From the unspoiled, remote Alaskan wilderness to the vast waterways, lush wetlands, and picturesque coastal areas of South Florida, seaplane pilot David Stawinski has soaked in hundreds of miles of nature’s splendor from his favorite vantage point.
The Michigan native’s current flying gig, however, has left him especially awestruck.
After returning to his home state last year, Stawinski began piloting Isle Royale Seaplanes’ flights to one of the least-visited national parks (Isle Royale) in the Lower 48 states as well as aerial fall color tours of the Keweenaw Peninsula, which have become wildly popular since their inception in 2022.
“Once I started flying the fall color tours, I was immediately struck by what a unique way the flights offer to take in the amazing colors of the area,” Stawinski says. “I can’t encourage people enough to experience one of these flights, because you see colors from such a different, broader perspective than leaf-peeping on a drive or hike.”
The experience has been as thrilling for Stawinski as it is for the passengers he takes up in the company’s signature de Havilland Beaver float plane.
“Personally, it’s been awesome becoming more familiar with the area’s natural beauty and other landmarks during fall,” says Stawinski, who grew up in the Macomb County suburb of Fraser. “I had never really seen anything like it as a pilot before, and I’m grateful my connections in the seaplane industry brought me back to Michigan for this opportunity.”
Flights depart from Torch Lake at the company’s new headquarters in Hubbell, which opened last year. The 6-acre site includes hangar and office space, docks, a boat ramp, staff housing, expanded customer parking, and a covered outdoor customer waiting area.
Passengers are given a safety briefing and emergency situation instructions, and fitted for life jackets prior to boarding.
As the plane’s pontoons skim the water before taking flight, the 30-minute tour commences with views of Torch Lake and Lake Linden before quickly giving way to sightings of the Lake Superior shoreline and Gratiot Lake, among other eye-catching natural features in the sea of yellow, red, orange, and evergreen below.
Then, flights head toward Eagle Harbor for breathtaking glimpses of Brockway Mountain, the Mount Bohemia ski resort, Copper Harbor, and other noteworthy bodies of water such as Lac La Belle, Lake Bailey, Lake Medora, and the Medora River. The outline of Isle Royale and even the Porcupine Mountains are visible on some days.
Upon reaching Eagle Harbor in the Upper Peninsula, the flightpath turns south over the Eagle River, and passengers can see the towering rocky formations along Cliff Drive near Mohawk, the Sand Hills Lighthouse, and the former Calumet Air Force Station, and take in views of the Portage Canal before heading back across the middle of the Keweenaw Peninsula past Dollar Bay, then returning to Torch Lake.
“I quickly learned how much people love these flights; it’s very obvious soon after we take off,” Stawinski says. “My first year was a good mix of first timers and people who come back nearly every year. There was also a nice mix of locals and visitors to the area, so I heard a variety of feedback and impressions of the trip.”
While Stawinski and fellow pilots follow roughly the same route on every tour, the views they experience are constantly changing, as colors reach their peak and different weather patterns roll in and out of the area. Fog patterns above Lake Superior’s waters are sometimes seen, too.
“No two days are exactly the same, and that’s why we even see some people more than once in a single season,” Stawinski notes. “They really enjoy seeing how things have changed since their previous flight. It’s also been fun for me to have people really familiar with the area pointing out things that I might not be familiar with, and I’ve learned a lot from interacting with passengers before and after flights.”
Stawinski explains that Isle Royale Seaplanes’ early 1950s-style de Havilland Beaver is ideal for aerial tours of this kind, and flying aboard one is actually a rare experience for people living in the Midwest.
He became well-acquainted with the plane and similar aircraft while working as a line pilot for Juneau-based Alaska Seaplanes from 2019 through early 2024, transporting passengers and all manner of goods to remote towns not accessible by road.
In addition to the pilot, each plane accommodates up to six passengers. One gets to occupy the seat next to the pilot.
“It’s a classic bush plane and there aren’t many flying in the Lower 48, so it’s great our company is still utilizing this unique aircraft,” says Stawinski, who earned an aviation degree and flight instructor certification from Western Michigan University.
“They’re slow-flying planes, which allows passengers to take everything in, and the big windows are great for visibility. Just taking off from and landing on water is a different aspect not many first-time tour-takers have experienced.”
Stawinski heads south during the winter months and pilots charter flights to and from Marco Island, Fla., aboard a Cessna 206 Amphibious float plane for another division of the company.
Isle Royale Seaplanes’ color flights began after pilots started receiving a significant number of inquiries from both area residents and passengers taking the company’s flights to Isle Royale about the possibility of instituting tours after Isle Royale service concluded for the season.
Pilots relayed the suggestion to company owner Jon Rector, who was receptive and started working out the logistics of expanding his services. Once launched, the flights opened to rave reviews and nearly 150 spots quickly sold out after they first were announced in late summer of 2022.
Count Visit Keweenaw public relations/events coordinator Jesse Wiederhold among those who are thankful the company began offering a new way to experience autumn in the region.
“For me, flying with Isle Royale Seaplanes was an unforgettable adventure, offering a rare, bird’s-eye perspective of the Keweenaw’s rugged shoreline and spine, inland forests, and the vast blue of Lake Superior,” he recalls. “It’s the perfect way to watch fall color creep across the forests below. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and the experience of seeing it all from the sky is pure magic.”
This year’s Isle Royale Seaplanes fall color flights are scheduled for Sept. 24-Oct. 14 (there will be no flights Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 6-7). The cost is $120 per person, based on a two-person minimum, and reservations are required.
If you can’t make it this year, book early for next fall! 
