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"Alaska's Bush Pilots" DVD!

"Alaska's Bush Pilots . . .The Real Deal" was recently filmed in the wilds of Alaska in high-definition by Jim Oltersdorf Film Productions of the Kenai Peninsula. It is a compelling, vibrant story of the great far north and the modern day pilots. Their aircraft are unbelievable! The film includes magnificent scenery of this raw and dangerous wilderness along with footage of spectacular giant Alaskan brown bears, eagles, moose, caribou and a host of other wildlife.

Many of his front covers that have graced the nation's largest aviation magazines are presented in this educational and interesting documentary!

This HD DVD documentary was directed and filmed by Jim Oltersdorf who has a one-hour TV special on The Discovery Channel's HD Theater that is currently airing worldwide. Entitled, "The Risk Takers 2...High Risk Photographer Jim Oltersdorf", Oltersdorf is also showcased on The History Channel's "Monster Quest" amongst other TV outdoor-type shows.

This documentary is interlaced with in-depth and exciting interviews of these courageous pilots as they recall many different stories of their experiences in the remote wilderness.

Some scenes are quite hilarious and others are serious and heart-pounding. In some of the tales they speak about the rescues of stranded fellow pilots, how they fly these incredible airplanes and the magnificence of their job. There is even a heart-rendering story about a father flying his children 40 miles from their remote wilderness home to go fishing at "a better spot"! Fun for the entire family!

Alaska Bush Pilots DVD is $19.95 (plus S/H)

Order your DVD at Jim's website:

www.alaskasbushpilots.com

Steinar Saevdal 2010-05-20

Ulf Engström

SE-AXB

SE-AXB

SE-AXY

SE-AXY

SE-AXY

SE-IIO

Björn & Anita Ek

 

Swedish Silver Bees!

On their way to Åland, the beautiful island between Sweden and Finland, on vacation, www.seabee.info webmaster Steinar Saevdal and his wife Camilla did some Seabee hunting...

The proud history of Seabee amphibians in Sweden is closely connected to the company AB Hans Osterman, since 1908 a well known distributor of American automobiles and trucks in Sweden.  During WW2 Osterman turned their attention to aviation  business, when the sub-company AB Aero Service was founded in 1944.  They became a distributor for the Danish KZ airplanes. After WW2 the company also imported several Auster Autocars.

Late fall 1945 president of company, Lennart Osterman, and two of Osterman's senior executives; Olof Sefeldt and K. H. Björngård, visited the USA to see several aircraft manufacturers, including Republic Aviation and Bell Helicopters in New York.  In November 1945 Republic announced that AB Hans Ostermans had been appointed Seabee distributor for all Sweden.  This was a very wise decision, because the Seabee soon stirred a huge interest in Sweden. During the years 1946 - 1948, Ostermans imported more than 20 new Seabees to Sweden.  Ostermans also imported the first Bell 47 helicopters to Europe in 1946.

The first Seabee destined for Sweden, SE-AXA (s/n 109), was officially delivered from Republic Aviation on 7 November 1946 and shipped from New York by ship in January 1947. Summer 1947 the company changed name to Ostermans Aero AB and even started their own air taxi operations, using Seabees and several other aircraft types, including helicopters.  Many Swedes got their first airplane ride in Ostermans Aero's Seabees during the the late 1940s and the 1950s...

 One of the kids who got his first airplane ride in a Seabee in the 1950s was Ulf Engström, who grew up in Mariefred west of Stockholm. When he was a 8-year old boy, his parents gave him a ticket for a ride in a Seabee probably operated by Ostermans.  This started his strong aviation interest, and of course he grew up to become a professional pilot!

Ulf got his basic flight training in the Swedish Air Force and Navy in 1974. In the Navy he was a commander of SAR and special missions on twin rotor helicopter Boeing Vertol 107. He served as instructor pilot and technical pilot in the Swedish Navy until 1983. Later he was a civil helicopter pilot, flying in such exotic places as Greenland and Svalbard, and less exotic - Norway and Sweden.

In Norway he was employed by Lufttransport A/S as Training Captain, operating Bell 205, 212 and 214. Work included power line construction works, ambulance and arctic missions.  This was followed by two years at Greenland Air Charter, flying Bell 212’s in arctic areas.

