Seattle - San Juan Islands flights from $179 pp/ow!
Seattle - Refuge Cove flights from $399 pp/ow!
At the end of the day, whether Steve Bjorling has flown to the northern tip of Vancouver Island or the quaint dock at Roche Harbor, he’s put a smile on someone’s face. That’s what keeps this former police officer passionate about flying year-after-year.
“I love to fly, but after 19 years, putting a smile on someone’s face is what keeps this job enjoyable,” Steve told me as he flew de Havilland Beaver N72355 to Seattle’s Lake Union.
She’s a woman, but when Michelle Cowan climbs into a seaplane, she is a pilot first. As Kenmore Air’s first, full-time female pilot certified to fly the entire fleet, she gets some curious looks from passengers. But she simply smiles and says, “The stripes don’t mean flight attendant.”
Outside of the cockpit, Michelle loves to teach. In October of last year, she combined her two passions by accepting the role as not only a Captain, but Kenmore Air’s Chief Flight Instructor.
It’s said, one of the secrets to happiness is making your vocation your avocation. For Ken VanWinkle, Director of Operations and Pilot at Kenmore Air Express, this couldn’t be truer. Flying is more than Ken’s job – it’s his passion.
Ken spends the majority of his free time formation flying with the Northwest Beech Boys. This group of highly talented pilots fly Beechcraft Bonanzas in tight formation. Often the wings of these six-seater aircraft are just a few feet apart!
“It’s very precise. We discuss the flight in advance and then typically only communicate with hand signals while in the air,” Ken explained.
It’s that precision which Ken loves, whether he’s flying his Bonanza or a Kenmore Air Cessna Caravan. “Landing and knowing you did your job right. That you did it well – especially when there are people aboard – is incredibly satisfying,” Ken told me as we sat in his office at Boeing Field.
It takes a lot of experience to be that precise. And experience he has.
Just beyond the window of his office, we could see a retired Boeing 727. It was parked for maintenance in anticipation of its final flight – a trip to the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City, Mo.
“The first position I took [with American Airlines] was the Flight Engineer position on the 727. I actually have that airplane in my logbook,” Ken said as he pointed outside.
After retiring briefly as a commercial pilot, Ken joined the Kenmore Air family in 2013. And he loves it. Whether he’s flying to the San Juans or taking a group on our Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens Volcano Tour, he always has a smile on his face.
Kenmore Air Express pilots regularly spend layovers on Orcas Island and San Juan Island. Over the years, the crew has developed some go-to spots to grab a bite. These are Ken’s recommendations.
Island Skillet (Eastsound, Orcas) – “I’ve had the entire menu and everything is good.”
Haley’s Sports Bar & Grill (Friday Harbor, San Juan Island) – “They have good food and great service. They’re just incredibly friendly.”
Some fathers teach their daughters to ride a bike. Others teach their girls to fish. Clarence Kappes taught his daughter to sew. And he still is teaching.
In the Kenmore Air upholstery shop, the father-daughter duo work side by side. Surrounded by rolls of leather and a chandelier of metal seat frames, Clarence teaches Elizabeth (Kappes) Beedle the art of upholstery.
It is a craft in the truest sense. The interior of each de Havilland Beaver and Otter is handmade. Unlike modern planes that come off a machine-operated assembly line, these birds haven’t been manufactured since the 1960s and 70s. Each seat frame and instrument panel is unique.
Creating the upholstery from scratch is no small feat, but Elizabeth has embraced the challenge.
“I ask a lot of questions. Often I ask the same one multiple times, just to make sure I get things right,” she explained.
Lucky for her, she happens to have a very experienced teacher. Clarence began dabbling in aircraft upholstery in 1998. Originally from Minnesota, he was working as a carpenter at the time and was commissioned to build cabinets for an airplane.
In need of his expertise, Kenmore Air recruited him in November of 2007. “I’ve been here ever since,” he said. The entire Kappes family, including Elizabeth, soon followed.
Prior to the move, Clarence had begun teaching Elizabeth about upholstery. Their first project was refinishing furniture. That was in 2006. Since then, she’s spent her summers helping in the upholstery shop.
And with 10 years of experience under her belt, she has now joined the Kenmore Air crew full time. “I love getting to work with my hands. It can be incredibly challenging and physical work, but seeing the finished product is so fulfilling,” Elizabeth said.
