Ten seaplanes splash down onto Greenwood Lake

GREENWOOD LAKE — The Village of Greenwood Lake hosted its sixth annual Seaplane Fly-In this past weekend into the waters just offshore Thomas P. Morahan Waterfront Park.
The first plane, a tiny experimental two-place red and white “Challenger” home-built amphibian weighing less than 500 pounds, arrived at 3 on Friday afternoon, according to information provided by coordinator Jim Moore.
It was flown in from East Moriches on Long Island by Scott Redfield, a retired airline pilot. The flight took almost 1.5 hours at 70 miles per hour.
“It was a delightful flight to Greenwood Lake,” Redfield said.
Saturday morning dawned with dark and threatening clouds and intense wind. The Greenwood Lake Boy Scout Troop 121 that always camps out at the park from Friday through Sunday for this event were busy preparing breakfast, lashing together two signal towers and hoping the weather would improve in anticipation of the arrival of more seaplanes would arrive.
They were not to be disappointed. Moore’ said his hand-held radio began to buzz with communications from airplanes descending on Greenwood Lake. Spectators from as far away as Albany, Hartford and Harrisburg were waiting for the planes arrival.
Nine more seaplanes and flying boats arrived from as far away as Maine, New Hampshire, southern New Jersey and western Pennsylvania.
High winds, however, prevented the pilots from giving rides and the Rockland County Radio Controlled Model Airplane Club from giving their annual demonstration of their model airplanes.
Children were permitted to sit in the planes, pilots, passengers and spectators were treated to lunch provided by the scouts and everyone was treated to yet another free event sponsored by the Village of Greenwood Lake.
Most of the planes departed in the early afternoon due to the high winds and threat of thunderstorms that eventually arrived and drenched the Boy Scouts and their leaders.
Redfield, however, remained to stay “another happy evening in beautiful Greenwood Lake at the lovely Waterstone Inn.”
In his press release, Moore thanked Boy Scout Troop 121; the Town of Warwick; the FAA; the Seaplane Pilots Association; David MacMillan, manager of the Warwick Airport; Brendan Kolasar of the Buildings and Grounds Department of Greenwood Lake; the Coast Guard; and all of the spectators whose joy and compliments were most appreciated.