Da Plane! Da Plane!

Hang around Long Beach harbor long enough and you’ll see a colorful little seaplane that looks somewhat like a miniature version of a PBY.

It even has “Navy” on the wings, although its paint design is closer to the Coast Guard’s. Owner/pilot Tom White calls it “Da Plane” in some sort of testament to the 80’s TV show “Fantasy Island,” apparently (that’s what the dwarf Tattoo would shout out at the beginning of each show when the seaplane arrived, a Grumman Albatross, possibly).

White’s little bird is technically a Light Sport Aircraft built in 1966 by Progressive Aerodyne even before there were such things as LSAs. It’s a kit built experimental that’s had its share of mishaps leading to a complete rebuild in 2002 and returning to the air in 2005 with new paint, new boom tube, a piece carbon fiber hull and “over 50 enhancements to the original kit form,” he said.

Using auto gas in his 80 hp Rotax engine, White said he spends about $12 an hour to fly it but that it will levitate from either land or sea in under 10 seconds, climb out at max gross weight to 2,000 feet at 500 fpm and cruise comfortably at 80 mph with two 200 pounders inside.

“Piloting DaPlane is pure serious fun,” White said. “The operative word here is serious as its flight characteristics require hands on attention every second the prop is turning.”

The airplane’s wing loading is half that of a C-152.

“It is a classic example of a low mass, high drag aircraft that can give up its kinetic energy and airspeed in the wink of an eye to turbulence or a mis-handled flight control. With its top aft engine mounting, it feels and flies somewhat top heavy and nose light.

“That feeling became less worrisome as the hours in DaPlane increased, but it is always there. Most high time SeaRey’ers advise professional transition training, semi-annual recurrent training, and the practice of not straying far from the middle of the flight envelope.

White sent us the protocol he uses to take off from his home base at Long Beach, fly to the LA river basin, approach the Queen Mary, drop to below 500 feet and mix it up with everything from sailboats to the U.S. Coast Guard. Quite elaborate, actually (we once just flew a C-182 with floats into the harbor and don’t remember talking to anyone, except an irate harbor master who ordered us out).

“When peace officers and civilians alike first learn of this activity, almost all do not believe that Ôit is allowed,’ “ White said. “I’ve been detained on the beach for hours, radioed to call the tower upon shutdown, radioed to call the Coast Guard, had a Harbor Police car block my hangar, and rejected a request from a Coast Guard Duty Officer to inform them of my intentions beforehand every time.

“Surely the encroachment on aviation freedom has been pushed back a little as now the tower will clear me for seaplane operations within the southern boundary of their airspace without me asking and, yesterday, the Coast Guard helo pilot radioed that he was Ôdeviating around your operations area.’

White apparently spends a lot of time practicing his harbor landings because his return flights to Long Beach took two pages to explain in detail. He offered  rides, which he calls “splashies” to anyone (under 200 lbs) who’s interested.

Contact him at daplaneguy@gmail.com.

“Who would guess that an 80 hp aircraft would be so capable, so much fun and enable its retired owner to act out his Walter Mitty fantasies at $12/hour for mogas?” he pondered. Who indeed?