Responding to an advert on Facebook, Cathy Babis is joining David Geers on a journey around Australia in his Searey amphibian, taking around 60 days with many incredible stops along the way! Follow their journey with the link below! https://www.100asa.com.au Buy my kids book Marty the Mallard from me directly! https://forms.gle/BaR42kZAq7SPWiXPA Fo…

Last year in the month of April, I embarked on what would end up being one of the most exciting weeks of my aviation career, training 7 highly experienced pilots how to fly the floating hull aircraft on a 75-year-old Republic Seebee. I had always dreamt of flying the seebee, but never before had I even seen one until I was in formation with the one…

Every seaplane pilot has dreamt of doing this at one stage, packing their suitcase, requesting an upgrade to business but getting shafted in economy for 14 hours, ok maybe not that part, but all seaplane pilots look at flying in Alaska as one of the pinnacles in the industry, and Aussie pilot Ollie O’Halloran is doing just that. Support On the Step…

A self-confessed lucky bugger who answered a phone call back in the early 80’s that changed the direction of his career forever, John Ramsden took that opportunity and has flown seaplanes around the world including both the radial and turbine mallard, the twin otter and continues flying today in the Cessna caravan amphibian. A true Aussie seaplane …

Gary was halfway through his flight training for his commercial licence when his dream of becoming an airline pilot changed. He discontinued his training, became a real-estate agent and got into sales. An add for a sales job at Icon came to his attention and now Gary spends his days selling one of the worlds most popular new flying boats. Support O…

Jenna was once a helicopter pilot but is now the business manager of the Mallards I fly… yes yes yes, that makes her my boss, but she’s a great boss, well really a leader because she does a great job at what she does and I’m so proud and excited to have her on the podcast. Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follo…

When anyone talks about twin engine flying boats, they think of the Grumman aircraft, the Goose, Widgeon, Mallard and Albatross. Yes ok, there are others, the Catalina for example, but they are all very old. We only just heard of the rebirth of the Albatross a couple of episodes ago, but that’s a long way away and is a huge aircraft. The Gweduck co…

She has chased jobs around the world, and is now in a small commuter airline, but has some great stories to tell from her experiences in the seaplane world. Katie is a very cheery girl who brings in great positivity to any conversation! Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instag…

There’s been a lot of talk lately about this project, with news articles, videos and multiple interviews available online and with any ambitious project such as this, there is certainly anticipation and expectation, along with scrutiny, and as much as AAI have a cohort of people passionately getting on board in a show of support, they certainly hav…

Ian discusses how insurance works and specifically insurance in the seaplane world. It’s a conversation a little bit different than the normal but I’m sure you will all learn something new just as I did! EPISODE NOTES TEMPLATE Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/th…

His company, South Coast Seaplanes operate Maule aircraft on the South Coast, of NSW Australia, and Tim talks about how he got to where he is today which certainly wasn’t the path I was thinking, as well as seaplane training and seaplane insurance! Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https:…

Kevin was also a sales manager at Progressive Aerodyne selling the Searey Aircraft and is also representing the Seabear Russian built twin engine flying boat made famous by Michael smith when he flew it from England to Australia retracing the 1919 great Air Race on its 100 year anniversary two years ago. Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.…

Blaine has written a book about his life called Old Pilot Bold Pilot and I have included links to his facebook page in the show notes, but before reading about his career, let’s hear about it first! LINKS TO BUY BLAINE'S BOOK BELOW! (BLAINE PREFERS IF YOU BUY VIA HIS FACEBOOK PAGE THROUGH WHATSAPP TO AVOID COMMISSION) https://www.facebook.com/TwinO…

Working full time as an orthopaedic surgeon, Ben is the owner of 2 aircraft, it was three only a few months ago, and has a great passion for aviation and seaplanes. It is only right that Ben is the first guest back to the show after a break mainly because he is the one keeping me too busy to do interviews! So blame him folks!Working full time as an…

Ok onto todays guest. For a while now, Instagram has been in awe of the content being produced by the account “Flying Boat Film”, but we didn’t know what it was all about! Scenes of Albatross touching down in beautiful locations were getting us very excited about a future movie coming to our screens on a topic we are all crazy in love with. Well at…

Oshkosh 2021 is upon us now and one of the coolest parts of the show is obviously the seaplane base! If you’ve never been before, like me, or you’re gearing up to go, Steve McCaughey shares what we will be expecting at this years event. Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instag…

Mike Rutter is a young American who has restored a Grumman Widgeon left in a hangar for over 20 years waiting for its next owner. Taking over 3 years to complete, he now enjoys the nostalgia of owning a 75 year old Grumman Flying Boat! Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagr…

