Piper J-3 Cub Float Plane Discovery Flights & That "Thing" About Flying

Piper J-3 Cub Float Plane Discovery Flights & That “Thing” About Flying

Connie Sue White

Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 07:07 PM ET

Verified

A two thumbs up from this Piper J-3 Cub float plane
crew returning to Jack Brown's Seaplane Base. Connie Sue White

Key Takeaways:

At a "Live the Brand" event for Bonnier Corp. visitors from Sweden, all participants enthusiastically chose seaplane discovery flights over traditional Cessna flights.
The visitors, most of whom had limited prior flying experience, expressed immense joy and excitement after their half-hour flights in Piper Cubs and a Maule, enjoying the stick-and-rudder experience and unique Florida scenery.
The author concludes that the event reaffirmed the "visceral joy of flight" and highlighted the responsibility of pilots to introduce others to this profound experience, fostering appreciation for aviation even if they don't become pilots themselves.

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Recently, I was reminded about that “thing” about flying when Bonnier Corp.’s Flying magazine and Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base in Winter Haven, Florida, hosted 12 folks visiting from the Bonnier parent company’s headquarters in Sweden as part of a Live the Brand event. Flying offered up two choices: discovery flights in Cessnas or discovery flights in seaplanes. No one signed up for the more “traditional” option.

I could tell right off the group would be a delight. A couple of the participants had flying experience in gliders and ultralights, but other than that, the group’s overall experience with recreational flying was limited. Despite that, participants were all excited about their event choice. The morning was perfect for flying, with a gentle breeze from the south and a partial high ceiling, boding well for smooth air. As our van pulled into the seaplane base parking lot, they murmured in excited expectation when they saw the three Piper J-3 Cubs and Maule aircraft parked along the shore and on the ramp, ready and waiting. They couldn’t wait to get into these birds and go flying! In fact, when the two who were slated for the Maule saw the Cubs, they requested flights in the Cubs too, if there was time. And there was.