Lakeland Seaplane Tours is one of the smallest ‘airlines’ in the world, although plans are already afoot to increase the fleet of aircraft.

They are located at St Angelo Airport, Enniskillen based in the beautiful county of Fermanagh and has attracted passengers from Europe, Canada and further afield.

The operator has a current fleet of one Maule M-7-235B Super Rocket a high-wing five-seated STOL Amphibious Aircraft. They will accommodate two adults or two adults and a child (subject to weight to restrictions).

Lakeland Seaplane Tours flights range from pleasure and scenic flights, to weddings, historic trails and many more.

The operator offers two different types of tours Discovery and Explore. Discovery flights fly various routes which will take in local landmarks, heritage sites and other areas of culture.

Explore flights, as the name suggests, allows you the opportunity to not only fly the same routes as the Discovery package but to also de-board the aircraft and explore the local area.

As well as tours they we dedicate theirselves in Private flights for special occasions. These include Weddings, Engagements and Champagne picnics.

They work closely with the numerous waterside hotels in the area to provide you with Fly n Dine and Fly n Stay packages.

Lakeland Seaplane Tours works along side flying school, The Amphibious Flying Club, which offers Pilot training from basic PPL training to Sea plane Ratings.

Previous articles:
On Scottish waters
Scheduled flights on Malta
Round trips of Venice

Suggested links:
Lakeland Seaplane Tours
The Amphibious Flying Club

In 2010 we had a coversation with Martin Picard in Como (Italy). Martin is a European transit-pilot flying on floatplanes. He complained that he had to extend the landing gears from the floats to land near Venice.

At the moment there are no public harbours available for amphibians in Venice, but the power of Dubaian assets has already reached the city, where even streets are made of water.

Since then the seaplane-haven is operating on a pontoon at the sea. The passengers are transported with motorboats between the harbour and the mainland.

Round trips of the Seawings Europe are accomplished by a Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibia over Venice; the city is amazing from the sky as well. Enlarge the photos and enjoy!

A 30 minutes trip is quite expensive, costs 320 EUR, despite this the Cessna 208 operates throughout the day. Most of the passengers are coming from the large cruise liners, like anywhere in the World.

Previous articles:
Video: Pleasure flight on seaplane
Seawings seaplane tour of Dubai
Scheduled flights on Malta
Video: Flying seaplanes from Canada

Suggested links:
Seawings Europe
Harbour Air Malta

This is the invitation of Forum, click the picture, please.

De Havilland Canada factory used to serially produced amphibious aircrafts types DHC-2, DHC-3 and DHC-6.

We made some articles about these aircrafts operators.

Beaver (DHC-2) operators are Clipper Aviation and Ivan Aeberli.

The aircraft flying in colours of Harbour Air Seaplanes, which is the biggest seaplane airline not only in Canada but the whole world. On video the aircraft is a 14 seater Turbo Otter (DHC3) with a pilot. Harbour Air operates this type not only in British Columbia but in Europe Malta.

Twin Otter (DHC6) is twin engine aircraft with a seating capacity for 15-19 passengers.

There are some operators: in this picture SriLankan Air Taxi, in British Columbia West Cost Air and Trans Maldivian Airways who is the first float equipped Viking Air Twin Otter Series 400.

Suggested link:
Viking Air Factory

“I have a flight school near Brescia, Italy. The school is named Scuola Volo Brescia. We have an airport just a 700 meter grass runway.

I have flown on water since 1991. I have been a seaplane ULM instructor since 2005.

Our school has three instructores and two planes. On of them is a Savage bushplane and another one is a seaplane an ultralight Savage Classic with 100 hp Rotax and Czech Works floaters.

We flew on water on Lake of Garda and north center Italy, on Mincio and Adige river.

Education: If you have enough flying experience normally a seaplane course last an average of 6 flying hours, 8 if you need also amphibious training plus 5 hours of ground course.”

Previous articles:
Another little flight school on Lake Mosel
Video: Flying an old timer over Lake Como

Suggested link:
Scuola Volo Brescia

They provide a wide variety of services, but their main profile is scenic flights to different destinations, even to danish islands.

They take part in festivals and provide flights for companies as rewards for their employees, and also issued gift certificates.

During their Fly & Sail programs the seaplane is attached to a sailboat like a rowing boat.

Waterflying Camps are a typical case of free flying: they just land at the middle of nowhere for fishing, hunting or just for a good hiking.

The company also trains pilots for water operations: a training for a pilot takes only three days.

Their fleet consists of three planes : a DHC-2 Beaver, a Cessna 206 and a Piper PA18. With the total capacity of 14 passenger-seats, right now they are biggest german seaplane operators.

Previous articles:
Video: A double seater practice plane on the water
Video: Flying an oldtimer over Lake Como

Suggested link:
Clipper Aviation

The owner Markku Salminen Nokia who is an engeneer by profession had built his seaplane for 2 years during the long Finnish winters.

Earlier videos about Hauho: 1 plus 2 and 3

Previous articels:
Seaplane meeting in Finland
On finnish waters snow and ice
Seaplanes in Hauho (Hungarian)

Suggested links:
The Sea- and Skiplane Association of Finland (SSAF)
Iloranta Farm

After 27 years, the “Latina” is again back in the air with a German registration.

