Here Is An Example Of When The Term, ‘Build It And They Will Come’ Worked Out Better Than Expected

According to the Seaplane Pilots Association, the Tavares, Seaplane Base in FL celebrated its 10,000th seaplane landing on, December 16th when a Cessna 182 flown by Jimmy Bilton of Umatilla, FL skimmed in for landing at the seaport on the shore of Lake Dora.

When the Tavares Seaplane Base opened just over four years ago in April 2010, the Tavares City Council had hopes that it would provide the impetus to revitalize a failing downtown. It appears to have succeeded beyond all expectations. New restaurants, a boutique hotel, Jones Brothers Seaplane Adventures and the Orange Blossom Cannonball, all opened since 2010, have invested in Tavares.

The seaplane theme Splash Park has had 117,000 visitors and the Prop Shop has had over $200,000 in fuel sales in this same time period. The Tavares Pavilion on the Lake, a venue for conferences, weddings and events, just opened in Oct. 2014, is already booked for most premier dates in 2015, and demand is growing.

On the Seaplane Pilots Association website they say that, “Water flying is absolutely magical and that it transports you to grandeur that will take your breath away…to worlds of adventure and majesty that no other aircraft can duplicate.” It seems like the Tavares, Seaplane Base has tapped into some of that magic.

(Image of the Biltons and their C-182 from the SPA Facebook page)

FMI: www.seaplanes.org