Water Flying Aviation Podcast

Join Steve's guest Darren Tilman for a deep dive into aircraft exhaust system maintenance, and how dynamic propeller balancing will increase the reliability of your aircraft systems, potentially protect you from inflight failures and reduce your operational costs.Heat cycles, slip joints, vibration and aggressive throttle application and reduction all contribute to aircraft system and exhaust system failures. Exhaust systems have an average useful life that is probably much lower than most pilots assume.Listen and apply this discussion to save money and increase the reliability and life of your aircraft systems.

This week on the Water Flying Aviation Podcast Steve McCaughey sits down with Sandy Loutitt inside his impressive turbine Antonov AN-2 amphibious floatplane. This one of a kind monster is over 13 feet tall, has a wingspan of 60 feet, holds 1,200 gallons of fuel and has a 3,000 pound useful load.This isn't your average amphibious seaplane, it carries over 40 gallons of freshwater, has 2 generators , stove, heater, commercial refrigerator & freezer, carries an inflated tender with a 2 stroke outboard in a belly pod that launches it and so much more.Recorded on the shores of Priest Lake, Idaho from the cabin of the 2 Solitude An-2 this show is a blast.Learn more about the 2 Solitude Turbine AN-2 Amphibious Floatplane at www.2solitude.com

Tom Hamilton sits down with Steve McCaughey to exclusively introduce the Apex 600 horsepower diesel aircraft engine. Tom has a long history in aviation, he famously founded Stoddard Hamilton Aircraft in which he designed and produced the high performance and highly popular Glasair and Glastar series experimental aircraft. Tom developed a product line of composite aircraft floats which Aerocet produces today. Tom also started Quest Aircraft to develop and produce the Kodiak ten-place turboprop aircraft. The Kodiak received an FAA type certificate in 2007, and the company has gone on to produce over 330 aircraft to date. Tom continues his career in aircraft design with several new projects including the Apex diesel engine and Reach Aviation's AC6 aircraft. Conversations with Tom Hamilton are always entertaining, educational and the announcement of the Apex engine is a really exciting opportunity for the aviation community.

All pilots want more performance from the airplanes they fly, especially seaplane pilots. In this episode of the Water Flying podcast Steve McCaughey sits down with Darren Tilman, President of Power Flow Exhaust Systems to explore one of the best but perhaps least known ways to unlock more power, gain fuel efficiency and reduce overall wear on aircraft engines. So what’s the secret? Upgrade the technology, quality and surprising lack of performance engineering that is characteristic of the exhaust systems fitted to most factory aircraft.Steve's Super Cub recently was fitted with a new Leading Edge Exhaust Systems package from Power Flow Systems. It was during this process that Steve became so impressed with the manufacturing process, quality and dedication to the product and customer experience that is at the heart of Power Flow Systems approach to business that he insisted on doing a podcast to share what he has learned from Darren and his team.Save $150 Today! Mention this podcast and receive a $150 off any Power Flow Exhaust system order until 12/31/2025.

In this episode of the Water Flying podcast, I have the great pleasure of sitting down with Darren Pleasance who recently became the CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the largest aviation non-profit advocacy organization in the world.It has rewarding working with Darren on numerous advocacy issues, and could not be more thrilled to share his vast experiences, passion and vision for the future of AOPA under his leadership with our listeners.Please take this opportunity to learn more about Darren. I am sure that you will be glad you did, and you will walk away with a massive appreciation for the captain at the helm of AOPA.

Almost live from AirVenture 2025! Steve McCaughey is joined by Steve Guetter to discuss the incredible Fire Boss. Steve Guetter is not only the General Manager of Advanced Flight Training & Leasing, he is also a Seaplane Pilots Association Board Member and Minnesota Field Director.Join a great discussion between the two Steves focused on the amazing performance and capabilities of the Fire Boss. Listeners will gain insight into the training and operation of this legendary firefighter with a 59' wingspan and 1,600 hp engine.

