After the closing of Antilles Air Boats it certainly left a void in downtown to downtown air transportation between the islands. The expertise in flying and maintaining seaplanes was certainly available as was the Grumman Mallard. Virgin Islands Seaplane Shuttle came at the right time for the many Virgin Islanders both as passengers and employees.
The PT-6 Turbine conversion made the Grumman Mallard a much better aircraft for commercial service with the increase in available weight as well as its reliability. It all came at a price.
It was unfortunate timing that a number of aircraft were out of service and could not fly out to avoid Hurricane Hugo.
The last of the hull seaplanes in service between the islands. Enter Seaborne.
J-4
J-9
J-10
J-11
J-25
J-28
J-32
J-38
J-53
J-55
VISS begins...
46 King Street, Christiansted, St. Croix
Don, Micky and Vince
.The new start-up of the Virgin Island Seaplane Shuttle began in the Penthany Building on King Street with just a handful of employees. Photo of the three new owners; Don Lewis, Mickey Braunstien and Vince Condello. Julie Rasmussen was employee #1 with Charlie Freehling #2, Nick Castruccio #3 and Glenn Blair #4.
The initial team worked with the multitude of agencies to gain the approvals to begin service on
March 15, 1982
Julie Rasmussen
Glenn Blair
photo credit Michael Prophet
photo credit Michael Prophet
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Frakes Mallard Turbine Conversion
St. John, U.S.V.I.
Video shows the destruction on St. Croix. 45 minutes in shows VISS and the catastrophic results of Hugo at the STX seaplane ramp.
Chapter 9 - The Caribbean Shuttle
The above excerpts posted with the approval of Matt Rodina Jr,
N604SS - 10/28/86
N611SS
Former VISS pilot Kathleen Bangs sent photos of a rare collectible.
Charlie Freehling and Matt Rodina on the G-73 Mallard. VISS Mallards operated with either the PT-6 turbine or PW R1340's.
photo credit Charlie Freehling
photo credit Charlie Freehling
photo credit Charlie Freehling
photo credit Matt Rodina
photo credit Charlie Freehling
photo credit Charlie Freehling
St.Croix Terminal Grill
photo credit Matt Rodina
N611SS was spared by Hurricane Hugo in St. Croix in 1989 only to be destroyed by Hurricane Wilma in Miami in 2005
J-11
Mfg. 12/31/46 NC2948
June 1947 Air Commuting Inc. - NY, NY
June 1948 Texas Co. Inc - NY, NY
Reregistered N1628 (6/63)
Ferried to Houma, Louisiana
Sept 1983 Dean Franklin - Miami, FL
Reregistered N76DF
1984 Virgin Islands Seaplane Shuttle
Reregistered N611SS (3/21/85)
May 1990 Caribbean Airline Services. Inc. - P.R.
Dec 1991 Sea Air Shuttle, Inc. - P.R.
May 2000 U.S. Distributors, Inc. - Miami, FL
Severely Damaged by Hurricane Wilma 2005
on Watson Island,
April 2006 Lake Air, Inc. - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Registration expired in 2011 / Current status unknown.
N2948 - Texaco
N611SS Watson Island, Miami, FL
photo credit Matt Rodina
Jeff Johnson
shared some of his VISS photos on Facebook G-73 page and I thought I would include them here. Great photos!
T-shirts available from
more photos by Michael Prophet
more from the Bill Bailey Collection
