Adventure seeker from sky to water
As a fourth generation pilot, it was in Allison’s blood to carry on the family tradition in the aviation world. Also, growing up on a private airport with a runway in the backyard may have helped a little. Born and raised in the Sunshine State, Allison would go flying with her dad whenever the Florida weather allowed. Today, they fly and travel in a variety of small planes from two-seaters to 10 – some with floats that can go on water and some have wheels that can only go on land.
Whether it’s flying, paddle boarding, fishing or photography, Allison pursues a variety of hobbies all while managing an aviation digital marketing company, which leaves her plenty of time to fly and adventure with her husband, Michael and her pups Merlin and Griffon. With weight and space being the main concern on a plane, Allison’s paddle board of choice is the 11’ Explorer Inflatable Paddle Board.
Q & A with Allison
Q: Owning a plane gives you a lot more freedom and ability to travel than most - how has that impacted your lifestyle?
A: Aviation can certainly bring you closer to places! Since we don’t have to follow roads an hour drive to a secluded or private lake can take just a few minutes! Or a long drive across the country can be shortened (depending on how fast your plane is), so we can easily travel across states for a fun weekend without wasting most of the time traveling! Less time traveling equals more time SUPing! You certainly have to be aware of the weather though... sometimes although it’s longer to drive, you could get stuck away from home if there are thunderstorms in your path that you have to wait out.
Q: What is the most exciting part of aviation for you?
A: I love meeting other adventurous people and sharing where we have been or maybe even planning a new trip together!
Q: What kind of paddle board locations has your seaplane allowed you to access that you otherwise wouldn’t?
A: I have taken my ISLE iSUP to some beautiful rivers and crystal clear springs that I normally only travel to by plane. There are certainly other people who drive to those areas and then load up their boat to access the spring, but it’s quicker and more accessible for me to fly a seaplane there ?
Q: What’s your favorite place to paddle board?
A: my favorite places are springs in Florida right now. I love looking down through the crystal clear water at the fish and wildlife. My bucket list would be to fly to Arizona or Utah and paddle through the red rock! I can’t imagine how beautiful it would be to look at that rock looming 50+ feet above my head as I paddle through narrow caverns.
Q: What do you love about the ISLE Explorer?
A:I love that I can take it anywhere!! It is a great size to fit in any car, most airplanes and is light enough go even a small woman to trek around as a backpack!
