Although the orcas have concluded their marketing arrangement with Southwest Airlines, they've decided to team up with Washington-based Kenmore Air to similar effect.

Built for US Army as L-20A/U-6A 53-7939. In 1989 it was operating on scheduled passenger flights on floats for Lake Union Air from Seattle's downtown seaplane base. Behind is DHC-2 N3LU (c/n 464) and at the rear is Cessna U206D N72222 (c/n 1327) also of Lake Union Air.

Promoting Seattle's King-TV.

Some passengers would be worried, I think, if they found out that their aircraft was 62 years old, and was actually given to a museum 31 years ago! As a U-1A, 55-3296, it served with US Army aviation in Alaska until 1973, then as N90422 'Miss Piggy' for the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) from 1975 until 1987. With 4346 hours on the clock, the Otter was converted to turbine in 1993, and celebrated its 25th anniversary with Kenmore in the summer of 2018.

Floatplane Grand Caravan used on secheduled services between downtown Vancouver and Lake Union in Seattle.

Built in 1979.

Otter turned orca! Incredibly this airframe first flew 64 years earlier in 1954.

This Otter was delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force in the last days of 1960, as 9424. She flew in New Guinea on behalf of the United Nations in 1962 and 1963, fitted with amphibious floats. She was sold in 1982, becoming N3125S, but spent years in open storage in Texas before Kenmore Air picked her up in 1988. She was converted to PT6A turbine power in 1992.

Fortunately, not much changed at delightful Lake Union since my first visit, 16 years earlier. Even a piston Beaver was still around.

Departing on a scheduled flight from the Lake Union terminal Seattle.

A lovely summer day on the shore of Lake Union.

Once operated by the US Army as 54-1684.