By Gates L. Scott

As I sit in my landlocked office, overlooking our landlocked airport, my mind escapes to the coastal regions of the United States: sandy beaches, island-littered bays, and the glimmer of sunshine cascading from the tide driven oceans. Flying in a mountainous environment has plenty of challenges, however I’ve always dreamt of flying—and admired those that are able to fly—in tropical and remote areas around the water. Whether it’s the lakes of Central Florida or the bays of the Northwest, there’s an overwhelming sense of adventure about flying in this topography.

As a kid, I grew up sailing off the coast of Maine in small Mercury sloops and One Designs working foredecks in rolling swells. With each step out toward the bow to rig the spinnaker, my young, excitable mind was encompassed by its danger ... it was as if my life depended on it. As the vessel rounded the first windward mark, I felt like an early explorer fighting off the intense fear of being tossed overboard, just waiting for the gratification of a perfect set. There are many exciting attributes that cross between sailing and aviation. You read stories all the time of the airline captain who has decided to retire on his sailboat, singlehandedly making passages across vast stretches of ocean. The adventure that exists in both disciplines keeps our fires roaring and our interest to try new things alive. So, as I sit in my landlocked landscape in Colorado, I conjure up what it would be like to ‘sail a plane.’

The Famous Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base

“Flying a seaplane is the last freedom left in the world,” says Jon Brown, owner of Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base on Lake Jessie in Winter Haven, Fla. “It’s a discipline that breeds better pilots. It’s more about attitude and less about altitude.” Jon took over one of the most recognizable seaplane bases in the southeast from his father, Jack Brown. Jack Brown had a grand vision of transforming what was once an alligator-infested swampy lake into one of the nation’s oldest bases for seaplane maintenance and training, attracting enthusiasts from all over the country. As a civilian instructor and test pilot for the United States Air Force, Brown Senior started this fixed-based operation for seaplanes 47 years ago. Now, his children have the privilege of carrying on the tradition.

More than 500 students make their way through Jack Brown’s training program each year, needing only five hours and an FAA check ride to add the seaplane rating. “Every pilot should experience this type of flying. We recently trained three generations of pilots from the same family in the same day,” says Jon. Jack Brown’s can have your transition completed in two days, flying in either the Piper J3 or the Maule M2.

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