America’s Seaplane City | Tavares, Florida
SOME 107 YEARS AGO… Read More from Tavaresfl.gov
Tavares proudly bears the title of “America’s Seaplane City”—a name deeply rooted in aviation history. The city’s legacy began over a century ago, on February 23, 1914, when the first recorded seaplane flight in the area lifted off from nearby Lake Eustis. At the controls was Tony Janus, who made history not only as the pilot of that flight but also as the world’s first licensed airline pilot. He flew a Benoist airboat, a pioneering aircraft that blurred the line between boat and plane, ushering in a new era of travel.
Just thirty days later, Lake Eustis saw its second recorded seaplane flight. This time, Walter Johnson piloted a Thomas Flying Boat, carrying with him a remarkable passenger: Clara Adams, a 30-year-old widow from Pennsylvania. Her flight may have been brief, but its impact was lasting. Clara would soon become known as “The Maiden of Maiden Voyages”, a nickname earned by her unshakable passion for air travel.
Following her seaplane experience in Tavares, Clara made a bold prediction: that air travel would one day become the dominant form of passenger transportation. Her vision was met with laughter in the press—many still viewed airplanes as toys for daredevils in leather helmets, not a practical option for "society folks." But Clara proved the skeptics wrong.
Over the following decades, Clara Adams broke barriers. She was the first woman to circle the globe by air as a passenger, the only woman aboard the inaugural Pan Am Clipper flight, and the first woman to purchase a ticket for a transatlantic flight on the Graf Zeppelin in 1928. Her love of aviation brought her into the orbit of legendary female flyers, including Amelia Earhart. Altogether, Clara logged over 150,000 miles aboard maiden voyages, becoming a symbol of courage and curiosity in the early days of commercial aviation.
As Tavares City Administrator John Drury reflects, “The flame that kept her passion alive until her death in 1971 was lit in a seaplane ride Clara took off the shores of America’s Seaplane City in 1914—just four years after the seaplane was invented in France.” That flame still burns today in Tavares, where the legacy of adventurous flight lives on over the calm waters of Lake Dora and Lake Eustis.
The History of Seaplanes in Tavares, Florida
Early Aviation in Central Florida
While the earliest days of aviation in Central Florida were dominated by land-based airstrips and military airfields, Tavares’ location amid the Harris Chain of Lakes made it a natural landing zone for floatplanes and amphibious aircraft. However, through most of the 20th century, Tavares’ waterfront was primarily used for boating, fishing, and ferry transport, not aviation.
There were occasional landings by recreational pilots on Lake Dora, but without dedicated infrastructure, it remained an untapped asset.
The Vision for a Seaplane City (Mid-2000s)
In the early 2000s, Tavares city leaders recognized an opportunity. With an underutilized downtown lakefront and a desire to revitalize local tourism, they asked a radical question:
Why not build a city around seaplanes?
Spearheaded by City Administrator John Drury, the plan envisioned Tavares as a destination for recreational pilots, offering direct access from air to water to land. No other small city had such an idea on this scale.
Launch of the Tavares Seaplane Base (2009)
In 2009, after securing public and private funding, Tavares opened the Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina (FA1) on Lake Dora. It included:
A dedicated landing and takeoff area on the lake
A seaplane ramp and multi-use dock
On-site fueling services
Customs-friendly facilities for domestic and occasional international arrivals
Easy access to downtown shops, restaurants, and hotels
This was one of the first and only city-owned, public-use seaplane bases in the continental U.S. integrated with a walkable downtown.
The Rise of “America’s Seaplane City” (2010–2015)
In 2010, Tavares officially adopted the branding of “America’s Seaplane City.” The city began hosting annual fly-ins, aviation-themed festivals, and educational events to celebrate its new identity. Seaplane pilots from across the country began making Tavares a bucket-list stop.
Key moments:
2012: The Seaplane Pilots Association moved its headquarters to Tavares
2013: Over 40 seaplanes participated in that year’s fly-in and expo
2014: Tavares built new transient docks and expanded its public waterfront access
The vision worked. Pilots could land on the lake, taxi up to a dock, fuel up, and walk to lunch—a seamless air-to-ground experience almost unheard of elsewhere.
Modern Seaplane Culture in Tavares (2016–Today)
Today, seaplanes are a daily sight over Lake Dora. Pilots from all over the Southeast visit for:
Scenic tours and flight training
Weekend brunch at the waterfront
Seaplane splash-ins and aviation meetups
