Aviation can often be seen as stuffy and a little rule-bound, leading to pilots spending more time reading books about weather systems and airport maps than actually flying.
There’s a world of engineering, physics-focused pilots. Those who truly love the finer points of the engineering, avionics, capabilities of the plane, and contemplate and train for the worst-case scenarios. Then there are the cowboys of the skies. The crop dusters and stunt pilots. Or my flight instructor who wins awards in stunt, and spraying crops, and still refuses to get his IFR rating.
Standing alone from these two categories are the flying boat pilots. Not seaplanes, but the boats with a hang glider attached to it.
One of the most interesting things about aviation is the range of aircraft available. Among them, the flying boat stands out as something special.
I remember the first time I saw an open cockpit seaplane, seating two 1980s beach patrol staff members. Evidently, the Rehoboth Beach Patrol had a small, open-cockpit seaplane that was used for aerial patrol.
I was chewing my sandwich in a cheaply wood paneled restaurant and immediately knew, there was more to flying than reading the rule books and training in a Cessna 172. It was years later until I fell upon the flying boats on Youtube.
What really stands out to me on these flying boats was how dangerous, cheap, and raw they seemed.
According to the website of one manufacturer, Ramphos, these flying boats are easy to fly, even for non-expert pilots.
Sometimes, it's easy to overthink things in life, wanting the perfect aircraft for the perfect mission. You can spend months and years researching a plane. Finding that perfect year of that perfect model aircraft. Sort of like picking out the perfect hiking outfit. Get the right poles, the right dry fit pants. The right hat. The appropriate dry fit shirt for underneath your jacket. Then the backpack, with the camel pack for water. Some snacks. Nearly obsessive for an afternoon walk with the family.
Choosing to fly one of these boat planes feels a bit more like showing up to the tiki bar in a burned out tank top and flip flops. Just ready to get after it. Which is refreshing.
Shockingly, there aren’t a lot of places to find these flying boats right now. But in the 90s…
Seemingly, a lot of people started making them in the late 90s, a stylish time to let loose. Clinton was president, money was flowing, and Ralph Lauren convinced people to wear about 7 layers of clothing on the top of their body.
Seair, Inc. was first formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1997. The owners of the company weren't even pilots. When Ed bought it, he halted production to make it safer. I would have loved to know what the first edition felt like on landing.
Ramphos started in 1998 and has been sold in 32 different countries. I feel like a lot of Mediterranean countries are leaving tourism money on the table by not having one of these.
According to Ramphos, these flying boats are not just for recreational use. The Coast Guard uses them for lake and river patrol, and the armed forces use them for special operations and even light cargo use. I’m skeptical of river patrol operations but I would love to see one of these land in a flowing river.
If you're interested in owning one, you can find them at https://www.flying-boat.com/ and http://airtimeamphib.com/.
Our recommendation is to get one, as it has a useful load of 419 pounds and can be used for hunting, flying, fishing, and adventure travel.
Even if you have a mechanical failure out in the woods, you're only down a few thousand dollars and a long walk back to civilization.
Mostly, it just seems like the most raw way to get away for an afternoon.
Right now, this world of flying boats still remains a bit of a mystery to us.
Have you ever flown one of these? We would love to hear a story about it. We would happily host a podcast and full interview about these incredible flying machines.
Feel free to contact us at: max@plainviewaviation.com
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