Best Seaplane Podcasts (2024)

1
Discussing Husky Bush Plane with Aviat President Steve Anderson 43:18

10d ago43:18

43:18

On this episode I am joined by Steve Anderson, President of Aviat Aircraft as we explore the Husky. Let's be honest, there are very few certified bush/seaplanes being made today. The Aviat Husky is a two place American made and owned aircraft that has the capability to fill a mission few current production aircraft. It boasts a higher gross weight …

1
#72 - Around Australia in a Searey with David and Cathy 53:35

4M ago53:35

53:35

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…

1
#71 - Seabee Owner and Former Fighter Pilot Jim Whalley 55:26

10M ago55:26

55:26

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…

1
Tanglefoot Seaplane Splash-In 2023 - Priest Lake, Idaho 1:06:51

1y ago1:06:51

1:06:51

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 …

1
Invasive Species Friendly Float Pump For Seaplanes 36:30

1y ago36:30

36:30

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 fr…

1
#70 - 23yo Aussie Flying Floats in Alaska, Ollie O'Halloran 1:21:35

1y ago1:21:35

1:21:35

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…

1
SPA's Alaska Seaplane Advocacy Tour Recap 2023 1:14:21

1y ago1:14:21

1:14:21

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…

1
#69 - John Ramsden and Mallard's, Twin Otters, Buccaneers and the rest! 1:27:26

1y ago1:27:26

1:27:26

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 …

1
Flying with Alaska Seaplanes in Juneau 1:02:09

1y ago1:02:09

1:02:09

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…

1
Jessica James: Lost Car Rescue TV Co-star and Pilot 23:04

1y ago23:04

23:04

If you’re like me, anything aviation related on TV will attract my attention. When a show combines classic cars and vintage taildraggers…I’m doubly hooked! On this new episode of Flying BC I speak with Jessica James, co-star and pilot on History Channels’ Lost Car Rescue TV show. Jessica flies a bushwheel-clad Stinson on the show as they search for…

1
From Volunteer to Seaplane Service Owner : Melissa Grabiec 1:05:12

1y ago1:05:12

1:05:12

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 …

1
Clamar Floats the Largest Manufacturer of Experimental Floats 1:02:14

1+ y ago1:02:14

1:02:14

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…

1
Seaplane Flying Game Warden, Innovator and So Much More - Dan Dufault 1:01:42

1+ y ago1:01:42

1:01:42

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 …

1
75 Years and Counting Kenmore Air Harbor: Guest Gregg Munro 1:01:50

1+ y ago1:01:50

1:01:50

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 ye…

1
Flying The Turbo Beaver Seaplane in Canada: with Robert Grant 1:14:52

1+ y ago1:14:52

1:14:52

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 f…

1
Restoring and Flying a Turbine Grumman Goose : Doug DeVries 1:10:16

1+ y ago1:10:16

1:10:16

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 is…

1
Santa Catalina Island's Flying Boat History: Guest David Johnston 1:03:27

1+ y ago1:03:27

1:03:27

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 b…

1
Jon Brown - 19,000 Seaplane Ratings and Counting 1:00:03

1+ y ago1:00:03

1:00:03

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 l…

1
Seaplane Photos - Capturing the Magic 54:28

1+ y ago54:28

54:28

Photos of seaplanes have a magical allure that attracts people to them like a magnet, and this is a well known secret among marketing agencies, movie & tv producers and aviation magazines like AOPA Pilot, EAA Sport Pilot and Flying among others. Mark Twombly, editor of "WaterFlying" magazine joins Steve McCaughey for an exploration of how to captur…

1
Seaplane Flying in Louisiana with a Legend - Charlie Hammonds 51:33

1+ y ago51:33

51:33

Charlie Hammonds joins Steve to discuss the little known history of the massive floatplane community that used to exist in Louisiana. Over 300 seaplanes worked the oil fields with extremely demanding conditions including weather, night operations, and risky dockings. Charlie was one of the pioneers of the floatplane community starting a commercial …

1
Underwater Seaplane Escape Training with Kaylab Verdin 50:53

1+ y ago50:53

50:53

Kaylab Verdin from Fire and Medical Training Centre in Houma, Louisiana joins Steve McCaughey to talk about the AUET (Aircraft Underwater Escape Training) for seaplanes that they provide in their Triton training system. Leading by example SPA's Board member's recently joined SPA staff members Steve McCaughey and Carter Clay for this invaluable trai…

1
Can You Fly A Straight Floatplane Across the United States? (Part 2) 1:01:26

1+ y ago1:01:26

1:01:26

SPA Lifetime Member Dave Wellman returns for a fascinating account of his attempt to fly a straight float Cessna 172 across the United States. In part 1 of Dave's journey, we discussed the inception of the idea, the planning and preparation and the training that took place before he started this epic journey east bound from Washington state to Main…