During the test flights, stall, rudder forces and behavior in various trims and speeds up to 185 kts where checked. These tests are necessary for further approval, since some values were not completely documented during the 80’s.

It has taken nearly two years to complete the inspections, as well as extensive work on various components for the approval.

The tests were performed and completed by co-pilot Enrico Hohner, Joachim Warwas, Dieter Thomas who was the chief test pilot of the Do 24ATT and his staff, Andreas Wansing from RUAG Aerospace Services GmbH, Oberpfaffenhofen, the German Federal Aviation Agency (LBA) and many more.

The next step is for limited special class authorization which is planned for mid-2012, so others can feel the unique flying experience in the world’s only airworthy Do 24.

In 2004 Iren Dornier, grandson of Claude Dornier and owner of “Latina”, started Mission Dream, a tour around the world. It led him and his crew from the Philippines through Asia, Europe, North and South America and then finally in 2006 back to Europe.

Pictures of second flight 2011 11 22

Stopovers in destinations such as Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Frankfurt, have all been on the mission-program, as well as other layovers in places such as Lake Constance Germany, Lake Wolfgang Austria, and the Main river in Frankfurt.

Iren Dornier describes in his book “Logbook of Dreams” that it’s important to bring people closer to aviation, especially for the children, and motivate them to stick to their dreams and never quit. Plans, and close cooperation with UNICEF, Wings for life, and the Tabaluga Children’s Foundation are all going to be expanded.

Previous articles:
Dornier Do 24ATT on the water
Video: Iren Dornier on Sacalaria Air Challenge

Suggested link:
The “Latina” Dornier Do-24ATT

The AKOYA, a two-seater airplane in addition, pivoting wings enable it to be stored or transported with ease. This technical feat is made possible by the development of Seafoils™, a unique innovation in the world of aviation. Located under the fuselage, these hydrofoils are connected to a retractable landing gear equipped with skis and pivoting wings.

The Seafoils are truly revolutionary and offer both fast lift-off and stability. They also considerably simplify landing maneuvers and taking off from water. In spite of its impressive technical capabilities, the AKOYA is a very accessible aircraft that will fully satisfy future purchasers,” says Gerald Ducoin, professional test pilot, who has flown the plan on the water in September.

Entirely designed in composite materials and powered by a 100 hp Rotax engine, the AKOYA can take off and land over less than 200 m (650 ft). Private land, airfield, airport, lake, river, sea or snow-covered runway: the possibilities are such that users can land as close as possible to their destinations, thus considerably reducing overall travel time.

This abundance of new features enables the AKOYA to reach unprecedented seaplane performance levels. With just 70 liters (18,5 US Gallons) of unleaded gasoline, the AKOYA can fly over 1100 km (680 miles) at a speed above 210 km/h (130 mph).

In other words, taking off from the Washington suburbs and landing in a lagoon in the Gulf of Mexico, going from Madagascar to the Seychelles or taking off from a snow-covered surface in the Swiss Alps, making a stop at a cove in Sardinia and continuing on to Tunis are just some examples among many of the choices offered by the AKOYA

The AKOYA is a completely equipped, high-end airplane. Numerous safety devices have been included to assist the pilot in all phases of flight, leaving only the pleasure of piloting and travel. To guarantee absolute passenger tranquility, the AKOYA has a full parachute that will bring the plane and its passengers to ground in total safety in case of a major problem.

To ensure that the concept of recreational aviation takes on its full meaning, LISA Airplanes includes tailored services in the €300,000 (excluding tax) sales price. These services include pilot training for the three types of landing, personalization of the aircraft, three years of maintenance and full-time customer assistance.

Previous articles:
AKOYA – the promise of flying hidrofoil
Seaplane with foldable wings – Icon A5
The Dornier aircraft factory in Manila
Celebration in Biscarrosse

Suggested links:
Lisa Aircraft
Dornier S-Ray 007
Icon Aircraft

Dornier said that his company aims to produce 25-seat pressurized long-range civilian airplanes which may be used as cargo and passenger transport aircraft that can reach remote areas such as isolated islands.

The plane can be used for coast border patrol, anti-drug smuggling, long range patrol, (over the Spratly islands) or for undersea pipeline surveillance where a helicopter has limited range.

The seaplane dubbed S-Ray 007 is capable of traveling long distance, with an approximate radius of action of 2000 nautical miles. It is equipped with two Pratt and Whitney turbo prop engines.

The seaplane can also be converted as firefighter airplane, where it can scoop out thousands of gallons of water within seconds to serve its purpose.

Last year the 25 seat seaplane earlier various was showed on second workshop of FUSETRA in Malta. You can see that various named Dornier S-Ray009 at the pictures.

Previous articles:
The Dornier Aircraft Factory in Manila
Video: Iren Dornier from Scalaria
Video: Iren Dornier interwiew, december 2008, Budapest

Suggested links:
Dornier S-Ray 007
FUSETRA

After landing look at our photoes.

Last but now least there is a picture from Ail Ain International Airshow with the Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibia.

Previous articles:
Scheduled fligths on Malta
Video: Flying seaplanes from Canada
On Scottish waters

Suggested link:
Seawings LLC Dubai