JT Grainger of Sheridan Pilots 307 joins Steve McCaughey for a discussion on the challenges and rewards of flying high altitude lake operations in the school's Cessna 172 on Wipline amphibious floats.Based in Sheridan, Wyoming, JT is a SPA Field Director and passionate promotor of all things aviation. JT's school is the only seaplane training facility in Wyoming, and we are thrilled to see such a unique opportunity for pilots to learn high density operations in a Cessna 172 at a lake surface elevation of nearly 4,600ft. I did it, and I can attest... rated seaplane pilot or not this is a great opportunity to not only earn your seaplane rating, but to learn how to operate seaplanes in high density altitudes.

In this episode of SPA’s Water Flying podcast Steve sits down with Dr. Loel Fenwick to discuss “The World's Most Beautiful Amphibian”, which happens to be Loel’s own Grumman G-73 Mallard—or maybe both of Loel’s Mallards. Recorded while sitting under the wing of one of Loel's G-73s at his gorgeous Tanglefoot Seaplane Base on the shores of beautiful Priest Lake, Idaho, this podcast will take listeners on a journey of romance, history and adventure that few have had the gift of experiencing. Join us!

On this episode of the Water Flying podcast Steve is joined by Addison Pemberton to discuss his amazing N3N seaplane. This round-engine biplane is the only one of its kind flying on a single mono-float.The N3N was the primary seaplane trainer for the US Navy from 1936 until 1961. It is a rare example of a military aircraft that was designed and produced by the US government and not an industrial aircraft manufacturer such as Boeing and its Model 75 Stearman. Join Steve and Addison as they discuss the unusual construction and handling characteristics of the N3N.

Danny Seybert ,president of the Alaska Aviation Museum, joins Steve McCaughey on this episode of the Water Flying podcast to discuss growing up in a historic aviation family in Alaska in the 1970's. Danny's father Orin Seybert founded PenAir in 1955 which famously flew Grumman G-21 Gooses throughout the Aleutian Islands.The Alaska Aviation Museum has many great historic aircraft including a PBY, Grumman Goose, Grumman Widgeon, a Sikorsky S-43 cockpit section, Beech-19 on floats and a Waco YKC on floats among others.Visit the museums website at: https://alaskaairmuseum.org

On this episode Steve is in Sausalito, California with Aaron Singer of Aero Adventures. Commodore Center Seaplane Base, where Aero Adventures operates, dates back to the romance of the Pan Am Clipper Ships.The base has an amazing safety record and a colorful history as the location where Otis Redding wrote "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," and as a recording location for artists such as the Greatful Dead, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana and Jefferson Airplane among many others.Today Aero Adventures has endured challenges by the local community. With SPA's help, it continues to offer flightseeing operations off of the mud (listen to the episode to learn more), where customers can fly over Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay and the amazingly beautiful Pacific Coast.

Join Amanda and Steve McCaughey for a discussion about both the Clear Lake Splash-In and the growing vision and opportunities for seaplanes at this Northern California secret gem.Clear Lake is the largest lake fully within the state of California, with over 100 miles of shoreline, and yet the region is sparsely populated and under visited. Of specific interest to seaplane pilots, the lake has 100 years of seaplane activity with everything from the Pan Am Clipper ships to the military using the lake as a primary location for PBY, PBM and Martin Mars training.Our thanks to Herb Lingl, the Skylark Resort, the city of Lakeport and all of the volunteers who made this event such a success.Join our team of Clear Lake Splash-In volunteers by emailing us at spa@seaplanes.org

The SPA team is small, hardworking and known for moving mountains for our members. Slade joined the SPA team in 2021 and has traveled extensively supporting our mission, largely became our goto solution for maintaining, wrangling and implementing our technology needs amongst the many other demands put on the team.With great regret, but simultaneous support Slade will be leaving the team to pursue the next chapter of his aviation career. Join Slade and Steve for a little reminiscing and a bittersweet farewell for now...

