What is a more appropriate mode of travel to a fluid mechanics conference than a float plane? I think you have to try hard to find one. It’s a combination of hydro- and aerodynamics, so what else to wish for?
In any case, taking this small plane from Victoria’s Inner Harbour to the lake Union in Seattle has been a highlight to my conference trip. One of the coolest things is that there are no assigned seats, so if you are among the first in line for boarding, you can sit in the cockpit next to the pilot (yes, that’s one of the passenger seats!) On some routes, e.g., between Victoria and Vancouver, they even give you a headset, so you can listen to the pilot’s communications with the flight control.
The drawback of the float planes is that they don’t have much in term of navigation aids (i.e. radars), so they are much more weather-dependant than the larger planes. In my case, it was not certain whether the flight would get cancelled because of the cloud cover until 20 minutes before takeoff.
Still, the flight itself and the views from the cockpit are worth the hassle, I think – it sort of feels like an adventure. Besides, it cuts the total travel time a lot, compared to a more conventional mode (if the flight does happen, that is).