For a few years Ulf also operated his own helicopter company out of hometown Edsvalla.  And more recently he was Flight Operations Manager at Heliflyg AB, operating Eurocopter AS 365 Dauphin.  Currently Ulf is a helicopter flight simulator instructor on Bell/AB 212/412 for Oxford Aviation Academy (formerly SAS Flight Academy) at Arlanda, outside Stockholm. He is a type rating instructor and Swedish CAA examiner, TRI, SFI. Total flight time on 15 helicopter types: 10, 500 hrs.

Ever since his first ride in a Seabee, the Seabee has been his favorite airplane.  For many years it was his biggest dream to own one.  When the commercial Seabee operator Fiskflyg AB decided to sell off their Seabees in 1999/2000, Ulf tried to get one of them - but without success.  Also he tried to acquire a SIAI Marchetti FN.333 Riviera amphibian, but this proved to be even harder...

Then one day in 2005, Ulf got a strange telephone call from Fiskflyg telling that "your Seabee is ready for you"!  It turned out that Fiskflyg had kept one of their Seabees stored for a few years after selling the others in 2000.  Ulf travelled to Fiskflyg and settled the deal and in July 2005 SE-AXB (s/n 268) was his! After overhaul and preparation at Fiskflyg, on 9 July 2005 Ulf flew his magnificent Seabee from Porjus to her new home base in Lake "Bölösen", Värmeln, west of Edsvalla, Värmland.

On Tuesday August 5th, Steinar and Camilla, had the pleasure of seeing Ulf and his nice wife Christina at their beautiful home in Edsvalla.  The weather was terrible with rain pouring down.  After a nice meal, Ulf and Christina kindly took the visitors by car the 15 minute drive from Edsvalla to see SE-AXB at Bölösen.  She looks fantastic in her polished aluminum and bright red trim colors!  Engström's hangar is located at the most beautiful and idyllic place imaginable!  The hangar had previously been used by a Cessna 180 seaplane, so the hangar had to be widened to give room for the extra wing span of the Seabee.  SE-AXB does not have wheels, which saves approximately 90 kg from the empty weight.  Ulf got a dolly from Fiskflyg, which has been slightly modified for this location.

SE-AXB probably is the most 'historic' of all Seabees in Sweden.  This was the favorite airplane of Swedish aviator legend Stig Gunnar "Spökis" Andersson, who flew bushplanes and helicopters in Jämtland, Northern Sweden for many years, until he tragically died in a helicopter crash in 1974.  When "Spökis" parted with SE-AXB in October 1963, when sold to Fiskflyg, he wrote this farewell in the aircraft logbook (translated);

"Jämtlands Aero's 10-year faithful servant has been handed over to Sten Lundqvist, Piteå for further service in the Lappland mountains.  Hard service the airplane has performed; 5579 days and nights + 1744 hrs 05 min, used 122.080 liters of fuel, transported 106 elks, 54 ambulance flights, more than 20.000 km flown, 9.990 tourists and 137.735 kg of goods.  With thanks and good luck! Gunnar Andersson, flight chief".

Ulf and Christina are most dedicated to take good care of this unique Seabee for the future.  They fly 15 - 20 hours each year.  When asking Ulf what he thinks about flying the Seabee, he admits that during his Seabee check out, he had good use of his experience from helicopter autorotation training to impress the instructor...

After visiting the Engström's we spent two nights at a camping in Mariefred, from where we took train to Stockholm on Wednesday for sight-seeing Stockholm's beautiful "Gamla Stan" (Old City) - and finally there was some sun!  On Thursday August 7th our tour went on to Skå-Edby airfield west of Stockholm to see Seabee SE-ERT (s/n 846).  The weather was again rainy and when we arrived at the grass airfield, we met a kind Tiger Moth owner who told us that SE-ERT was in a locked hangar and could not be seen...

