We look forward to welcoming you the Western Seaplane Pilots Association's annual splash-in at Tanglefoot Seaplane Base on Priest Lake!
Registration is coming soon!
Members-only. Not a WSPA member? Join today!
June 26th-28th
Priest Lake Idaho
Please join us for the Western Seaplane Pilots Association’s annual three‑day splash‑in at Tanglefoot Seaplane Base on beautiful Priest Lake! Nestled in Cavanaugh Bay, Tanglefoot (D28),home to Loel and Olson Fenwick, is one of the most unique and welcoming seaplane destinations in the Northwest. The seaplane base offers docks, beach access, and ramp space for both straight floats and amphibious aircraft, with Kevin Franklin’s pickup float truck available to assist straight‑float pilots. For those arriving on wheels, the Cavanaugh Bay Airstrip (66S) is just next door.
Accommodations at seaplane base include camping, The Royal Flush portable luxury bathrooms and outdoor forest showers for guests, a truly unique North Idaho experience!
New this year
After years of incredible volunteer‑powered meals, we are excited to announce that the entire weekend will now be fully catered. This change is an intentional step toward making the event sustainable for years to come, reducing the burden on volunteers, and ensuring consistent, high‑quality meals for all attendees.
We want to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has cooked, prepped, cleaned, and kept our meals running smoothly in past years. Your efforts built the foundation that made this upgrade possible.
This year’s splash‑in will be a WSPA members‑only event. Our community has grown tremendously, and moving to a members-only model helps us maintain the safe, and well‑supported atmosphere that makes this weekend so special. If you’ve been thinking about joining WSPA, now is the perfect time we’d love to welcome you into the fold.
Cost
The cost to attend is $250 per person members-only. Your fee covers 1) camping for the entire weekend, 2) seven (7) fully catered meals, 3) all beverages, 4) this year’s event t‑shirt, and returning by popular demand, the music of James Fenwick. Of course, your registration also includes three days of great company with some of the best pilots around, the kind of stories, laughs, and dock‑side hangouts you simply can’t put a price on.
We’ve seen record attendance in recent years and expect another enthusiastic turnout. To keep the event safe and enjoyable for everyone, we will be capping attendance. More details will be shared as registrations begin rolling in.
Cancellations
If you are unable to attend after registering, cancellations received before 8:00 pm on Thursday, June 12 will be refunded, minus a $25 cancellation fee. If you find you are unable to attend after this date has passed, you are welcome to send a substitute in your place; however, we will be committed to the caterer and unable to offer refunds. If you have any questions regarding this policy or to identify a substitute, please contact us.
We've enjoyed a great response to this event over the years, with last year our biggest turnout to date. We’ve already had numerous inquiries about this year's event, so please register as soon as possible.
Sponsors
We are deeply grateful to all of our sponsors whose generosity makes this event possible. Their support strengthens our seaplane community, helps us create meaningful opportunities for pilots and families, and ensures gatherings like this continue to grow year after year. Please join us in thanking the organizations and individuals who invest in WSPA’s mission and help keep our shared passion for seaplane flying thriving.
Aerocet
Cirrus
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Hangar Gurus
The Neiders Company
Event Details
This event brings seaplane pilots from all over the United States! Arrivals begin at noon on Friday and departures wrap up around noon on Sunday. Throughout the weekend, we will have a dedicated air and water boss to coordinate arrivals/departures and ensure a safe and incident-free ramping/docking/beaching experience.
Agenda
Friday, June 26
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Noon-to-sunset arrival
5:00 PM: Happy Hour
6:30 PM: Dinner
7:00 PM: General announcements: Recap of Weekend Agenda
Saturday, June 27
7:30 AM: Breakfast
8:30 AM: Safety Seminar
9:15 AM: Mandatory Pilot Safety Briefing
11:00 AM: Fly-out
12:00 PM: Lunch
4:00 PM: Social hour
5:00 PM: Fenwick Welcome to Tanglefoot
5:30 PM: Dinner
7:00 PM: Keynote Presentation
Sunday, June 28
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Breakfast & departure at your convenience.
Food
All meals throughout the weekend will be fully catered, giving everyone more time to relax and enjoy the lake. On Friday, we’ll start things off with a catered lunch at the hangar, followed by a catered dinner at the Fenwick house, the perfect setting to settle in and reconnect as arrivals continue throughout the afternoon. Saturday will feature breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the hangar, keeping everyone close to the action and making it easy to flow between meals, presentations , and the splash‑out. We’ll wrap up the weekend on Sunday morning with a catered breakfast before departures begin. To help our caterers operate smoothly and ensure meals stay hot, fresh, and on schedule, all meal times will have firm start and end times, so please plan to arrive during the posted windows.
Special Guests and Speakers
Saturday morning will feature a safety seminar, and a safety briefing regarding our splash-out to Mosquito Bay for lunch. Historically, we have had speakers with a wide breadth of experience, including representatives from the FAA Safety Team and Spokane FSDO, the Bonner County Water Sheriff's Department, and leaders in Aviation training, search, and rescue.
Keynote Speaker
The remarkable DC-3 on floats that has long called Greenville, Maine home has been the subject of widespread interest and mystique within the water flying community. Many seaplane pilots were able to witness the largest twin-pontoon floatplane in action, knew someone who saw it, or seen a picture over the years. However few have known how it came to be. Now, at this years Tanglefoot Seaplane Splash-in June 28th on Priest Lake, for the first time attendees can learn the fascination and untold history of C-47/DC-3 Aircraft on Amphibious Floats from keynote speaker Jakob McKenney: the voice of Moosehead Lakes’ coveted International Seaplane Fly-in. Expect to hear insights on the little known project undertaken by the Army Air Corps to convert Douglas C-47’s on EDO amphibious Floats for resupply operations during the War in the Pacific to convert Douglas C-47’s to the similarly ambitious effort by HBF Inc. and the legendary busy pilots and mechanics of Folsom’s Flying Service decades later that led to the first and only civilian conversion of this type.
Saturday morning will feature a safety seminar, and a safety briefing regarding our splash-out to Mosquito Bay for lunch. Historically, we have had speakers with a wide breadth of experience, including representatives from the FAA Safety Team and Spokane FSDO, the Bonner County Water Sheriff's Department, and leaders in Aviation training, search, and rescue.
Thank You to Our Hosts
We wish to thank Olson and Loel Fenwick for the gracious opportunity to once again utilize their private residence and grounds for this fly-in. This is truly a unique spot on earth and to show our appreciation, we would encourage you to practice “Leave No Trace” camping and respect for their personal property.
Volunteers Needed
Although meals are now catered, we still welcome volunteers for setup, cleanup, and general support throughout the weekend. If you’d like to help, please contact Madison Zepeda at events@westernseaplanes.com
Attendee Survey
Please complete the following survey by June 17, 2026 to help us prepare for your arrival:
https://forms.gle/PAjRES5yMNddGk8H9
See You Soon!
Standby for further communications.
We look forward to another unforgettable weekend at Tanglefoot.
For questions, please reach out to events@westernseaplanes.com
