Da Plane! Da Plane!

It was like being back in 1945 this afternoon, as a seaplane landed in the waters off Coconut Grove after flying around the bay for a bit to signal its arrival. That's right. A seaplane landed at Dinner Key, just like in our historical past. Fresh in from Key West, the plane landed in the bay and then taxied? floated? cruised to the dock at Shake A Leg Miami. A small group of us saluted the arrival with champagne and cookies. I suggested breaking a bottle over the wing, but they weren't having that.

Coconut Grove was once the gateway from Latin America, when Pan Am World Airways landed behind City Hall, which was the airport at the time. And now, in the works is the reintroduction of commercial seaplane passenger service between Miami and Key West. Perfect for day trips.

The crew and passenger were greeted in Coconut Grove

The flying time between the two cities is about an hour. The flights will depart dockside at Dinner Key, check in times should be about 5 minutes. This is still being worked out with the FAA and other agencies, but hopefully within a month or two, Palm Air will be taking off.

The plane is a 10-passenger de Havilland Otter aircraft operated by Key West Seaplane Adventures, a division of Promech Air. These state-of-the-art planes are well known for providing safe, reliable amphibious air transportation throughout the world including Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

It was quite unreal seeing the plane floating on the water and then standing under the wing dockside. 

"We're looking forward to offering a new level of excitement and convenience to those who fly with us by offering a flying experience that brings together nostalgia, style and lots of fun -- and let's not forget the incredible scenery along the way. Of course our top priority is safety and reliability and we've put the right team together to make it happen, explains Gailen David of Palm Air.

The cost? Not sure yet, they are working on it. Stay tuned.