We called SE-AXY (s/n 830) Seabee owner Sten Karlsson, who told us that we were welcome to see his Seabee at Barkarby Airport (ESKB) in Järfälla, west of Stockholm.  Unfortunately, he could not see us because he was out of town that day.  However, Sten advised us to visit his friend and fellow Seabee owner in Vallentuna; Björn Ek.  After using a terrible road map, we finally found Barkarby Airport.  The airport is also the location for Swedish EAA Chapter 222 and there are several interesting GA aircraft based at Barkarby. Unfortunately Barkarby is in danger of being closed down, the final decision not known yet.  Among the many nice airplanes on the airport, one was shinier and stood taller in the rain than the rest; Seabee SE-AXY!  SE-AXY is also one of the Fiskflyg Seabees that were sold to private owners in 2000, taken over by Sten Karlsson in May 2001.  She has the same polished aluminum silver look as SE-AXB and looks excellent!  SE-AXY does of course have wheels, installed by Sten after he acquired the Seabee.  Fiskflyg operated all their Seabees without wheels to save weight.  Both SE-AXB and SE-AXY have all the goodies installed; Simuflight Lycoming GO-480 engine conversion, extended wings (and flaps), droop wing tips, extended wide spray rails etc.  I believe, however, that SE-AXB has a carburated engine, while SE-AXY has an injection engine IGO-480.

In addition to SE-AXY, Sten also purchased Seabee rebuild project SE-AXF (s/n 592) from Fiskflyg.  SE-AXF is in the process of being rebuilt at Västerås Flygmuseum; Västerås Airport Hasslö (ESOW), and will be a long-term project.

After taking several photos of rainy wet and shiny SE-AXY, our drive went on to the town Vallentuna NE of Stockholm, to see Björn and Anita Ek, who own Franklin-powered Seabee SE-IIO (s/n 120).  Björn Ek is a farmer and aviation enthusiast who in the early 1990s turned some of his farming fields at "Lindönäs" Farm into a 1.000 m grass airfield.  His boyhood friend and neighbor Åke Jansson is (was?) a co-owner of the Seabee, and Åke also operates a Douglas C-47B-35-DK (DC-3) Dakota 9Q-CUK and a Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub SE-KTG from the same airfield!  Three of aviation's biggest classics at the same airfield!  Åke practically lives on the airfield, while Björn and Anita live on the other side of the road "268" between towns Vallentuna and Upplands-Väsby.  Åke is running an aircraft maintenance shop in Vallentuna.  He spent 28 years as a professional pilot in Africa, flying DC-3s etc.  I am sure he has many amazing stories to tell...

Björn and Anita were dressing up for celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary when we met them at home.  Still, they kindly invited us in and Anita, originally from Åland, even helped us book a place on the ferry between Sweden and Åland, the destination of our journey.  We got a place on the ferry the same evening, so suddenly we were a little short of time.  Björn showed me the aircraft logs for SE-IIO so that I could write down some more historical dates.  After that, Björn and Anita showed us a storage garage at the farm where some of Björn's and Åke's aircraft stuff is stored.  Even the wings of Sten Karlsson's SE-AXF are stored here.  Further, Björn and Åke have the complete inventory of Fiskflyg's Franklin engines and parts, from when Fiskflyg replaced the Franklin engines with Lycoming GO-480 engines on their Seabees.  From the roof a strange French airplane was hanging, and further there was a helicopter stored.

Finally it was time to see the Seabee!  SE-IIO is not one of the many Seabees imported by Ostermans Aero AB.  Actually, s/n 120 spent many years in the USA as N87558 and N14R, before she was imported to Sweden in 1981 by Leif Gustav Eriksson and Tommy Lundqvist.  At some stage a gear-down landing was made.  Seabee expert Bo Larsson and a group of owners/partners had done most of the restoration work when Björn and Åke took over and completed the project in 2004.  She looks magnificent in her silver paint and red trim colors!  The Seabee is also properly marked "Anita" on the R/H door and "Björn" on the L/H door. SE-IIO has an original Franklin engine, but also have mods such as extended wings (without flap extension), droop tips and extended spray rails.  On the nose, a red Kevlar plate has been installed to protect against bumps from docking etc.  Björn and Anita use the Seabee when they fly to their beautiful cottage on a remote island in Åland.  On our return to Norway on Monday we made a short call at Lindönäs to see Björn and take a few more photos.  Björn even showed us around in Åke's DC-3.  My wife of course loved the violet interior, violet being her favorite color...

