Flying From The Water - 2008/07

BEFORE THERE WERE airports in every
town, large expanses of water were some of
the best places to land an airplane. The first
floatplanes were built only a few years after
the Wright brothers had their successes with
flight in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Before
World War II, the largest and most advanced
airliners were seaplanes. Even today, many
full-scale aircraft are fitted with floats to take
advantage of the many harbors, rivers, and
lakes around the world.