"When dawn spreads its paintbrush on the plain, spilling purple... ," Sons of the Pioneers theme for TV show "Wagon Train." Dawn on the mythic Santa Fe Trail, New Mexico, looking toward Raton from Cimarron. -- Clarkphoto. A curmudgeon artist's musings melding metaphors and journalism, for readers in more than 150 countries.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Seaplane adventure

"Co-pilot"
I first saw the DeHavilland Beaver float planes in Alaska, taxiing up to the wharf in Juneau, unloading and loading passengers and taking off again, past the crowded cruise ships to view the glaciers. I didn't get the chance to do that, but our ride in the little Cherokee into Skagway whetted my appetite. So when we visited Seattle a week ago, and I saw rides in float planes available off of Lake Union, I just had to do it, taking off and landing on water.
Here's what it's like, about 1,000 feet up, a little over 100 knots airspeed,, including a video of the landing.  The airline, Kenmore Air, owns several of the classic Beavers--with radial engines, and Otters, with turbine engines, and provides air service up into the San Juan Islands and  other remote places in Washington State and Canada. It has its own magazine, Harbors, and terminals at Lake Union in north seattle and at Bowing field in south Seattle, plus shuttles to Seatac airport. What a life. http://clarkcoffee.blogspot.com/2012/06/flight-of-fancyto-skagway.html


Ready for takeoff
Pilot over Seattle

Looking down at the float, and Puget Sound

The Space Needle from a different view
One of the Otters getting ready

1 comment:

  1. We're going to Seattle in a few weeks. I'm jealous of your seaplane ride. Got any recommendations for other stuff to see? We're going to git the big ferris wheel.

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