Thank you very much Camilla, Ulf & Christina, Björn & Anita and Sten for making this year's vacation a wonderful "Seabee" memory!

Steinar Saevdal 2008-08-19

LN-SEA

LN-FFF

LN-HAI

SE-LLX

 

News Update

Fonnafly AS

During his vacation this webmaster visited Fonnafly AS at Sandviken SPB, Bergen, early in July and had a chat with pilots Carl Chr. Dame and Per Korsvold.  Fonnafly AS does not own any aircraft.  All seaplanes and helikopters are leased from other owners.  Cessna U206G LN-FFF is the only seaplane that Fonnafly will have based in Sandviken this year.  The new Cessna Caravan turboprop amphibian, LN-SEA, will normally be based at Bergen Airport Flesland, for safety and maintenance reasons. The season started extraordinary good this year when there was a union strike at several airports in Norway in mid  May.  Oil worker crews and helicopter crews were flown from Bergen to other airports.  Fonnafly also have agreements with cruise ships to offer sightseeing flights for the passengers when the cruise ships visit the Norwegian West Coast.

Frode Granlund and Runar Vassbotten of Flyteknisk Notodden AS want to focus their attention on running the new flight school Luftfartsskolen Notodden AS, based at Torp Airport.  They are therefore selling their seaplanes.  LN-BWV is on wheels, leased by Stavanger Fallskjermklubb for skydiver lifting. LN-MAQ has been sold to Africa, and LN-HOO and LN-IKA have been sold to the company TRE50 AS, Voss.  This company's shareholders are Jon Ove Velure, Per Korsvold and Robert Ian Ormerod.  LN-HOO and LN-IKA will be operating for Fonnafly AS from Fornebu SPB this season.  Earlier this summer Fonnafly leased LN-HOE from Tormod Hellerud, when LN-HOO and LN-IKA were prepared for the season.  Unfortunately LN-IKA was damaged in June, when the aircraft hit some high swells during landing in Telemark.  Some structural damage around the float fittings must be repaired before LN-IKA can be put into service again. LN-HON is due for overhaul and is currently stored at Flesland airport.  The owner wants to offer it for sale.

Fonnafly AS is also operating two helicopters from Bergen; Robinson R44 Raven II LN-OKI and Eurocopter EC 120 B LN-OKO.  LN-OKO was  just seconds away from perishing in the fire that struck IMC Diving at Kristiansholm on 09 June.  Fortunately a supply vessel with heavy firefighting equipment saved the day.  The helicopters are based both at Flesland airport and at the helipad at Kristiansholm.

Fonnafly is co-operating with Voss Helikopter AS at Voss, which operates two Eurcopter AS 350 B3 helikopters (LN-OVN and SE-JJS) from Bømoen airfield just outside Voss. Voss Helikopter AS is owned by Jon Ove Velure.  

ScanAviation AS

Tormod Hellerud's Cessna U206G LN-HAI is now back in the air after a rebuild at Norrønafly Rakkestad AS, in Rakkestad.  A new Mattituck Teledyne Continental IO-550-F engine and a new Hartzell propeller have been installed.  New wingtip extension fuel tanks of 60 litres capacity each have been added, increasing the plane's endurance from 5 to 7 hours. Further, all instruments have been replaced and vortex generators have been glued on to wings and tailfin. Floats were installed at Notodden airport on 19 June.

Hellerud, who also owns LN-HOE, is using his seaplanes as transport for his job in MAR-KEM AS selling chemicals for offshore and marine industry.  He is also leasing the two seaplanes to ScanAviation who will use them commercially from Sola sjø and Drammen - and Hovden/Møsvatn during hunting season.  Seaplane pilots for ScanAviation are Alexander Bekkelund and Rune Engen.  It seems that ScanAviation will focus their business on the coastline from Stavanger to Oslo, and thus will be a competitor to Fonnafly's Oslo base - unless they decide to co-operate on this market...The increasing fuel costs will, however, be a challenge for Fonnafly as well as for all other commercial aircraft operators in Norway these days...

