

In this episode, Water Flying visits one of our favorite seaplane resorts. Join us as we sit down with Ben Thuringer SPA Lifetime Member and COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Madden's Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Madden's Resort is owned and operated by a family deeply invested in the seaplane community, and operates numerous aircraft including their newest, a Aviat Husky on amphibious floats.

We honestly don't know of another seaplane destination that offers as much as Madden's when it comes to seaplane destinations.

On this very special episode of Water Flying Seaplane Pilots Association Founder David Quam joins Steve McCaughey to discuss the history of SPA. Dave is still actively attending events and telling his colorful stories of seaplane adventures 49 years after founding this association.

While haunted houses are common place in cities around the world, Tavares, Florida hosts an annual Monster Seaplane Splash-In, complete with a pumpkin smashing bomb drop competition.

Kendall Clutts Tavares' Aviaiton manager joins this episode's hosts Mark Twombly and Steve Mccaughey to discuss this unique seaplane splash-in (fly-In) which features seaplane competitions, live concerts, fireworks and so much more.

Date: October 16, 2021

Time: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Time Details:

10:00am: Marina Grand Opening Ceremony 11:00am: Seaplane Contests | Vendors | Family Fun Zone 2:00pm: Papa Wheelee 6:45pm: Leaving Haven 8:00pm: Scott Stapp

Location:

Wooton Park

Address:

100 E. Ruby Street

Tavares, FL 32778

Contact: 352-742-6176

Email: Cheri Moan

Cost:

FREE

Link:

Facebook Event Page

Laurent Gauthier owner & CEO of Porta Air Service joins Steve and Abbie along with Clint Clouatre Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Wipaire.

Porta Air who is based in Friedrichshafen, Germany recently signed a new partnership with Wipaire as an international authorized installation and service center for Wipline 8750 floats, single point refueling and among other services. Laurent and Clint are here to share the news with us and you, our listeners.

The Water Flying podcast goes on location as we sit down with Steve Guetter and his fellow board members of the Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association for a recap of the 2021 Seaplane Safety Seminar at Maddens on Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN.

Over 40 seaplanes and 150 pilots attended this year's MSPA three day seaplane safety seminar - find out more in this episode.

Melissa Grabiec has had quite a journey since joining the Seaplane Pilots Association. As a traveling volunteer doing events across the country in her early 20's, to earning her ATP, and flying for a major airline, she is now starting her own seaplane service.

Melissa started her seaplane journey, like many others, at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base in 2012. Eleven years later, she is flying for a major airline and launching Bel-Air Seaplane Service, which is operating off of Messalonskee Lake, in Maine.

This a fun interview with a passionate Lifetime SPA member which is inspirational; especially, to young pilots looking for chase a career in aviation.

https://belairseaplaneservice.com

Ben Shipps from Brown's Seaplane Base joins Steve & Abbie to discuss the things that challenge new seaplane pilots in their training and check rides.

Additionally, we discuss the transition of ownership of Brown's Seaplane base to the next generation and the addition of an Icon A5 to the training fleet of Piper J-3 Cubs and Super Cubs.

Top ten episodes from the first 25,000 listens to the Water Flying podcast. Abbie and Steve review and reflect on the most popular seaplane episodes from our first year and 25,000 listens.

You will be provided the episode number, topic and a description of each. Safety, insurance and training all rank among the most popular topics.