She also loves that working together means more time with her father. “We’ve always had a good relationship,” Elizabeth told me one afternoon as she worked on the seat for a de Havilland Beaver. “Being in the upholstery shop and learning from him lets us spend more time with each other.”
Outside of work, both Clarence and Elizabeth are avid cyclists and canoeing aficionados. “Dad, my husband, and I like to ride together. We’ve even done the STP before,” Elizabeth said.
Over the years, Clarence has accumulated eight canoes. “He has enough room for the entire family, including my sister and her daughter, to be out on the water. It’s really fun,” said Elizabeth as she double-checked the stitching on a new seatback.
Next time you fly with Kenmore, pause for a second. Run your hand over the seat. You might be admiring the craftsmanship of Clarence and his daughter Elizabeth.
Here at Kenmore Air, we know family comes in many forms, not the least of which is four, furry legs. And so it was with heavy hearts we said goodbye to one of our own last week.
Since he was just a wee pup, Blue helped Cindy on the dock. He greeted passengers. And, he stood watch over our fleet.
A 10-year-old Blue Heeler, he was a friend to us all.
Blue, you will be missed.
If you have an image of Blue you would like to share, please share it on the Kenmore Air Facebook page with #BlueAtKenmore.
At the Kenmore Air Express Maintenance Hangar, you don’t have to look hard to notice one of the mechanics is not like the others. She is a she – a talented young, female mechanic.
Twenty-six-year-old Jenn McBeth has a dazzling smile, witty personality, and a passion for learning. She’s also not afraid of a little grease and a lot of hard work. Which is good. Because with women making up just 1.7% of the nation’s aircraft mechanics, she needs to be tough as nails to get ahead.
Born and raised in California, Jenn came to Seattle in 2015. She made the 20-plus hour drive specifically for Kenmore Air. “I packed up everything I own in my Honda Accord and drove north,” she told me over coffee.
To get her foot in the door, she joined the Kenmore Air family as a part-time mechanic and part-time admin. Today, she is a vital member of the maintenance staff – a young mechanic hungry for experience.
Jenn’s passion for airplanes didn’t begin with the wrench. It began with the yoke.
As a high school student, she was accepted into the Tuskegee Airmen’s Youth Program. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft for the United States Military. Following the war, the surviving members started youth and scholarship programs to support minority and disadvantage youth.
It was this program that first exposed Jenn to the world of aviation. And it was this program that eventually led her to earn her private pilot’s license.
Jenn explained:
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first people to expose me to the world of aviation and believe in me. In their minds, I could do anything I wanted with the right exposure. And they gave me that. Part of the program was learning to fly. I was literally flying a plane before I had my driver’s permit.
While completing her Community Studies degree at UC Santa Cruz, Jenn took a six-month hiatus. But it wasn’t to backpack around Europe sampling wine. Rather, she worked for Samaritan Aviation – an air ambulance organization that operates in Papua New Guinea.
The non-profit flew seaplanes equipped with amphibious floats into some of the region’s most impoverished areas. The crew provided emergency evacuation flights, delivered medicine, and developed community health programs.
They also maintained their fleet.
Her intention wasn’t to become a mechanic. In fact, she’d never even considered it before that trip. But when one of the planes needed its float repaired, Jenn asked if she could help. And her boss, Mark Palm, said yes. She recalled the moment:
My boss didn’t need to let me help. Most guys wouldn’t. But he did. And that experience changed everything for me. I always knew flying was amazing, but I suddenly discovered that working on the planes could be just as awesome.
And as it turns out, Jenn was actually connected to Kenmore without even knowing it. In the past, our maintenance department worked with Samaritan Aviation on occasion. “It was a serendipitous connection!” Jenn said.
Diving into a man’s world wasn’t always easy. Jenn faced her fair share of barriers along the way. “The amazing thing is, when I busted through barriers, it was because an ally opened a door and helped me through it,” Jenn said.
Among those allies, Jenn included: the Tuskegee Airmen, her boss in Papua New Guinea, The Ninety-Nines (an international organization of licensed women pilots), and, now, the folks here at Kenmore Air.
While earning her A&P certificate in California, she found the world of aviation mechanics sparse in the ‘ally’ department. So coming to Kenmore was, “huge for me,” Jenn said.
