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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.

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

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.

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

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

Paul Richards CEO of Clamar Floats joins Steve McCaughey for an exploration of the largest float manufacturer of experimental floats. Clamar has long been associated as a leader in composite float manufacturing for aircraft such as the Aircam, GlasAir Sportsman and many others. Innovative design, constant improvement and high quality are all traits of this company's quest to produce these great performing seaplane floats. Born in Canada Clamar now produces their floats at a unique manufacturing facility in Brunswick, Maine in a retired military base that has had its vast facilities converted into a manufacturing and incubator that is proving to be a model worth replicating for other states looking beyond residential redevelopment of former military bases. https://clamarfloats.com

Dan Dufault sits down with Steve McCaughey for this episode of the Water Flying podcast. As a former Maine Game Warden, Alaska lodge pilot and floatplane adventurer, Dan has a wealth of experience and and engineering background that has lead him to design innovative products such as the T3 Tailwheel, Paddle Pump and numerous other products used by passionate bush pilots. From stocking fisheries via float plane airdrops to monitoring wildlife populations Dan's experiences and flying skills provide a wealth of fascinating subject matter for us to explore in a way that we are sure you will enjoy.

Gregg Munro Chairman of Kenmore Air Harbor was, quite literally, born into the Kenmore Air family. He grew up on the banks of Lake Washington, surrounded by mechanics, and seaplanes. In this episode, of the Water Flying podcast Gregg sits down with Steve McCaughey to discuss the amazing history, flights and services Kenmore has provided over the years. For more than 75 years Kenmore has been an indispensable part of the seaplane community providing seaplane parts & maintenance, floatplane sales, seaplane flight training, manufactured EDO floats and operated one of the largest seaplane services in the world. This is a must listen podcast of any fan of seaplanes. kenmoreair.com

Robert Grant joins us on this episode of the Water Flying podcast. Robert is a regular feature writer with WaterFlying magazine, he has logged over 20,000 of flight time, 6,000 hours of seaplane time - 3,000+ of which he did in the Turbo Beaver flying for the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Natural Resources. Join us as Robert shares his experiences flying these amazing seaplanes in the Canadian bush supporting research, medical evacuations, and fire fighting missions among many others. This is a great episode to learn more about the De Havilland Turbo Beaver floatplane, and the real world missions that built their legendary status with aviation enthusiasts and pilots.

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

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