Earning my seaplane rating in Minnesota

Having once flown on a seaplane in Australia many years ago, I've always craved flying them as a pilot. Ever since getting my pilot's license, the dream of taking controls of a seaplane finally came true this weekend.  Yes, I earned my float-plane rating with about 8 hours of flight training here in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, with Adventure Seaplanes. The training was followed by a check-ride from an FAA examiner, and voila! I became a seaplane pilot.  Here are some pics and a video from my training:

 

 

 

Exploring the Uruguayan Coast from Above

Today I rented a Cessna 182 with a local instructor (since I only have my US-FAA license) to fly around Punta del Este, Uruguay, including its pristine coastline. The smaller of the two airports in Punta del Este is used exclusively for small aircraft. My flight path took me northeast along the coast, turning around in the area of La Pedrera, then heading back southwest toward downtown Punta del Este and on to Punta Ballena.