Outside of stocking her toolbox and learning the finer points of fixing and maintaining old aircraft, Jenn’s passionate about reading. She likes music, plays the guitar, and dabbles on the ukulele. She writes, loves exploring the outdoors, and one day hopes to also earn her commercial pilot’s license.
She’s one impressive young lady. We’re lucky to have her onboard.
Today of all days, we want to recognize those brave men and women who have put, and are putting, their lives on the line in defense of our freedom. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Your sacrifice and dedication means the world. Veterans Day may only come once a year, but we’re grateful all year long.
Among our own Kenmore Air family, we’ve been honored to have several veterans join the team throughout the years. One such individual is Kenmore Air Chairman Gregg Munro.
Served: Served ’68-’70, Vietnam ’69-’70 with 101st Airborne Division
Rank: Sergeant E-5
Gregg was, quite literally, born into the Kenmore Air family. He grew up on the banks of Lake Washington, surrounded by marshy grassland, mechanics, and seaplanes.
During his junior high school summers, he mowed the grass parking lot where the planes were parked. And in high school he began working the line, servicing planes before takeoff and after arrival.
But, it wasn’t until he was honorably discharged that be began flying. Returning to his roots, he entered into the family business. Today, he still enjoys flying. You’ll typically find Gregg behind the yoke (the plane’s steering column) during the summer months when the flight crew is particularly busy.
Gregg’s had several memorable flights throughout the years. Some to amazing destinations. Others included extraordinary passengers. Among his favorite trip was a flight to pick up John Wayne’s daughter and son-in-law in Canada.
There had been fog in the days leading up to the flight. So the day prior, when there was a break in the weather, Gregg flew up to make sure he’d be there on time. The Duke came over to the plane and asked, “Need a place to stay?”
Gregg ended up spending the night on the boat and having breakfast with the Duke and his family.
African Children’s Choir is an amazing non-profit that forms choirs with 7- to 10-year-old children from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Many of the members have lost one or both parents due to the devastation of war, famine, and disease. The choir primarily tours throughout Europe and the United States helping to raise awareness and funds for children in need.
It was during one such tour that Gregg met Joseph – a member of Choir 25. Gregg attended one of Joseph’s Seattle performances. During the performance the children were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. Joseph said he wanted to be a pilot.
After the performance, Gregg invited Joseph and the rest of his choir friends to Kenmore for a seaplane ride. Joseph rode co-pilot.
The two talked throughout the flight. When Gregg mentioned he’d like to visit Uganda someday, Joseph immediately asked him to visit his home.
Six months after the choir returned home, that’s exactly what Gregg did. Traveling to Uganda with Restore International, another amazing non-profit, Gregg visited Joseph and witnessed first hand the immense need for schools in the region.
Since then, Gregg supported the opening of Restore Leadership Academy in 2007. That first year, there were just 15 students. Less then 10 years later, the student body has grown to nearly 500.
Gregg continues to visit the school twice a year since, to check on the growing student body and Joseph’s progress. Joseph is currently in his first year at University and studying Film and TV Production!
It is little wonder Tristan Blair joined the Kenmore Air family. His dad, Chris, has been flying with Kenmore Air since before he was born. A love for planes was practically imprinted on Tristan’s DNA.
“I started working the line here, just like Tristan,” explained Chris, Tristan’s dad and Kenmore Air pilot. That was back in 1991, when Kenmore Air was still primarily flying de Havilland Beavers and Bob Munro was still running the show.
Working his way from dockhand to full-time pilot, Chris considered moving on to a bigger airline. Ultimately the joy of flying smaller seaplanes and the family-friendly schedule convinced him to stay. “When you fly for one of the big guys, you’re gone for days at a time. Here, I was able to go home to my family every night. That was really important to me,” Chris said, as the three of us stood on the dock post-flight.
The time at home was clearly well spent. Tristan is the spitting image of Chris – kind, quick to laugh, and incredibly hardworking.
“Dad would take us along when he had an empty seat. I always knew I wanted to work with planes in some way. I’m just not sure yet if I want to pursue flying them or working on them,” Tristan said.
Recently promoted to Line Crew Supervisor, Tristan’s taking some time to figure out his next move and testing his hand at fixing engines. The father-son pair can often be found working on Tristan’s classic Ford Pickup.
