As such, there are two seaplane/floatplane training operations in the area: Seattle Seaplanes, located on the southeast corner of Lake Union (0W0), and Kenmore Air, with two locations, one on the northwest side of Lake Union (W55) and another on Lake Washington on the north tip of Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT).

Who Gets a Seaplane/Floatplane Rating?

There are three kinds of people who attain seaplane ratings.

The first are those who do it as a bucket-list item. They may never get near the water again, but they have the rating to show off. The second is the person who earns the rating because they dream about owning a seaplane someday. The third is the person, who by happenstance, luck, and/or determination, gets a job flying a float-equipped aircraft for scenic flights, taking fishermen and hunters to the backcountry, or providing flight instruction.

Sometimes it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time, as it was for Seattle resident Kit Warfield. Warfield, now retired, spent several years as a professional pilot at Seattle Seaplanes.

Warfield’s water journey began in 2008 when she was a land-based CFI teaching private pilot ground school. Two of the learners in the class were taking their training on floats and suggested Warfield reach out to their instructor, who was looking for pilots for his school.

• READ MORE: Boston-to-New York Seaplane Service Ends Scheduled Operations

“Like lots of land-based pilots, I always thought it would be fun to get a seaplane rating but didn’t actually pursue it directly,” said Warfield, noting that when she contacted the instructor at Seattle Seaplanes, she cautioned that she did not own a seaplane rating.

“My eventual boss replied, “That’s OK. I’ll train you, and then you can come work for me,’” Warfield said. “Hmm…Get a seaplane rating and get to use it?! Sign me up!”

Warfield earned her single-engine seaplane rating in August 2008. She has 4,100 hours total time, 3,800 in seaplanes. Much of that time came from instructing.

If the pilot in training already flies land airplanes, there can be some negative transference. For example, there are no brakes on the water, just energy to manage. This means you have to be extra vigilant when the aircraft is on the water because boats you’re sharing the space with don’t have brakes either, although there’s something to be said for reverse thrust.

“Once you are underway, you are truly underway. You can’t just set the brake and pause for a moment,” said Warfield. “Situational awareness is key all the time. Yes, that’s true with land planes as well, but seaplane pilots have to keep an eye out for paddle boarders, sailboats, watercraft,and occasionally wildlife.”

Warfield has seen whales, sea lions, birds, and even encountered a seal on one occasion during a landing.

“He regaled me then slipped back under the water,” she said. “I wonder what he thought of me and my airplane?”

Warfield puts on her CFI hat in offering advice to those who seek a seaplane rating.

• READ MORE: WWII-Era ‘Philippine Mars’ Transport Seaplane Headed to Arizona Museum

“The Seaplane, Skiplane, and Float/Ski Equipped Helicopter Operations Handbook (FAA-H-8083-23) is an excellent resource for aspiring seaplane pilots and can be downloaded from the FAA website,” she said. “Learners who have tailwheel experience or sailing are often able to apply that experience to the seaplane training, as the seaplane is taxied with the yoke or stick all the way aft like a tailwheel-equipped aircraft, and the flaps, when deployed, act like sails, and if the pilot can read the wind, he or she can sail the seaplane like a boat on the water. There are some procedures that are slightly different from land procedures, such as performing the run-up before the aircraft leaves the dock, and you don’t goose the throttle to make a taxi turn.”

One of the most common questions is: How long does it take to earn a seaplane rating?

“My standard answer is: It depends,” said Warfield. “There’s no set hour requirement from the FAA, but it generally takes a pilot at least five to eight hours to get proficient in the basics. Pilots with a combo of tailwheel experience, sailing (or boating) experience, and comfort in a small plane really figure out SES pretty quickly.”

Warfield calls it very basic flying, meaning daytime VFR flight only.

“The planes I flew don’t have GPS or glass cockpit or anything fancy like that,” she said. “I look at it not as a challenge, though, but as an opportunity for the learner pilot to see just how much fun it is to fly a seaplane. In fact my boss said, ‘If they’re not having fun, you’re not doing your job right.’

“While it’s true a person can’t readily rent a seaplane, it is still worth getting a seaplane rating. It helps hone skills, observations, and you get to do all kinds of cool stuff with an airplane that you can’t do on land, e.g. step turns, or beaching the airplane somewhere. It’s a lot of fun and you learn a lot. So, why not?”

