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RIDE IN A SEAPLANE

For four days every September, the town of Greenville, on the edge of Moosehead Lake, is the site of the International Seaplane Fly-In.

Usually held the weekend after Labor Day, the fly-in is more than four decades old. In the winter of 1973, when their regular clientele of sportsmen was sparse, some bush pilots decided to invite a few more pilots in to spend a weekend flying and having fun.

Enough fun was had to lure more pilots to Greenville in subsequent years, making the fly-in an annual event. In 1995, the International Seaplane Fly-In became a non-profit association aimed at promoting fellowship and fun, including the fly-in itself.

These days, the event attracts more than the usual modern, working seaplanes. Many rare, classic, and experimental planes attend as well. A 1944 Grunman Goose even showed up once and there’s the unique site of a DC-3 on floats. Watching the planes may be sufficient entertainment for many. Others will want to climb aboard.

Seaplane rides are available, not just during fly-in, but all the time. Rides range from fifteen-minute tours to tours of Baxter State Park that can take an hour and a half. Moose- watching tours and drop-offs to hiking, golfing, or fishing spots are also available.

The fly-in is accompanied by other events, including plane races, a canoe/seaplane race (don’t ask!), and a 5k foot race.

Greenville, a town of around 1,800, attracts several times that number during the fly-in, so it’s best to plan ahead for accommodations.

HELPFUL SITE

• seaplanefly-in.org/general-info.html