“That’s the nice thing about the old cars, you can practically fix anything. It’s like that with the planes here. I love seeing how things tick,” said Tristan.
Chris’ other four children (Caitlin, Cameron, Kieran, and Addison) still live locally. There aren’t empty seats often, but to this day, Chris’ kids love to ride along with dad.
A need for uninhibited travel plans propelled Chuck Perry to earn his pilot’s licenses. Little did he know, his weekend hobby would lead to a second career.
In the 80s and 90s, Chuck lived and worked in Ketchikan. Today, the town is a popular stop for many cruise lines. Back then it was a small and infrequently visited fishing village. Chuck was a member of local law enforcement.
“Everyone knew everyone. So I learned to fly and bought a plane. It let me get off the rock whenever I wanted,” Chuck explained over the roar of a de Havilland Otter.
Flying north of the border on a recent Evening Magazine trip to the West Coast Wilderness Lodge, Chuck was thrilled to be behind the yoke. (A yoke is a control column used to pilot some fixed-wing aircraft, like the members of our fleet.)
While he originally joined the staff in 2002 as a pilot, he was named Chief Pilot in 2012.
“These days I don’t get to fly as much as I’d like. I spend a lot of my time in the office. That’s the nature of my job. There’s just a lot of work that has to get done,” he said.
But a lack of flight time hadn’t diminished his skills one bit. When a fog bank kept our party from a border check at Nanaimo, he expertly diverted us to Bedwell Harbour. With a constant focus on the plane and the skies, Chuck was in his element. “My goal is always to get from point A to point B as quickly and safely as possible,” he told our party after we docked.
What about the views? That’s just an amazing perk. “The days I get to fly are my favorite. How many people have an office that floats on the water and flies through the air?” Chuck said.
There also aren’t many folks who start each morning off with a four shot Americano.
“I roast my own beans. It makes all the difference,” Chuck said. (You’ll often find him sipping said Americano from a rather well-loved tumbler. According to Chuck, the sturdy beast of a cup has survived many a fall and a few splashes.)
As the busy season picks up, Chuck will be less in the office and more in the sky. He might even be piloting your next flight.
As Kenmore Air’s first, full-time female pilot certified to fly the entire fleet, Michelle Cowan gets some curious looks from passengers. But she simply smiles and says, “The stripes don’t mean flight attendant.”
You have a good chance of seeing Sarah at any one of Kenmore Air’s three Seattle terminals. As the Operations Manager, she oversees all aspects of each location. And every location benefits from her guidance and leadership.
A relatively new addition to the Kenmore Air family, Ben Cardin’s presence is felt throughout Kenmore’s Lake Union terminal. As the Station Manager, he leads by example with his upbeat spirit and commitment to incredible customer service.
It wasn’t the first seaplane Kenmore Air ever purchased. It wasn’t even the first de Havilland Beaver. But Six-Six-Zulu is definitely the best-loved member of Kenmore’s fleet.
A fixed wing single-engine beauty, she came off the line in 1953. Her early years were spent with the United States Air Force. She flew with six different units including the 6600th Air Department AMO (Air Material Overseas Unit). This was an especially appropriate beginning for a plane that would one day haul Navy torpedoes and land on remote glaciers.
Torpedo Hauling
Purchased in 1967, Six-Six-Zulu arrived at Kenmore on wheels. In those days, this was common. Most Beavers were coming from Military and Air Force bases.
Stripping Six-Six-Zulu of her hardtop landing equipment, Kenmore installed floats and a little something special she’d need for her first assignment. Joining Kenmore’s original Beaver, Six-Four-Zulu, she began transporting Navy test torpedoes.
In the ’60s, the Navy was testing torpedoes at a firing range in Canada. Once fired, the torpedoes needed to be collected and transported to the Keyport Navy Base for analysis. Prior to Kenmore’s help, the torpedoes’ trek was typically a two-day affair – including nearly three hundred miles of road, two ferry rides, and a border crossing.
The Beaver’s task was seemingly simple. Retrieve and deliver quickly. The practicality of carrying the heavy and awkward torpedoes was a different story.
Bob Munro, one of Kenmore’s founders, saw a solution. He’d mounted dozens of rowboats and canoes aboard the float struts of various seaplanes. He didn’t see any reason not to do the same with torpedoes.