Westwing Helicopters AS

On a visit to Norheimsund on 30 June, it was noted that Westwing Helikopters' Cessna U206F seaplane LN-NAA still have the Swedish registration SE-LLX painted on.  The seaplane was resting on a quay, and it looked like the seaplane had not been flown for some time.  Owner of Westwing Helicopters AS, Vidar Grindheim, acquired Cessna U206F SE-LLX (c/n 3199) last summer. SE-LLX is former LN-NAA. Grindheim now has registered c/n 3199 on Norwegian CAR as LN-NAA, offically on 3 March 2008.

It is believed that Grindheim will operate LN-NAA from his hometown Norheimsund, where he previous years have operated Cessna 206 seaplanes LN-HAM and LN-HOE from the seaplane base just outside the local hotel.

Steinar Saevdal 2008-07-14

 

Norwegian Seaplanes News Update

Fonnafly Cessna 208A Caravan 675 Amphibian registered on Norwegian CAR

On 24 February 2008, Fonnafly's new Cessna Caravan amphibian N7890C arrived at Flesland Bergen airport, after a four-day ferry flight from the USA.  Route flown was Minneapolis - Goose Bay - Greenland - Iceland - Faeroe Islands - Flesland. Ferrypilot was Alex Haynes.  During his brief stay in Norway Alex also checked out the first Fonnafly pilot, Sigbjørn Huus, for type rating on the Cessna Caravan.  

Next day the Caravan made her first landing at Sandviken SPB, where the local news media were introduced to the new seaplane. Carl Christian Dame said to the news reporters that the Caravan had cost 11 Million NOK.  The main market for the Caravan would be the cruise ship market on the Norwegian West Coast.  Due to the higher passenger capacity, Dame also said that the number of take off and landings from Sandviken would be reduced, implying that there would be less noise burden on the local neighbors.  Dame also informed that off seaplane season, Fonnafly would put the Caravan of straight wheels and operate the aircraft as landplane from Flesland Bergen Airport for freight operations.

While all Norwegian CAR papers were arranged, the Caravan has been hangared in Bergen Air Transport's hangar at Flesland Bergen Airports.  BAT's technical manager Hans Jakob Listerud assisted Fonnafly in the purchase and inspection of the Caravan.  It is also believed that BAT will be doing the maintenance on the Caravan.  On 25 March 2008, the Caravan was registered LN-SEA on the Norwegian CAR.  Official owner is Norsk Sjøflytjeneste AS (Carl Christian Dame Jr), Bergen.

Westwing Helicopters AS, Norheimsund, new Cessna 206 seaplane.

Owner of Westwing Helicopters AS, Vidar Grindheim, acquired Cessna U206F SE-LLX (c/n 3199) last summer. SE-LLX is former LN-NAA. Grindheim now has registered c/n 3199 on Norwegian CAR as LN-NAA, offically on 3 March 2008.

It is believed that Grindheim will operate LN-NAA from his hometown Norheimsund, where he previous years have operated Cessna 206 seaplanes LN-HAM and LN-HOE from the seaplane base just outside the local hotel.

Steinar Saevdal 2008-04-06

 

"Super Goose" Production Launched!

Antilles Seaplanes, LLC, launches "Super Goose" Amphibious Aircraft Production

Gibsonville , North Carolina USA – Antilles Seaplanes, LLC, announces that it has begun accepting deposit orders on the production of completely new “Antilles Super Goose” amphibious aircraft.  Based on the legendary G-21 Goose, the company’s version has been modernized to current day aviation standards to include turboprop engines, retractable wing floats, state-of-the-art avionics, interior environmental systems, and a variety of other technological improvements over the original airplane manufactured by Grumman.  Additionally, a highly specialized military version of the Goose is currently being developed by Antilles for potential use by our nation’s Special Forces. 

