6/30/21 – On Friday the 25th there was quite the excitement when a Forest Service Beaver floatplane touched down on Sawbill. Dating back to the 1930s, Beaver planes were initially used for fire detection and response. Now, they’re used for wildlife surveys, search and rescue, aerial seeding, and more, in addition to fire management and response. This particular flight was part of training for a new Forest Service pilot. Sawbill is a popular place for these kinds of trainings because of the tricky landing it requires. Although they’re allowed to fly under the designated flight allowance for the area, Forest Service Pilots try to avoid flying low over the wilderness if they can. Seeing as most of Sawbill Lake and the surrounding area lies within the wilderness boundary, landing on the lake can prove to be tricky. However, this landing proved to be no problem for the pilot as all went smoothly. When they pulled up to the dock, the pilot and her co-pilot were greeted by curious paddlers and some of the Sawbill crew. The crew got to check out the plane and Kit and Sig even had the special honor of sitting in the back seat. When it came time to take off, crew members Sawyer and Ben helped hold onto the plane while the pilots untied the ropes, and then they were off and on to the next!

-Siri