Seaplane firm operating in Tahoe without a permit

A Marin County-based company is advertising trips via seaplane to Tahoe City. The problem is they don’t have a permit to do so.

Seaplane Adventures’ website lists a Sausalito to Tahoe City flight and a Palo Alto to Tahoe flight. It’s not specific about where exactly in Tahoe for that second excursion.

“Seaplane operations – which includes the use of a permanent facility for the landing, takeoff, fueling, maintenance, or storage of a seaplane, are not a permissible use at Tahoe City Marina,” Tom Lotshaw with that Tahoe Regional Planning Agency told Lake Tahoe News. “There is one area on the lake – Homewood commercial area – where seaplane operations were grandfathered in as a permissible, but special use. Any such activity would require a public hearing and TRPA approval.”

That hasn’t happened.

When Lake Tahoe News contacted Seaplane Adventures regarding a permit there was silence. Blackbird is the company that books the charter flights

Ana C. Henriquez with Seaplane Adventures just wanted to explain how a flight could be booked.

It is OK for recreational seaplanes to land and take off from Tahoe as long as they’ve going through the decontamination process that is similar to what boats go through.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report