McLaughlins, von Coellns & Extended Family
Seaplanes
Linking Catalina to the Mainland
While the great white steamers were the main transport to and from the
Island, the arrival of seaplanes made the 26 mile journey quite a bit faster.
- It was as early as 1912 when the first amphibious airplane landed in
Avalon Bay.¹
- Syd Chaplin, half-brother to Charlie Chaplin, began the first
seaplane service between Wilmington, CA and Catalina Island with a Curtiss
“Seagull” flying boat in 1919.¹
- In 1935, mail was first delivered by seaplane (see picture commemorating the event below)
- In 1938, first official mail pick up from Avalon (see commemorative postal mark below)
- There are two different types of seaplanes –
- Flying boats are planes that can only land on and take off from
water; they have no wheels.¹
- Amphibians are equipped with wheels and can operate on both water
and dry ground. Amphibians can even land on water and then taxi up a ramp onto
dry ground; when departing they taxi back down the ramp and into the water for
take-off.¹; Dolphin Amphibians were designed by Donald Douglas and served
from 1932-1942
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First Mail Delivery by Seaplane
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Postmarked Letters Commemorating the First
Airmail Pickup from Avalon |
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Sources
- eCatalina virtual museum
on seaplanes;only photo of "Catalina by Air" from the virtual museum; all
other items from E.R. Pollok