With springtime arriving across much of the southern United States, airplanes are quickly finding their way out of the hangar and back into the skies—or, in the case of C3 Air’s amphibious Top Cub, onto the lake.
Whether you’re hoping to avoid the annual flight review by earning a new rating or dreaming of owning a floatplane of your own, a seaplane rating is one of the best ways to add a unique skill set to your pilot certificate.
Through programs like C3 Air, pilots can put both their boating and flying skills to the test in a way that captures the true freedom of flight. We hope you enjoy these images from our photoshoot at Inks Lake in Burnet, Texas.
Photos by Jack Fleetwood
![[Credit: Jack Fleetwood]](https://planeandpilotmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/IMG_6777-1024x768.jpg)
![[Credit: Jack Fleetwood]](https://planeandpilotmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/dji_fly_20250322_090804_482_1742652517296_photo-1024x768.jpg)
![[Credit: Jack Fleetwood]](https://planeandpilotmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/dji_fly_20250322_081930_477_1742652533902_photo-1-1024x683.jpg)
![[Credit: Jack Fleetwood]](https://planeandpilotmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/dji_fly_20250322_081814_465_1742649505881_photo-1024x683.jpg)
![[Credit: Jack Fleetwood]](https://planeandpilotmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/2JF_6977-1024x682.jpg)