Jennifer Martin's Super Cub taxis up on the Clear Lake Avenue boat ramp for a trip through town. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKEPORT – There are many great ways to see Lake County, and arguably one of the very best is from a seaplane.

Martin expertly guided the bright yellow plane onto the lake, taxing across the surface before leaping from the water and soaring over the lake and along the edges of the city before smoothly gliding back down onto the water. The views of the city, the lake and the mountains were stunning.

Last year, Martin started Delta Seaplanes, giving seaplane tours of the Delta area. She owns two seaplanes: the Super Cub and a green and white Cessna 172, also on amphibious floats. The planes themselves are beautiful, trim and sleek, with shiny paint jobs and throaty engines.

She brought her two seaplanes to Lakeport Thursday, where they skipped and glided around the lake before rolling down Park Street and Main Street. The effort was a practice run for an appearance in August at Taste of Lakeport, which will promote the Seaplane Splash-In – known officially these days as the Western States Seaplane Festival.

The Seaplane Splash-In will take place Sept. 21-23 in Lakeport. It's the 28th year for the event, which organizers like to say is the West's oldest and largest seaplane splash-in event.

Nancy Brier of Solo Flight School, who recently joined the effort as its marketing person, said the group putting on the event has been meeting for several months on a regular basis.

She said this year the event will add a new element – a public festival that will be based in Library Park.

The planes themselves, as in years past, will land and park at Natural High School.

"The pilots have their own series of events," she said, which will include skill building activities and exercises.

The splash-in's new features this year will likely draw even bigger crowds to the event. Brier said the community's support for the event has been incredible.

Certainly, the sight of the planes garnered plenty of attention, with many people following the planes with digital and cell phone cameras as they progressed through the streets.

Part of that festival will include the chance to take a ride in one of Martin's seaplanes. She requests reservations ahead of time; for more information, visit her Web site, www.deltaseaplanes.com.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Cessna 172 travels down First Street Thursday. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

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