Seaplanes To Start Landing In Presque Isle Bay Soon

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ERIE, PA (ENN) – After establishing a seaplane base in the area, seaplanes will be allowed to land in Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie starting Sunday.

The base will serve as Erie’s first new aviation facility in over 20 years.

“It’ll be in the Bay and also [on] the lake [side],” said Greg Hayes, CEO of North Coast Flight School, and a supporter of the seaplane base being established.

Hayes says the seaplanes will land at the new Presque Isle seaplane base and other lakes in the area following the Aviation Legends: American History Expo this weekend.

“When we leave here on Sunday, any of the planes that are still around are going to actually land in Conneaut [Lake], Edinboro [Lake], and at the seaplane base up in Erie. So it’s open for operation, ready to go. We’re just getting a few of the particulars ironed out.”

The seaplane base comes after years of collaboration between the FAA Obstruction Evaluation/Airport Airspace Analysis office in Washington, D.C., the FAA Pittsburgh Flight Safety District Office, the Buffalo Air Traffic Control Center, Erie International Airport Tower personnel, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation, the US Coast Guard 9th District HQs in Cleveland, US Coast Guard Buffalo Sector and Station Erie, the Area Marine Security Commission, the US Army Corp of Engineers Pittsburgh and Buffalo offices, the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority, Presque Isle State Park and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

According to those working closely with the project, negotiations with property owners are nearing the final stages, and they hope to have full permission to land as soon as Sunday, but a definitive date has not been set.