Seaplanes Cross the Oceans

Part of the Series: The Amazing World of Aviation

The very first airplanes were purely land-based. It soon became apparent that planes would need to be able to fly over water in order to transport passengers and cargo effectively. On 28th March 1910, Henri Fabre became the first person to successfully pilot a seaplane over water.

Seaplane development went from strength to strength, with Seaplanes becoming the largest aircraft in the world by the end of the First World War. Seaplanes saw the dawn of the aviation industry as they could accommodate large numbers of passengers between continents, and only required a smooth body of water to land. Since the 1920's, advances in float plane technology saw metal hulls introduced, a cantilevered design and single engine. Seaplanes continue to be an extremely popular mode of transportation.