Motorists on County Highway 77 near Madden's on Gull Lake last week noticed a group of 40 amphibian airplanes based out of (and built in) Lakeland, Fla., at the East Gull Lake Airport.
Ninety participants flew in from as far away as Canada, California and North Carolina, along with 14 other states, for the Lake Amphibian Club's first "off-site" annual meeting at Madden's in 40 years.
"Lake amphibian" is the general term for single-engine, amphibious flying boats, which can take off and land on water. The basic design of this "all-terrain vehicle" was created shortly after the end of World War II and is appreciated for its ability to access remote mountain and bush country lakes otherwise inaccessible by motorized vehicle. Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