In order to carry the torpedoes, she was equipped with a pair of racks designed by Munro; Bill Peters, Kenmore’s fabrication genius; and Navy personnel. A special crane designed to fit around the edge of the Beavers’ wings was used to heave the heavy and awkward shells. But the payoff was worth it. The Beavers cut the two-day transport to a couple of hours.
The Bond Between a Plane & Her Pilot
Six-Six-Zulu was much more than a test weapon transport. She formed a special bond with Munro. While she’d take a spin with other pilots from time to time, her almost exclusive relationship with Munro was well known among the Kenmore staff. If Munro was scheduled for a Beaver flight, he and Six-Six-Zulu would be spending the day together.
As C. Marin Faure writes in Success on the Step:
[Munro] knew every one of [Six-Six-Zulu’s] quirks and how it would handle in virtually any situation. The engine and flight instruments in the panel simply confirmed what he felt through the seat, saw out the windshield, and heard in the rush of air past the fuselage and in the thunder of the engine (341).
It was a relationship that served them both well.
Glacier Landings
Just a year after flexing her carrying capabilities, Munro asked Six-Six-Zulu to test her durability and dexterity.
Research scientist Mark Meier was studying South Cascade, a small glacier just 75-miles northeast of Seattle. At the time, South Cascade was just two miles long and half a mile wide. Compared to the other cliff-hanging monstrosities nearby, it was a pussycat. Its mild slopes provided a relatively easy to traverse terrain. It was getting there that posed some problems.
The small glacier was surrounded by rows of razorback ridges. The eastern wall of its narrow, north-south valley was dominated by Mt. LeConte and Sentinel Peak. South of the glacier, a pyramid of rock towers, known as The Lizard, topped out at 7,339 feet. At the glacier’s foot, a lake bent around the base of a ridge, escaping down a tiny stream.
The hike in was treacherous, especially for scientists lugging heavy and awkward cases of delicate instruments. Supporting the project by air was a logical choice. It was logical, except for the fact that the carrying capabilities of a helicopter were limited and arriving by seaplane was considered downright crazy.
Meier called every seaplane owner in Seattle to see if they’d make the trip. By the time he called Kenmore, he was used to hearing, “No.”
It took a lot of careful planning and an immense amount of skill, but Munro and Six-Six-Zulu made it to the glacier. During the first flights, they landed on the lake at the base of the glacier. But when the lake froze over, Munro was not deterred.
“I’ll come in over the lake and then head right up the glacier. I’ll touch down where the surface is pretty level,” Munro reasoned.
And that’s just what he did. Munro flew Six-Six-Zulu onto the snow-covered ice, delivering vital supplies and picking up the collected samples.
The Kenmore Restoration
At 60-plus, many a working stiff would at least be talking about retirement. Six-Six-Zulu is still an active member of Kenmore’s fleet. And, she will be for years to come. That’s the beauty of de Havilland Beavers and the Kenmore restoration program.
While the last Beaver came off the line in 1967, like-new Beavers are coming out of the Kenmore Air maintenance shop on a regular basis.
Kenmore’s world-renowned maintenance crew has earned an impeccable reputation among aviation enthusiasts. Their overhauled Beavers are often referred to as “Kenmore Beavers.”
The nickname is duly earned. The hundreds of modifications developed by Kenmore over the years have not only improved performance and customer satisfaction, but helped equip the planes to handle changing technologies.
Six-Six-Zulu alone has undergone 55 separate modifications. More than once she’s gone into the machine shop for a complete overhaul and restored. Tearing a plane like Six-Six-Zulu apart and putting her back together like new is no small undertaking.
During her 1999 restoration, nearly 7,700 new parts were installed. The process took almost 1,963 hours. If it had been a one-man job, it would have taken a mechanic practically a full year to complete.
She is old to be sure. But she’s in great shape and Kenmore’s going to make sure she stays that way.
Facts & Figures
Tail Number: N9766Z
Manufacture’s Serial Number: 504
L-20 Serial Number: 1283
U.S. Military Registration Number: 52-6121
Gross Weight: 5,600 pounds
(Fully fueled + max carrying capacity)
Useful Load: 2,016.7 pounds
(Available weight for fuel, passengers & baggage)
Tank: 828 Pounds
