Tri-Pacer on Floats

Senior Editor Pia Bergqvist gets her seaplane ticket in Alaska.

She logged seven hours of training over two days before taking her check ride.

"Getting my seaplane rating was one of the most exhilarating experiences I've had in the dozen or so years I've spent flying around in little airplanes," Pia said.

She completed her training at Alaska Floats & Skis, set in the idyllic touristy village of Talkeetna in the pristine flatlands below Mount McKinley.

There are no aerial maneuvers required for the add-on seaplane rating. But with all the extra drage created by the floats, the airplane behaves quite differently compared with a conventional airplane.