Seaplane Over Seattle

Yeah, regular planes taking off and landing on the ground are cool, but have you ever tried a water takeoff and landing in a seaplane??

Spoiler Alert: It’s way cooler.

On a recent trip to Seattle, I gave the seaplane thing a try and it didn’t disappoint. I used a tour company called Kenmore Air, which provides all sorts of small-craft regional flights including the Scenic Seaplane Tour of Seattle.

Seaplane: referring to any aircraft that can land, float, and take off on water.

Seaplanes date back to 1910 when Henri Fabre successfully built and flew his seaplane made of wood and cotton in France. Sounds safe…
Soon after, Glenn H. Curtiss also successfully launched his own seaplane models in the US in 1911 and 1912.
Bonus: Both men’s efforts in the development of the seaplane assisted in the efforts of World War I. Nice.

We’ve definitely come a long way from the flimsy seaplane prototypes of the early 20th century.

More than 100 years later, I stepped climbed aboard a DHC-3 De Havilland Otter bobbing perkily on the surface of Seattle’s Lake Union.

Called “one of the most versatile and dependable floatplanes operating today,” this floating flying wonder carries up to 10 passengers and has a range of 500 miles.

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Once we were snugly aboard and strapped in, we donned headsets for auditory protection and the added benefit of a guided voice tour of our flight path. It also gave the whole thing a cool Top Gun feel, which I’m here for.

Takeoff in a seaplane is smooth.

I’m talking hot butter on white bread smooth. The precise moment of becoming airborne is barely noticeable.

I’m not sure what I expected- but my only point of reference until then was a land-based takeoff, which can be bumpy, wobbly, and generally not smooth.

As we soared from the surface of Lake Union and into the air, a wide bank around the lake and toward Elliott Bay gave startling views of Seattle’s rolling neighborhoods and landmarks.

Once we reached our cruising altitude, we headed toward downtown Seattle, flying over interesting spots such as the city’s lake-top houseboats (including the infamous Sleepless in Seattle houseboat) as well as the old Gasworks Park.

It was hard to take my eyes off of the incredible landscape below us. The ability of a small aircraft to take off from the center of the city and fly so close to the ground affords views like no typical large passenger aircraft can offer.

We did a large loop encompassing Lake Union, the University of Washington campus, the many sprawling lake-and-seaside properties of the elite, massive professional sports stadiums, and the majestic downtown skyline hugging Elliott Bay- including, of course, the Space Needle.

Banking out over the bay and back toward Lake Union, I tore my eyes away from the sweeping views of the city and realized how close I was sitting to the pilot. (not sure why I was just noticing this?)

I’ve always thought pilots are like.. the coolest.
They occupy a space in my ‘heroes’ category.

Strapped into this tiny aircraft, it was exciting to be so close to one in action. All the buttons and levers and gauges and monitors look so complex, yet pilots always seem so cool– like lifting a giant steel tube filled with humans off the ground is no big deal. Sure, piece’o cake…

_{*makes mental note to sign up for flying lessons.*}

As our flight was coming to an end and the sky was rolling quickly from cloudy to clear, we drank in the last few sips of the sheer beauty of Seattle and her winding coastlines.

After a quick taxi back to the dock, our 8 passengers and single pilot clambered out of the tiny seaplane and back onto solid ground. I immediately felt a longing to return to the sky. The Earth suddenly felt a little smaller standing on that pier.

I’ll be counting down the days until my next opportunity to drink in the world from a seaplane. Maybe next time I’ll be in the pilot’s seat.