On today's episode we’re talking Ag cats on floats, otter radials on floats, floatplane mountain flying, resume building, obscure medical conditions, hungry Tiger sharks below the floats, point of no return seaplane flying, beach bikini’s, starting seaplane companies, fishing from seaplanes, hammocks on seaplanes, New Zealand float flying… and no, …

Chris Palmer has created a great business called Angle of Attack, well known for incredible video content through YouTube and Instagram, but also running a great online ground school through his website. WEBSITE: https://www.angleofattack.com INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/angleofattack/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRDe2nrsxVaoI…

Arthur Campbell flew all of the Grumman Flying Boats at Chalk's Ocean Airways in his 18 year career with the company. His stories of his time flying off the water will take you back to the good old days of Flying Boat aviation in Miami and the Bahamas. Chalk's Ocean Airways Orlando Sentinel Article: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-…

After gaining his commercial pilots licence at age 39, Australian Mark Muscat found a passion for seaplanes as he entered the sector late in his career. His aviation highlights include flying De Havilland Beavers and Cessna Caravans in the Whitsunday Island and taking command of a Single Turbine Otter in Fiji,…

This week's guest Peter Klein is a good mate of mine and an incredible pilot who has had an amazing journey through the seaplane an aviation industry. He has flown not one but two multi engine Grumman flying boats, has flown seaplanes in multiple countries and now helps combat wildfires in both Canada and Australia as a fire-bombing pilot on the 80…

Click on the link below for Grumman Mallard Safari itineraries: Darwin to Airlie Beach Airlie Beach to Darwin Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia Website: https://www.seaplanes.org.au Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thatmallardguy/ Check out my YouTube Cha…

Floatplanes and flying boats in Sydney have such a rich history, from the QANTAS flying boats of the 30’s to today’s iconic Beaver floatplane flying past the Sydney Opera House or Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sydney Seaplanes have been in the news lately with some exciting ventures on the horizon, including a new regular transport route connecting Sydney…

At just 24 years of age, Alex Fisher has already started his own seaplane company, has flown seaplanes internationally, is a Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia committee member, and at the start of his career set the Australian record for the youngest person to fly solo around Australia! So much accomplished at such a young age.…

Showing an interest in aviation at an early age, Emma was given a chance to jump straight into floats in New Zealand before making the move to Australia, being thrown in the deep end to run a floatplane operation in the croc infested waters of the Northern Territory. Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me o…

Following in his father's footsteps with a career in aviation, Chris Turner took the seaplane path and now enjoys working as a seaplane instructor for 6 months of the year in Florida, followed by 6 months of the year in Alaska! Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/t…

Could you imagine a more magical place to fly seaplanes for a living? Paul Harding made the Bahamas his home and workplace for over 20 years, flying Maule floatplanes. He has done the incredible job of writing his own biography also, titled Sharks in the Runway. Paul Harding’s book “Sharks in the runway” https://www.amazon.com/Sharks-Runway-Seaplan…

There wouldn't be another place on earth where a seaplane makes great sense but also would seem stupid to try it out! Well Peter Groves had a vision of how well they would work in Dubai, and proved the doubters wrong, creating one of the worlds most unique and successful seaplane companies, Seawings Dubai. Support On the Step via Patreon https://ww…

We are back with another bonus episode of seaplane scares. This is a collection of past guests, and some future guests coming up in the next few episodes, who have shared a quick story regarding a scare they have had in a seaplane, passing on a valuable lesson to us all. This episode’s scares include flying into IMC, docking scares, instructing on …

Matt Dearden, aka @indopilot, is back to share stories of the rescue of the Catalina flying boat Miss Pick Up, after her successful flight back home just days ago. Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thatmallardguy/ Check out my YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube…

Abbie Kellett has aviation running through her blood. Growing up in the backseats of WW1 era aircraft, Abbie is now her own aviator as she teaches the ways of the seaplane world to all types of students, even astronauts! She is also the co-host of everyone’s other favourite seaplane podcast, water flying by the Seaplane Pilots Association. EPISODE …

In the early 1900’s, seaplanes ruled the aviation world. World air speed records were held by single seat seaplanes almost the size of model airplanes but with engines that were the most powerful of their day. In 1927, the Supermarine S5 seaplane took victory in the Schneider Trophy air race, and today, a team of people are building a replica of th…

When us seaplane mad pilots and enthusiasts think about a flying boat we would all love to get our hands on, we all agree that the Martin Mars would be a dream come true. Peter has had an incredible career flying many bush planes including Beaver's, Norseman's, Beech 18's and the famous Martin Mars. Peter is also a licensed engineer specialising in…