The Dream

Steve Skoog, a Seattle-area pilot who holds ATP ratings for both MEL and SEL as well as type rating for DA50 and LR-jet with a total of 6,500 hours with eight in seaplanes, said he had always aspired to earn a seaplane rating.

“Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, I have always dreamed of getting a seaplane rating,” Skoog said. “My dream was actually to own a house on Lake Washington and Lake Chelan…and fly my seaplane back and forth. As an adult I now realize how dreadfully expensive that dream is, but I can’t wait to fly a seaplane from Lake Washington to Lake Chelan and back.”

There was definitely some negative transference, Skoog recalled.

“I would find myself rotating my feet forward on the rudder pedals, trying to apply the brakes that weren’t there,” he said. “When landing, as the seaplane slows down, you apply back pressure to keep the tips of the floats out of the water. Sounds simple, but as you come off step, the nose of the Cessna 172 seaplane really starts to pitch up. Every instinct and reflex told me to release the back pressure, but the proper procedure at that point in the landing is to keep full back pressure. It took me most of the week to overcome that habit.”

Splash-and-goes were easily his favorite part of training.

“You fly just above the water in the step attitude, then pull out a little bit of power, touch down momentarily, add the power back in, and return to flying a few feet above the water,” Skoog said. “You can do countless landings in just a matter of minutes.”

Resources

• The Seaplane Pilots Association (seaplanepilotsassociation.org) is one of the best sources for all things seaplanes.
• The Water Landing Directory, available as an app, can help you access information about waterways, seaplane bases, and fueling. It also provides a destination guide and event calendar along with a seaplane flight training guide that lists seaplane schools around the world with details about the type of aircraft they use and how to contact them.

History

The first aircraft produced by the Boeing Co. was on floats, the Boeing Model 1.

In 1916 William Boeing established the Pacific Aero Products Company (later known as Boeing) in the Pacific Northwest because of the abundance of spruce trees. Airplanes were made of wood in those days, and spruce is a light wood that can take a bullet as a through and through, unlike pine, oak, and alder that all splinter. Boeing wanted to sell aircraft to the military for use in World War I.

Boeing took his first airplane ride on a Curtiss seaplane, accompanied by Terah Maroney. Maroney was a pioneer of early aviation in the U.S. known for her barnstorming exploits.

In 1916 the Boeing Model 1, also known as the B&W, rolled out of the factory. However, the U.S. Navy rejected the design and instead it was sold to New Zealand Flying School.

This feature first appeared in the July/August Issue 949 of the FLYING print edition.

The post For Those Aviators Attracted to Water appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Tuesday, the partners announced plans to build a new dock and terminal on property purchased by the Tribe along Ruston Way in Tacoma. The land was once inhabited by the Puyallup Tribe. For generations, they existed off salmon, shellfish, and native plants. Today, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians is a sovereign nation of more than 5,000 members and is one of the largest employers in Pierce County, Washington. The name, pronounced “pew-AWL-up,” means “generous people.” 

According to Matt Wadhwani, CFO for the tribe, the partnership has been a year in the making, noting that it was important that tribal concerns aligned with the values of Kenmore Air.

Wadhwani says the partnership will also create job opportunities for tribal members, which is one of the goals with tribal developments such as the Emerald Queen Casino and luxury hotel in Tacoma.

“With all of our developments creating jobs for tribal members and training them is key,” he said. “Kenmore Air was very supportive,” 

Wadhwani notes there are many training opportunities to be had such as aircraft maintenance, operating the terminal and flight training.

He notes Kenmore’s presence in the South Sound will likely be appreciated by the traveling community who will no longer will have to drive all the way to north Seattle to get a Kenmore Air flight in one of the company’s iconic de Havilland Beavers on floats.

The enthusiasm is echoed by Todd Banks, president of Kenmore Air. 

“We are honored to work with the Puyallup Tribe and thrilled to bring seaplane service to the homelands of the Puyallup people and to South Puget Sound,” he said. 

Kenmore Air has been serving the Pacific Northwest for 75 years, with floatplane tours and commuter runs to the San Juan Islands and British Columbia.

The seaplane dock will be built next to the Ram, a popular waterfront restaurant. A second building which contained another restaurant until the pandemic, is being renovated to house a new Native/internationally inspired restaurant by world-renowned Chef Roy Yamaguchi. Both the new restaurant and seaplane terminal are on target to begin operations in late 2023.

