Seaplanes Begin Carrying Passengers Between Sausalito And Lake Tahoe

TAHOE CITY (KPIX 5) -- Forget the long drive up I-80, seaplanes are now carrying passengers between the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe.

Seaplanes can get you there in just a fraction of the time it takes to drive.

It looks like a sightseeing adventure and it is, in part.

But while it's certainly scenic, it will soon be the origin of the Bay Area's newest flight to Tahoe.

"I like most people have driven to Tahoe one too many times," says Rudd Davis.

So, Davis founded Blackbird, a company that works with charter companies to book flights to several California destinations.

Sausalito-to-Tahoe-City by seaplane is his newest route via pilot Aaron Singer's company, Seaplane Adventures.

Singer says passenger will "be in Tahoe in an hour and 15 minutes. It'll take that long to get to SFO and through security...we'll already be there."

Compare that to the time it takes to drive and the headache of traffic getting there.

Not a bad alternative when you figure the fares start at $125 each way.