Halestorm has worked there on and off for 16 years as both mechanic and pilot, so we motored his 40' Tollycraft from Ballard all the way over there, a 2 hour journey. What a day though! We couldn't have asked for better weather and the waterways were lightly trafficked.
The man-myth-legend at the helm, dodging rental boats and collegiate rowing shells.
Navigating the Montlake Cut at the edge of the UofW campus.
A mega-journey at 7 knots, but finally made it: Kenmore's base of operations.
Where to begin? If the DHC-2 Beaver or DHC-3 Otter are regarded as legends in your aeronautical taxonomy, you're not alone. Despite these aircraft being last produced in the late 60's, you'd never know it with the amount of new/old stock parts, newly manufactured parts, renovation and upgrade service available at Kenmore. These people live and breathe de Havilland and keep the fleet alive, literally. Renegade recently became the owner of 3 of his own Beavers so the visit was particularly inspiring.
I only had my little point-and-shoot camera with me, but I managed to snap some pics.
Two turbine Otters readying for departure.
The yard in front of the big maintenance hangar.
This thing had apparently been through an engine-out landing or something and was enjoying some healing treatment.
de Havillands aren't the only thing at the base; they have a pretty good stable of Cessnas and a few Super Cubs too. Here's a "vintage" Top Cub used for instruction.
...riding on some old Edos.
I have no idea what these plans we for, one of many STCs they hold probably.
Kenmore is also a place where the elderly are made young again. New skins, new airframe mods, top to bottom rebuilds, you name it.
They may start like this:
or this:
And end up like this...
...a thing of beauty.
How often do you see a R-985 look this pristine?
After a couple hours climbing around the joint, we decided we'd better hit the high seas of Lake Washington and make our way back for dinner, but not first without a stop at the Kenmore Air terminal at the bottom of Lake Union to watch some takeoffs and landings. Luckily I was able to borrow Halestorm's SLR with long zoom for some shots.
It's amazing how far these guys will fly into a dead end when they're comfortable with the approach.
Full album here.
cheap by todays standards? Bought 4 beavers over the years. A quality product better then new and most reliable. People just loved getting in a 60 year old airplane that looked like a Cadillac on the inside. 