1
Can You Fly A Straight Floatplane Across the United States? (Part 1) 42:15

1+ y ago42:15

42:15

SPA Lifetime Member Dave Wellman joins us on this episode of Water Flying to explore whether or not it is possible to fly a straight float seaplane across the United States. This is the first of a two part episode exploring Dave's attempt to fly a straight float Cessna 172 from Washington state to Maine. This is the kind of adventure many seaplane …

1
Seaplane Volunteer Opportunities in 2023 35:23

1+ y ago35:23

35:23

SPA's event and volunteer coordinator Carter Clay, joins Steve to discuss the opportunities, and many of the needs the Seaplane Pilots Association has for volunteers in 2023. Volunteers are the real horsepower of non-profits like the Seaplane Pilots Association, and we have numerous ways you can put your passion into action helping the Water Flying…

1
Seaplane Pilots Association - 2022 Year in Review 1:10:23

1+ y ago1:10:23

1:10:23

Seaplane Pilots Association Chairman Steve Williams joins Steve McCaughey for a 2022 "Year in Review." As the last episode of the year we always like to take time to provide a very condensed and shortened version of our activities during the year. As always, 2022 was a busy year dividing our time, energy and resources between in person events, safe…

1
5,000 Mile Seaplane Adventure 1:16:12

1+ y ago1:16:12

1:16:12

Steve McCaughey is joined by Peter Christie, Slade Rosamond, and Carter Clay to discuss their lessons and experiences learned flying with Steve on a 5,000 mile seaplane cross country. The Super Cub's first stretch was flown by Slade from home base in Winter Haven, FL to 19-Mile Bay, NH in support of keeping the Lake Winnipesaukee bay open. After th…

1
Rust's Flying Service - The Largest Seaplane Service in Alaska 47:52

1+ y ago47:52

47:52

Todd Rust the owner and operator of Rust's Flying Service the largest seaplane operator in Alaska joins Steve for a fascinating discussion of the history of Rust's and the unique experiences that you can have when flying with them. From glaciers to beluga whales, moose and bears when you fly with the largest off-airport operator in the United State…

1
Seaplane Training at Kenmore Air with Brian Flegel 36:31

1+ y ago36:31

36:31

Brian Flegel, Chief Flight Instructor at Kenmore Air, joins Steve for an exploration of seaplane training at their facility in Kenmore, Washington. Brian's journey to becoming the Chief Flight Instructor at Kenmore is a true success story not only for him, but also for the effectiveness of the Seaplane Pilots Association's seminar and workshop prog…

1
Preparing Seaplanes for Winter Operations - Curt Sneddeker 36:36

1+ y ago36:36

36:36

Winter seaplane operations are the focus of this episode of Water Flying. Curt Sneddeker, the Maintenance Department Manager at Wipaire in South Saint Paul, Minnesota joins me to discuss useful tips for seaplane owners to conduct for protecting their aircraft during winter operations. With over 40 years of aviation maintenance experience and over 2…

1
Seaplane Safety Study Results - Richard McSpadden AOPA Aviation Safety Institute 39:16

1+ y ago39:16

39:16

Richard McSpadden, the Executive Director of the AOPA Aviation Safety Institute, joins us on this episode of Water Flying to discuss the results of the recent Seaplane Study the Seaplane Pilots Association partnered with ASI to conduct. In this episode, Richard and Steve McCaughey review some of the most important results of this study. These resul…

1
Seaplane Sirens - Women Who Charm The Winds 30:13

1+ y ago30:13

30:13

Kelli O Donnell is a passionate Seaplane Pilots Association volunteer, marine biologist with NOAA fisheries and is dedicated to helping more women enter the wonderful world of seaplane flying. In this episode of Water Flying, we will discuss the Seaplane Sirens (Women who charm the winds) Facebook group and how it is serving women who want to join …

1
Flying Seaplane History At Currier's Flying Service 45:22

1+ y ago45:22

45:22

Roger Paradise from Currier's Flying Service sits down with Steve in Currier’s hangar lakeside Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine, for this episode of Water Flying. Currier's is currently operating two ultra-rare Cessna 195s on floats as well as a De Havilland Beaver and couple of Cessna 180s on floats. Learn what kind of challenges Roger faces op…

1
The Alaska Floats & Skis Experience with Missy Lee 39:15

1+ y ago39:15

39:15

Missy Lee from Alaska Floats & Skis @AK8 joins Water Flying on this episode to discuss the unique experience pilots will have flying with them in Talkeetna, Alaska. Whether it be remote river bar landings, landing on roads, ski operations, or seaplane training, pilots flying with Alaska Floats & Skis will expand their flying horizons! https://www.a…

1
How Wind Affects Seaplane Operations and How to Read It 31:36

2y ago31:36

31:36

John Gowey, Director of Flight Operations at Kenmore Air Harbor, joins me for an in-depth discussion on how the wind affects seaplane operations. How to properly read wind direction on the water and align correctly for a safe landing into the wind. Additionally, what you need to know about wind sheer which occurs when wind flows over and around ter…

