LAKEPORT >> After a brief hiatus, the Splash In returned to Lake County better than ever for April 25 to 27 at California’s oldest and largest freshwater lake as pilots and their families and friends rejoiced in the adventurous world of flight this spring.
The 2025 Clear Lake Splash In is hosted by the Skylark Shores Resort. Seaplanes used the Skylark’s docks and were on display at the resort. The event included a welcome dinner for pilots, seminars and workshops relating to seaplanes and aviation. Amanda Martin, CEO of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce was especially excited as she was invited to tour Clear Lake from the skies with flyer Alberto Rossi in a Cessna 185 seaplane. Rossi is a long-time pilot, who owns Rossi Aircraft Inc. in Palo Alto, and has serviced Piper Cubs and Beechcraft models for 45 years.
Martin said the Splash In is dear to her heart as she has a core memory of stumbling upon her first sighting of a seaplane while boating with her parents as a young child and wondering whether the craft she saw was a flying boat … or a plane? “But now in the role of CEO of the Lake County Chamber, I see this as an economic development initiative for Lake County,” she said. “Clear Lake is one of the best places to fly seaplanes, I’ve learned. Also, Clear Lake is huge, and the altitude is ideal for seaplanes. “So, I’m excited for what the future regarding seaplanes in Clear Lake can look like,” she said. The weather was moderately overcast for the weekend event yet despite that, Martin was upbeat about touring above Clear Lake with Rossi. “It has been a lifelong dream come true,” she said.
Pilot Rob Dehoney flew in from his home base in Healdsburg and anchored his seaplane at one of the Skylark’s docks on Friday afternoon. He arrived in a 1976 Cessna 185, which he has owned for 10 years. He noted manufacturers do not make new models frequently and pilots often fly aircraft 25 to 30 years old. “You have to keep them in very good repair,” he said. He has owned his plane for 10 years and completely refurbished it. “Everything is new: the wiring, modern avionics.”
Avionics refers to multiple systems used in aircraft including navigation, communications, instrument displays and other systems fitted into an aircraft to perform individual functions, including a reversing propeller, which does not fly in reverse but can change to produce reverse thrust to slow the aircraft down, according to aviation.stackexchange.com, a website resource for aviation knowledge and problem solving.
Dehoney noted it took only 15 minutes in the flight from Healdsburg. There were some low clouds and a bit of rain on Friday. “So, we picked a gap in the hills and flew right over Cloverdale,” he said. “As a seaplane pilot you get used to flying in not ideal weather.” They do not fly from airport-to airport and do not have reporting stations they can check but must sort it out on their own in the air.
The Splash In is a really nice way to connect with other pilots Dehoney noted, which he does not regularly see during the year. “Most people who own airplanes are quite busy individuals so when they take time off, they’re with family and friends and going to their favorite places,” he said. “The idea is you have one focal point you can look forward to (and) see some old friends.” The first similar type of event he attended was back in 2009 so it has been a fair amount of time until 2025. “This has been a truly enjoyable experience,” he added.
Shriyanta Wimilasenka is a documentary film maker who arrived from Burbank where he produces work for the Third Law production company. He arrived to make a documentary on the Soper Reese Theater groundbreaking celebration, but also to produce a documentary on Lake County Chamber CEO Martin’s maiden voyage in a seaplane above the skies over Clear Lake, for the Seaplane Pilots Association. The SPA are dedicated to protecting and promoting the water flying community, representing the recreational owner/pilot, commercial operators, their pilots and manufacturers through local and regional events and they help people celebrate the seaplane’s wider world community. Seaplanes are the ultimate off-road vehicle, according to seaplanepilotsassociation.org
“We’ll be doing a couple of passes around the lake, then head over Cobb Mountain and back to Skylark Shores Resort,” he said. Wimalasekera previously filmed from airplanes over Nevada to archive footage for various towns who desired to record their development, but this will be his first experience in a seaplane. Third Law productions hope to screen the film of the Clear Lake flight at the Soper Reece Theater in five to six weeks. “It’s a great venue for everyone to get a new perspective of what’s going on with the Splash In,” he said. “I’m just checking this off one of my bucket list items.”