Al Hymers is regarded by many as one of the most experienced pilots of the Canadair family of water scooping flying boats. From the 2,100 hp a side twin radial engined CL-215, to the newly modified Pratt and Whitney turboprop CL-415 EAF, Al has experienced it all. Not only that, he has experience on the Beech 18, flying that beauty at only 21 years…

Steve Stackhouse is one of those guys you could sit down and have a beer with, and just talk seaplanes for hours and hours... and that we nearly did! His story is full of adventure, blind corners and fun! Steve has amassed over 20,000 hours of flight time, an incredible feat. He has flown all around the world including his home country of Canada, t…

Best of both Aviation is an Instagram page created by best mates Kyler Nachtigall and Brendan Kochanski. These Canadian boys are each going down their own paths, one in the float world and one in the wheeled world, sharing it together in the one place. Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! ht…

Matt has created a Go Fund Me page where you can help donate to the effort: https://gf.me/u/y5mf94 To hear more about Miss Pick Up, check out episode 9 of On the Step with Crew Chief David Legg. Support On the Step via Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thatmallardguy Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thatmallardguy/ Check out my YouTu…

Steve Pemberton is an Aussie seaplane pilot with years of seaplane experience. Mostly flying and instructing on the Twin Otters in the Maldives, Steve has just recently been stood down from his airline job, only to return to the float world, taking up the chief pilot position at the struggling Air Whitsunday. After the company was recently purchase…

Building up tens of thousands of hours spraying fields in New South Wales Australia, Craig Patton has done most things as an agricultural pilot. After 20 years, Craig wanted to turn his skills into those of a fire bombing pilot, and now spends his days travelling between Australia and America to fight the worlds harshest fires on the Air Tractor Fi…

Everyone loves seaplanes, but these aircraft that instagram user @cessnateur Jason McDowell has selected as his top 10 most unique seaplanes will blow you away! From nuclear bomb dropping jets, to 737 sized flying boats and single seat toys, the list has something for everyone. Jason has an incredible knowledge of aircraft and their history. He goe…

Eder would sit in the cockpit with his father as a little boy, dreaming of following in his footsteps to become a firebombing pilot! After working very hard to achieve this goal, Eder is now the Chief Pilot at Saab Special Flight Operations in Sweden, sharing his wealth of firebombing knowledge to other parts of the world. His aircraft of choice, t…

After being told he was "not keen enough" for a career in the Air Force, Chad Banfield has enjoyed a 30 plus year career in aviation including a long time enjoying the seaplane lifestyle. He has waited patiently for over 3 years for his dream start at Air Whitsunday flying Beaver's and Caravan's to finding himself in the open air Ag Cat floatplane.…

As a ten year old boy, Ron went on a short joy flight in a C185 amphibian floatplane. As they came into land on the water, Ron had no idea he was moments away from taking his last breath in the baggage compartment of an upturned, sinking aircraft. Flying as a young commercial pilot, Pat was flying the company C206 on a busy, blue skied day at the G…

Tropic Ocean Airways is becoming the worlds fastest growing seaplane airline, and after talking to Rob Ceravolo on episode 12, it's understandable. Joshua Maddox always thought he was going to go down the normal airline route but joining Tropic has changed his idea about the "career" flying job, and can't see him ever leaving the company that see's…

Ben Shipps has one of the most inspiring stories out there. Born with a growth anomaly with his arms, Ben has broke through barrier after barrier to follow his aviation and seaplane dreams, becoming the President of one of the worlds busiest floatplane schools! Everyone knows about Jack Brown's and finally I have a guest on to talk cubs and floatpl…

Just recently, photos circulated the internet about a DC-3 being reinstalled on its amphibious EDO floats after 14 years without them. I tracked down Jakob McKenney, who is writing a book all about the history of the DC-3 and C-47 amphibian floatplanes. He shares some incredible stories about the aircraft and the unique floats they sit on. https://…

You won't find anyone more passionate about seaplane safety and enjoyment than Steve McCaughey, in fact the guy was married in the back of a Grumman Albatross mid air! He shares his journey into the wonderful world of floats and into his current role as SPA President. http://www.seaplanes.org Complete a survey about On the Step to help it grow! htt…

I've been flying seaplanes for over 10 years now (nothing compared to some of my amazing guests) but now I share with you my own story with a good mate of mine in the hosting seat. Hear about my entry into seaplanes, progressing into one of Australia's most iconic seaplane operation, living in Hanoi Vietnam flying Cessna Caravans on floats, and fin…

Connor shares stories about his career getting into seaplanes, leading up to his dream job as a Goose pilot for Wilderness Seaplanes. He talks all about his family ties to the Goose including the incredible story about his grandfather flying the same aircraft Connor flies today. Connor also shares the day to day life of a Goose pilot flying up the …