Lyle, the heart and soul of Southern Seaplanes, went down in his C210 while flying with a new hire on what was supposed to be a routine training run.


I had the good fortune to cross paths with him years back, attending his Seaplane Safety Institute when I was flying for a different float plane outfit.

The guy was a damn maestro, knew his craft inside out, taught it with a clarity that stuck with you, and had this rare grounded vibe that made you feel like you’d known him forever. No bullshit, no pretense, just a straight up salt of the earth guy.

He had some good lines too
“Seaplanes are trying to sink half the time, amphibs are trying to sink all the time.”
That one stuck with me, a little humor wrapped in truth.

Other good one, not so much an aviation though, we went to a broil after I finished the course, I’m looking around for a lemon or some wipes, he shows me if your hands get a little fishy from a good southern broil, mash up some saltines in your palms, problem solved.

One of my most favorite training experiences in my career, and my top recommend for a seaplane school


Rest easy, man. You left a mark.


https://www.fox8live.com/2025/04/03/bod ... and-houma/

good memories

I too have fond memories of Southern Seaplanes. I never flew with Lyle but had the good fortune to be there numerous times and got to sit in the left seat of a 185 that a chemical company owned several times. I was there, enjoying the nice weather and befriended, Steve, who was going out to several oil wells. When he heard I was going to fly with Charlie Hammonds, at Houma the next day, he said come with me, I'm next thing to an instructor. Here is a pic from right at the end of the Mississippi River at one of the oil wells that Steve was trouble shooting. They add chemical to de-water the crude as it is pumped.