On this episode I am joined by Steve Anderson, President of Aviat Aircraft as we explore the Husky. Let's be honest, there are very few certified bush/seaplanes being made today. The Aviat Husky is a two place American made and owned aircraft that has the capability to fill a mission few current production aircraft. It boasts a higher gross weight than any other current two seat aircraft, a higher cruise speed, great STOL and low speed performance. Not to mention, folding and adjustable seats and many other innovations.Learn more about the Aviat Husky at https://aviataircraft.com/

Jack Jacobson and Amy Fenwick from the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association join Steve McCaughey on this episode to provide a recap of the 2023 Tanglefoot Seaplane Splash-In on Priest Lake, Idaho.Perfectly calm, cool and clear weather welcomed over 30 seaplanes and their pilots. This amazing event which was hosted by the WSPA and Fenwick family at their amazing seaplane base nestled within the backcountry of Northern Idaho, just 40 miles from the Canadian border.

Whether we want to discuss it or not, having seaplane owners and operators being the best possible stewards of the environment is not an optional topic. The spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is not limited to the waters of the United States, aquatic ecosystems arounds the world are being infected by non-native aquatic invaders.Sid Pinney from Turbo Float Pump has been working with the Seaplane Pilots Association for over two years on the topic of this episode, the "Turbo Float Pump." This cordless drill powered float pump actually includes a field replaceable filter that allows seaplane pilots to pump their floats without risking the discharge of any aquatic invasive species.The Turbo Float Pump is a great development that will help SPA and seaplane pilots continue to prove that: 1) We care about the environment2) We are committed to proactively addressing the threat of AIS to our waterways3) We are working to ensure that we are matching and/or exceeding the efforts that are being asked of other users groups like the boating communityAquatic Invasive Species are second only to Safety issues at SPA, as they have become our largest threat to water access, so we highly encourage all seaplane pilots to stay informed on this topic and listen to this episode.TurboFloatPump.com

SPA Board Member Harry Shannon joins Steve McCaughey to review our recent SPA advocacy tour through Alaska. During the trip SPA conducted numerous safety workshops, visited Alaska Seaplanes' amazing operation in Juneau and attended the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering. The crew traveled over 2,500 miles during the three week trip that included stops in Anchorage, Palmer, Talkeetna, Fairbanks and Juneau.

Toby Ortega from Alaska Seaplanes joins us to discuss what it is like to fly for this industry leading seaplane company. They operate primarily throughout the Southeast Alaska region.Alaska Seaplanes recently hosted SPA and provided us with a tour and introspection into their growing and amazingly well organized seaplane business while celebrating their 25 year anniversary. Operating over 15 aircraft, half of which are seaplanes, Alaska Seaplanes flies 90,000 passengers and over 2.7 million pounds of cargo annually. flyalaskaseaplanes.com

Melissa Grabiec has had quite a journey since joining the Seaplane Pilots Association. As a traveling volunteer doing events across the country in her early 20's, to earning her ATP, and flying for a major airline, she is now starting her own seaplane service. Melissa started her seaplane journey, like many others, at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base in 2012. Eleven years later, she is flying for a major airline and launching Bel-Air Seaplane Service, which is operating off of Messalonskee Lake, in Maine.This a fun interview with a passionate Lifetime SPA member which is inspirational; especially, to young pilots looking for chase a career in aviation.https://belairseaplaneservice.com

Paul Richards CEO of Clamar Floats joins Steve McCaughey for an exploration of the largest float manufacturer of experimental floats. Clamar has long been associated as a leader in composite float manufacturing for aircraft such as the Aircam, GlasAir Sportsman and many others. Innovative design, constant improvement and high quality are all traits of this company's quest to produce these great performing seaplane floats.Born in Canada Clamar now produces their floats at a unique manufacturing facility in Brunswick, Maine in a retired military base that has had its vast facilities converted into a manufacturing and incubator that is proving to be a model worth replicating for other states looking beyond residential redevelopment of former military bases. https://clamarfloats.com