The “Antilles Super Goose” is an extremely versatile twin engine, 10-seat “true” amphibian, designed to take off and land on water (minimum depth of 36 inches in oceans, islands, bays, rivers or lakes), regular paved runways, remote grass strips, rough dirt strips, and snow.   With its fully retractable landing gear, the Goose offers speed, rough water capability, cross wind ability, payload, range, economics, and ruggedness unmatched by any other aircraft in its class.  This multipurpose airplane can swiftly adapt as global civilian, military, government and special humanitarian support needs dictate.  It is the true “All Terrain Vehicle,” conquering air, water and land.

The Goose has a generously proportioned interior with additional storage areas in both the nose and the tail, plus an optional private toilet in the rear.  The aircraft is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engines that produce an air speed of over 200 knots (approximately 230 miles per hour); carries people, fuel and cargo in excess of 5,400 pounds; and has a range of over 1,200 nautical miles (six hours plus instrument flight reserves).

The Goose is back and ready for work and adventure.  For more information on the line of Antilles Seaplanes’ “Super Goose” aircraft, contact David Dyer or Warren Ludlam at phone number 336.449.5702, by e-mail at info@antillesseaplanes.com, or visit www.antillesseaplanes.com. 

                   Visit at: www.antillesseaplanes.com  

Steinar Saevdal 2008-02-04

 

Fonnafly

2008! The New Year starts off with some very exciting news!

According to an unconfirmed report, Fonnafly AS has acquired a Cessna 208 Caravan 675 amphibian!  The subject aircraft is N7890C, serial no. 383.  The Caravan is currently located in the USA, but is expected to be ferry flown from the USA to Bergen, Norway, in February. The Caravan seems to have previously been operated by Islamorada Air LLC in Miami, Florida.

The Caravan has Wipline 8000A amphibious floats, a 675 shp PT6A-114A turbine engine and have 10 seats installed; 1 pilot and 9 passengers. The amphibian will be operated by Fonnafly from both Bergen Airport Flesland and Sandviken SPB in Bergen.  Registration LN-SEA has been reserved with the Norwegian CAR.

Fonnafly will keep Cessna 206 LN-FFF, but Cessna 206 LN-HON will probably be offered for sale.  According to official company registers, Fonnafly AS have 4 share holders: Mr. Carl Christian Dame Jr, Mr. Erik Andreas Førde, Mr. Jostein Nerhus and Mr. Olav Skeie Jr (deceased).  More information is most welcome...

Fonnafly Oslo AS - At the same time it is noted that Fonnafly Oslo AS on 18 October 2007 changed name to Flyteknisk AS.  Owned 50% by Spit Air AS (Runar Vassbotten) and 50% by Ski og Sjøfly AS (Frode Granlund), Flyteknisk AS is located at Snarøya, just outside Oslo, where Fonnafly Oslo AS has operated Cessna 206 seaplanes for a few years.  Fonnafly Oslo AS operated on Air Operator Certificate No N-029, same as Fonnafly AS.

The name change might be a result from the fact that Mr. Runar Vassbotten and Mr. Frode Ganlund are involved in the new Norwegian flight school Luftfartsskolen Notodden AS.  The flight school originally intended to operate from Notodden Airport, but changed base to Torp Airport, after Norwegian CAA did not approve Notodden as base.

Flyteknisk AS currently owns four Cessna 206 seaplanes; LN-BWV (which was operated as landplane for Stavanger Fallskjermklubb last year), LN-HOO, LN-IKA and LN-MAQ.  At this time this website does not have any information on the plans Flyteknisk AS have for their seaplanes... [Photo: Gunnar Flak].

Steinar Saevdal 2008-01-06

Arnfinn Halland

 

Summer News

During his summer vacation in July, your webmaster had the opportunity to see seaplanes home on Radøy, in Bergen, in Førde and at Fagernes!

At Radøy I had the opportunity to see my good 'ol friend Arnfinn Halland, who is responsible for me getting the seaplane bug when I was a kid... Arnfinn has been operating seaplanes from Hallandsvatnet (Halland Lake) sine the mid 1970s.  Arnfinn is still the driving force in Nordhordland Flyklubb, as the senior flight instructor for both PPL (sea!) and SES rating.  The aero club's Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub seaplane LN-HHI (s/n 2094) is still flying a lot from the base at Arnfinn's hangars on Hallandsvatnet, Radøy, north of Bergen.