Ruston Way is located along the Tacoma waterfront bordering Commencement Bay. The street contains a wide, walkable path that hugs the shoreline for approximately 2.5 miles. In addition to spectacular views of the Sound and the mountains in the distance, the path is interspersed with historical markers, sculptures, mosaics and poems carved into the pavement.

The post Puyallup Tribe partners with Kenmore Air for South Puget Sound Seaplane Operation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“We’ve been hunkered down for two years. It’s time to go out and have some fun—or better yet, go to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria and see them!” says Todd Banks, president and CEO of Kenmore Air.

The flights to Canada were suspended in March 2020 when the border was closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kenmore Air will resume air service between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, on April 1. On May 1, service resumes between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. 

This has been made possible, says Banks, by the reopening of Canadian airports. They were closed in March 2020 by Transport Canada (the Canadian aviation authority, akin to the FAA) as a means of controlling the spread of COVID.

The NOTAM expired earlier this month.

“The airports are reopening in a phased approach,” Banks explains. “Kenmore Air will begin two flights per day, then ramp up the schedule as more customers show up during tourist season. We are adjusting, waking up our organization thoughtfully and safely.”

By June, the company aims to have four flights a day between Seattle and Victoria and Vancouver.

What You Need to Go

The COVID testing requirements for travelers between Canada and Washington state were also recently relaxed, so travelers do not need to show proof of a recent negative COVID test, but they must show proof of a vaccine.

Customers are also required to have a current passport. Banks suggests using the ArriveCAN app that allows the user to put in their vaccination information and passport information.

Masks will still have to be worn on the aircraft as Kenmore is a Part 135 operation and required to follow FAA requirements on masking. Masks are still required on public transportation.

Why This Matters

Kenmore Air, with its iconic de Havilland DHC-2 Beavers on floats are as much a symbol of the Pacific Northwest as the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, or the orca. Banks grandfather, Robert Munro, founded the company with two friends in 1946. 

For residents of the Pacific Northwest, the increase in the number of the Kenmore Beavers on floats taking off and landing on Lake Washington either heading to or coming from someplace is a sure sign of spring. 

Banks notes the company performs engine overhauls for Beavers in addition to scheduled and charter operations. In the less flying intensive months, the maintenance team stays very busy.

To make a reservation or to take advantage of one of Kenmore’s air tours or trips in Washington state, visit the Kenmore Air website.

The post Kenmore Air to Resume Flights to British Columbia appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pilots who live in northwest Washington state know the airplanes that fly for Kenmore Air on sight—with their distinctive liveries, and the fact that a lot of them use the copious waterways and lakes in the region for takeoff and landing. Right now under the current restrictions, the company operates domestic flights only, with that hopefully opening up on June 15.

What folks may not know, however, is that Kenmore has used its expertise with keeping legendary airplanes such as the DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver flying to craft extensive restorations of these models for clients. “We generally look for ex-military Beavers as they were built to a higher standard than the civilian version,” said Rob Richey, vice president of sales and consulting for Kenmore Air. “Even though Beavers do not have life-limited airframes, we do look for low-total-time planes. We are just finishing up one of Kenmore’s original line planes that has more than 40,000 hours on it but a customer generally wants a low-time airframe.”

The DHC-2, N22KK, that Kenmore restored for owner and EAA board member Keith Kocourek is a little unusual, however. “Keith’s plane is a little different, because it is such a high serial number—it was past the time when the US military was buying planes. Thus, his was built originally to the military specs.” Kenmore restored the airplane in 2019 with the hope of bringing it to EAA AirVenture this summer. Instead, the company is looking forward to next year—and searching for more candidate airplanes to restore in the interim.

Richey notes that they have two candidate airplanes in work already. The first, N5344G, had been essentially abandoned on Vancouver Island for many years, and Kenmore snapped it up when it came up for sale. The second, N95RC, had a “tussle with a shoreline in Alaska,” said Richey, and they bought it from the insurance company. “What is different about the Beaver market is we don’t care about damage history—it doesn’t affect the value in other words. It’s more about the shop that does the rebuild. We have done more than 150 rebuilds which is why they are known as ‘Kenmore Beavers’ in the industry.”

While the shop is full for the next couple of months, Richey understands the lead time involved in finding, purchasing, and relocating a candidate airplane can take several months, while the work in process can take 12 to 18 months. If you know of any DHC-2s that could use this kind of royal treatment, contact Richey at robr@kenmoreair.com.

The post Kenmore Air Seeks Candidate DHC-2 For Project appeared first on FLYING Magazine.