Whenever I think of Jack Brown’s sea plane base it brings a big smile to my face.
About 30 years ago another pilot friend and I flew a piper Cherokee to Florida to visit friends and go to Jack Browns seaplane base.
My friend got his single engine seaplane rating there and I hung out at the base and visited with the old timers who hung out there.
I enjoyed every minute of it.
After my friend got his seaplane rating he was hoping to give me a ride. It was against their policy to rent the plane out to give others rides, but I was able to go up with his instructor.
Man was that a blast.
Jack Brown’s seaplane base is near Winter Haven Florida and there are small sink hole lakes all around.
We took off and landed on a couple lakes. Actually we did what would be the equivalent of a touch and go in a land plane. We stayed on the “step” (the part of the float designed for high speed taxi and take off) the whole while we were in contact with the water. Sometimes on just one float. It was very exciting and I was smiling from ear to ear. Very few things I have done in life that brought a bigger smile to my face.
The instructor did give me a few quick lessons and asked if I would like to try a take off and landing?
Of course I did. So I have one taxi, high speed taxi, take off and landing in a single engine seaplane.
It was awesome.
It’s also a pretty good chance it’s the J-3 cub involved in the in air collision of the two small planes in the lake at Jack Brown’s seaplane base.
Seeing that j-3 cub post crash pictures in the lake is very sad indeed. Haven’t heard exactly what happened but I have a pretty good guess.
So sad for the loss of life and even machines. Those daring young men and women in those flying machines.
Bjrogg