In spite of poor weather last year 113 flight hours were logged on the Cub in 2006  This year weather had been better and they had an early start of season.

On 05 July 2007 Arnfinn kindly asked me if I wanted to go with him for a ride in LN-HHI to Gulen, where one of the seaplane club's members lives and who wanted to hire the Cub for some flying.

After filling fuel and checking floats for water, we lowered the Cub into the lake on a dolly.  With me in 'the front office' we took off from Hallandsvatnet in nice warm weather - Arnfinn flying from the rear seat.  On our way we passed Mongstad before we landed in Gulen, near Notøya between Risnes and Haugsdal. We docked close to the road, where there is a small floating dock.

Member Birkeland from Gulen, took over the Cub for an hour of flying with some family and friends.  Meantime, Arnfinn and me borrowed his car and went for a sightseeing drive in the area.  The scenery is very beautiful with many small islands and fjords, and it is easy to see why more and more people want to have their cottages in Gulen...

After Mr. Birekland returned, we took off for the return to Radøy.  I used the opportunity to take some moving pictures with my old 4 MP digital camera.  When closing in on Hallandsvatnet, Arnfinn asked me if I wanted to fly the approach - and who would say no to such an offer...!  Basically the approach starts by slowing down to 60 mph IAS and adding full flaps - while keeping the needle at 60... Not as easy as it sounds, when one is trying to make some photos at the same time.  Fortunately, Arnfinn is always there and he took us safely down this time also...  I blame my poor flying on the fact that it was one year since I last time occupied the front office - and of course - I do not have a pilot's license...

At Hallandsvatnet club member Rune Brundtland was waiting to take the Cub for another ride. His passenger was an older nice and fit lady going for her first seaplane ride, to see her home from above.  Her grandchildren and family were there to see her safely off.

Many people in Nordhordland have gotten their first airplane rides in the seaplanes operating from Hallandsvatnet.  And it is always nice to see the excitement of people getting back from their first seaplane ride!  Nothing like the thrill of landing on a beautiful calm lake on a nice warm summer day!  Some locals also have decided to get their PPL (sea) after getting a ride in the Cub.

On a visit to Sandviken SPB in Bergen on 06 July 2007, Fonnafly's two Cessna 206 seaplanes LN-FFF and LN-HON were observed. LN-FFF looked magnificent, and personally I love that paint scheme!

Since my last visit, summer 2006, Fonnafly has put up some barracks as office on the quay.  Also a Robinson helicopter is operated by Fonnafly from a heliport behind the old Westwing hangar.  Unfortunately, I believe the Westwing hangar was sold some years ago to a local company that use the hangar as a storage.

 I had a short talk with Fonnafly pilot Per Korsvold.  One of the things I learned were that LN-FFF has PK floats.  According to Per, the PK floats are better than the EDO floats.  As a former owner of LN-IKA, he also informed that LN-IKA at that time was Notodden airport awaiting an overhauled engine from the USA.

Some of you will know that Fonnafly Oslo AS in Oslo have had a good season this year, due to many road problems on E18 in Vestfold.  Several people living in Oslo therefore have hired Fonnafly seaplanes to take them from Oslo to their cabins in Kragerø and further down the Norwegian 'sun coast'.

I am still not quite sure how Fonnafly is organized.  However, I believe both Fonnafly Oslo and Fonnafly Bergen are owned by separate share holders operating on a common air operator's license.  The seaplanes operated in Bergen I believe are hired from "Norsk Sjøflytjeneste AS / Sjøflyutleie AS" (Mr. Carl Christian Dame who is a share holder of Fonnafly AS).

My wife and I also had the opportunity to visit friends in Grimelia, near Stongfjorden, one hour drive outside Førde.  The weather was beautiful and the scenery is breathtaking.  However, it is a little surprising that there are so few seaplanes in this area of Norway.  To my knowledge, Cessna U206E LN-LMQ (s/n U206-1608) based in Førde is the only seaplane based in Sogn og Fjordane. Firdafly operated several seaplanes from Sandane, but sadly closed business in 2000, after a tragic seaplane accident in Geiranger on 11 July 1998.  Four German tourists died when Cessna U206G LN-DBZ crashed and flipped over on landing near a cruise ship in Geirangerfjorden.