1
The Birches - A must visit seaplane friendly resort 38:03

2y ago38:03

38:03

The Birches is a must visit seaplane friendly resort in northern Maine and a frequent destination for the Seaplane Pilots Association. John Willard who owns this amazing resort joins us on this episode of Water Flying. John is a passionate seaplane pilot and owner operator and has worked tirelessly to create a resort that offers a seaplane destinat…

1
Seaplane Instruction at Acme Cub on Lake Hood 30:44

2y ago30:44

30:44

Steve Williams from Acme Cub joins Steve at Lake Hood to discuss the in-depth seaplane instruction that they provide in Alaska. The sheer number of seaplanes and seaplane operations at Lake Hood is unlike any other seaplane base in the world, but it share the strong sense of community that seaplane pilots are known for. With well over 17,000 hours …

1
Seaplanes Flying Opportunities in the Pacific Northwest 39:04

2y ago39:04

39:04

SPA Field Director, Don Goodman, joins Steve to discuss seaplane flying opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. A mountain climbing expedition ignited Don's interest in pursuing his pilots license, and lead to Don owning a Cessna 182 on straight floats. From boarder crossings to island destinations and even inland alpine lakes the Pacific Northwest…

1
Proposed Seaplane Ban Defeated in New Hampshire 1:05:47

2y ago1:05:47

1:05:47

TR Wood from Epic Seaplane Adventures joins Steve to discuss the recent attempt to ban seaplanes from 19 Mile Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. The Seaplane Pilots Association with support from AOPA, RAF, the New Hampshire Pilots Association and Maine Aeronautics Association prevailed against a group of well intended but…

1
Seaplanes & Aquatic Invasive Species in Alaska 35:31

2y ago35:31

35:31

It's great to be back again for another week of Water Flying! This week Aaron Martin from U.S. Fish & Wildlife joins Steve on location on the shores of Lake Hood to discuss seaplanes and invasive species in Alaska. Listen in and get an understanding of invasive species, and the impact they have on the ecosystems and the seaplane community. Aaron Ma…

1
2022 Greenville International Seaplane Fly-In 31:09

2y ago31:09

31:09

Gary Norris president of the Greenville International Seaplane Fly-In joins Steve this episode to discuss the 2022 seaplane event at Moosehead Lake in Maine. Listen in and get a feel for the small town, large mountain lake, numerous events and variety of aircraft that will be attending this event. This is the "World's Largest Seaplane Event" and on…

1
Airventure 2022: Jason McDowell, Luke Penner, Steve Thorne 15:53

2y ago15:53

15:53

In this special edition of Flying BC from EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2022, we catch up with Jason McDowell (@cessnateur), Luke Penner (@harvsairinverted) and Steve Thorne (@flightchops) to get their take on the world's greatest aviation gathering. Follow Flying BC on Instagram @flyingbritishcolumbia and sign up for the mailing list at www.flyingbc.com …

1
5 In the Sky: Around the World with the Porter Family 25:35

2y ago25:35

25:35

The 5 members of the Porter family are going to fly around-the-world in a single engine aircraft and raise $1 million for the global charity SOS Children's Villages. Flying BC caught up with them right before they departed Vancouver for the first leg. You can find out more information and donate to their charity on their website www.5inthesky.com S…

1
BC AERO: General Aviation Disaster Airlift 46:06

2y ago46:06

46:06

"Our 206 landed in the community and they were on rations because nobody knew about them. We found out about them so we put a bunch of stuff together and flew it out to them. They were literally crying." When parts of British Columbia were cut off due to flooding in November 2021, General Aviation came to the rescue. Aviators and volunteers quickly…

1
#68 - Icon A5 Dealer Gary-James Knight 1:11:12

2+ y ago1:11:12

1:11:12

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…

1
#67 - My wife Jenna Bolton! Helicopter Pilot and Mallard Business Manager 1:32:19

2+ y ago1:32:19

1:32:19

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…

1
Dominique Prinet: Flying to Extremes in Canada’s North 51:48

2+ y ago51:48

51:48

"I heard a big crunch and then the scenery disappeared! I couldn't figure out why everything was gone all of a sudden, and it took me a while to realize I was looking at the bottom of the lake!" Dominique Prinet was a bush pilot in the late 60’s, flying everything from Cessna 180’s to Single Otters and Beech 18’s into some very remote places in Can…

1
#66 - Gweduck Flying Boat with Walter Fellows 1:06:57

2+ y ago1:06:57

1:06:57

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…

1
#65 - Katie Cowley's Career So Far 1:10:37

2+ y ago1:10:37

1:10:37

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…

1
#64 - The Turbine Albatross with Amphibian Aerospace Industries CEO Dan Webster 1:23:01

2+ y ago1:23:01

1:23:01

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…

1
#63 - Seaplane Insurance with Ian Tait 1:14:39

2+ y ago1:14:39

1:14:39

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…

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