For Those Aviators Attracted to Water

Flying on floats is a bucket-list item for many pilots.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, September 04, 2024 at 09:04 AM ET

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Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

One of the most common questions is: How long does it take to earn a seaplane rating? [iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Seaplane ratings are pursued for various reasons, including leisure (bucket list), future ownership, or professional employment, with Seattle being a notable center for training.
Training for a seaplane rating involves unique challenges compared to land-based aircraft, such as managing movement on water without brakes and maintaining high situational awareness for marine traffic and wildlife.
While pilots may experience "negative transference" from land-flying habits, prior experience with tailwheel aircraft or sailing can be beneficial, and proficiency typically takes 5-8 hours of training.

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With the exception of the Space Needle, there is perhaps no image more iconic than a floatplane flying over water with Mount Rainier in the background. Floatplanes are as much a part of Seattle as Starbucks and the early days of Boeing Aircraft Co.

As such, there are two seaplane/floatplane training operations in the area: Seattle Seaplanes, located on the southeast corner of Lake Union (0W0), and Kenmore Air, with two locations, one on the northwest side of Lake Union (W55) and another on Lake Washington on the north tip of Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT).