By STAN KASPRZYK

FlightLog Archive

∟

Aircraft Flown

Flying the N3N on Floats - June 2026

In March of 2021, I enjoyed my first flight in an N3N with Tom Jensen from the Evergreen Sky Ranch airport near Black Diamond, WA. I have flown Tom's N3N a number of times since then, but I recalled meeting a team after my first N3N flight that was collecting the parts from Tom's hangar of a second N3N that Tom had acquired. That team was led by Addison Pemberton, who planned to restore the N3N, and also build floats for the N3N in a configuration last flown by the US Naval Academy in the early 1960s. In 2022, I stopped by the Pemberton's hangar at Felts Field in Spokane, where the N3N restoration was coming along nicely.

Addison Pemberton and his family and crew are known for their first-rate restorations and efforts to preserve the early history of flight. Addison Pemberton and his team have restored and flown some of the most amazing vintage aviation classics from their Spokane, WA home at Felts Field. The Boeing 40C was a major early project. The Boeing 40C was sold to the WAAAM museum in Hood River, Oregon in 2018.

The Pembertons have restored and maintained an amazing number of vintage aircraft at their facilities at Felts Field, including a Grumman Goose amphibian, a Custom Cabin Waco, a 1931 Stearman Speedmail, a 450 Stearman, a Travel Air 4000, an early ’60s Cessna 185, a Piper Super Cub and the U.S. Navy configured N3N-3 on floats.

The U.S. Navy's primary flight training schools used N3Ns extensively throughout World War II. A few of the seaplane versions were retained for primary training at the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1961 they became the last biplanes retired from U.S. military service.

In early June, I instructed at a NATA formation clinic at Richland, WA, flying T-28s, a T-6 and a Nanchang CJ-6. While there, I met Jay Pemberton, who was flying his T-6 in one of our formation training flights. Jay mentioned that he and his Dad were planning to bring the N3N on floats to the upcoming Tanglefoot Seaplane Splash-in at Priest Lake, ID later in the month. I mentioned to Jay that I've been flying Tom Jensen's N3N, but an N3N on floats experience would be awesome.

In late June, my wife Mary and I arrived early at the Tanglefoot Seaplane Splash-in at Priest Lake, ID, and the first seaplane I saw as we approached was the N3N, moored at the end of the seaplane ramp. Jay 'twisted my arm' to fly right away, since the splash-in looked to get busy. After donning a life vest, I gingerly lowered myself into the front cockpit, careful not to bump or scratch anything in the museum-quality cockpit.

The N3N's engine start was smooth, and we taxied to the far southern end of Priest Lake to begin our takeoff roll northbound, accepting a bit of a tailwind with the ample lake surface in front of us. Because of the tailwind, it did take a bit longer to get on the step and get airborne than I had anticipated, but the view of the required pitch attitudes from the open cockpit was outstanding. Jay had me fly along the eastern shore of the lake as we headed north, looking for a more sheltered cove to practice a water landing. The N3N with floats obviously has more drag than the geared configuration, but pitch forces felt similar, as did the aileron forces, which are a bit heavier than the Stearman, which N3Ns are often compared with.

Jay demo'd an approach and water landing, and I was amazed how easy it was to judge our height above the water with the open cockpit and the view of the lower wing and floats. Jay greased in the landing, then we powered up for some more maneuvering, with Jay giving me the flight controls for some steep turns to get a better feel for the flight control forces.

Too quickly we returned back to the Tanglefoot dock after another smooth water landing, giving the bird up to the next pilots waiting for their N3N opportunity. Thanks Jay for the orientation flight! I need to get back to Felts Field for a full N3N water checkout soon!