Seaplane Spotting in British Columbia, in 2009

August, 2009 was hazy and warm in the Canadian Province of British Columbia . Unfortunately, forest fires contributed to the haze, and stole some of the boldness of the Abbotsford Air Show that year. Still, the northwestern corner of the nation offered some great photographic opportunities.

Nearby Vancouver is a great place to watch seaplanes – including amphibians – splash in and out of the waterway on the western side of Vancouver International Airport. Beavers, Otters, Twin Otters and Cessnas all showed up, and a further interesting group of amphibs were on display at the air show too, including a rare Republic Seabee. 

Here’s what I saw, first, the trio of aircraft at the air show (a turbine-powered Otter and Beaver, plus the Republic Seabee), under cloudy and hazy conditions:

Later that evening, the skies began clearing at the Vancouver International Airport, and I was treated to a number of arrivals and departures. Some aircraft were towed across the road by ingenious two-wheeled truck cabs to hangars and their nightly maintenance needs.