When visiting Førde on 07/08 July, my top priority was to see LN-LMQ.  And there she was; at the outlet of river Jølstra, where she is based at the old seaplane base at Øyrane.  The old tower is still there, but I doubt that it has been used since the airport at Øyrane was closed in 1986, when the new airport at Bringeland was opened.

LN-LMQ looks magnificent.  Since last time I saw LN-LMQ, at Voss 2004, it seems that the floats have been refurbished or replaced.  I remember owner Tor Henrik Eikefjord said at Voss that he wanted to replace the floats, and they now looks much better.  The big and wide floating dock looks excellent and there even is a hangar on the shore close by.  However, I do not know for certain if the hangar is used by LN-LMQ.  I looked through the windows, and it was empty, so most likely that hangar is the winter storage for LN-LMQ.

Weather in Eastern Norway has not been good this summer, and on our car drive on E16 from Bergen to Oslo, my wife and I could see that all rivers were running high and most lakes were flooded.  In Fagernes we made a short stop to visit a friend.  And there she was - LN-AER!

Owned by Valdres Flyklubb, LN-AER is based outside Quality Hotel & Resort Fagernes on Strandfjorden. Because of the flood, the walkway out to the floating quay was flooded, and it was not possible to get out to the seaplane without swimming.

Steinar Saevdal 2007-08-11

 

Welcome to the 'Norwegian Seaplanes' Website!

Why do we love seaplanes?  Each one of us probably have our own personal reasons for loving seaplanes, but we all share the feeling that seaplane flying is the ultimate freedom!  Once you have tasted it, you'll always want to go back! Many of us wanted to be that rugged bush pilot flying goods and hunters to remote camps out in the bush, where you only had your plane and your own pilot skills to trust, but where you felt that the people appreciated your work and the connection to civilization...  Most of us never became a bush pilot, but the dream can still not be taken away...

Norway has from Creation quite naturally been a Seaplane Heaven!  A long coast line, many fjords, many lakes and many islands made it obvious to the first aviators in Norway that they had to get 'wet' if they were going to get somewhere.  So most of the early aircraft in Norway were seaplanes.  Airports were built at a slow pace, and it was only during WW2 that the number of airports in Norway exceeded the number of fingers on two hands.  Still seaplanes were the backbone of Norwegian air transport for many more years; the last scheduled seaplane routes in Norway ended in 1970, when Widerøe's Flyveselskap sold of their last DHC-3 Otter seaplanes.

For many years seaplanes also were important as air ambulances for people living on remote islands and in the fjords. However, nowadays helicopters are more common to use as ambulances.  All these years seaplanes have been, and still are, the favorite transport for many hunters, fishers, cabin owners and business men who need get as close to their favorite spots as possible.  Still there are a few air-taxi operations operating seaplanes for sightseeing and for flying hunters and sportsmen to their favorite lakes and hunting grounds.

These webpages will document all aspects of seaplane flying in Norway!  Without the kind help from many fellow seaplane enthusiasts, these webpages would not be!  Special thanks to; Evelyn Bakken, Kjell Arild Bersås, Gunnar Flak, Tomas Foosnæs, Kay Hagby, Arnfinn Halland, Karl Haller, Magne Egil Heitmann, Per Kåre Johnsen, Christian H. Kamhaug, Geir Lorem, Tarjei Lundarvollen, Nils Mosberg, Eirik Langås Nilsen, Jan Harald Olsen, Anders Presterud, Jan Kristian Rasmussen, Øyvind Sakshaug, Martin Alexander Skaatun and all you others who have contributed without me knowing! I strongly recommend meeting fellow seaplane enthusiasts at the Airpics Forum, at www.airpics.com .  Most of the photos on these web pages have been downloaded from internet.  When the name of the photographer is known, her/his name is written below the photo.  If I have used any of your photos, and you do not want your photo to be used on these webpages, please inform me and I will remove it immediately.

Please contact the webmaster below, whenever you have any news, corrections, additions and photos to contribute for these webpages!

Steinar Saevdal 2006-12-04

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Updated 2014-02-01

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