FAA-certified G-111 Albatrosses carried passengers from Miami to the Bahamas, turning every flight into an adventure.
In the early 1980s Miami skyline shimmered under golden sun, and below the sky, Chalk's International Airlines turned heads. Resorts International owner Merv Griffin had installed thirteen converted Albatrosses (G-111s) at Chalk's docks on Watson Island. Passengers stepped directly from the dock up a yellow stairway into plush cabins as the Albatross idled like a boat on Biscayne Bay. At departure, the radial engines thundered, and the "Goat" revved across the water, water-spouts spraying from its hull, then leapt into the sky bound for the Bahamas. From 1982 onward, Chalk's G-111s offered daily scheduled service to Nassau and Bimini. Each flight carried tourists in sundresses and businessmen in shorts, a living homage to the golden age of flight.
G-111 conversion: The new G-111s were heavily modified for safety and comfort. Engineers reinforced wing spars, added rust-proof fuel tanks, and installed extra doors. By 1983 all 13 aircraft were certified for passenger service. Chalk's promised reliability: one flight attendant recalled, "We tested each aircraft like it was a spaceship – and still kept the deck chairs on the wing." The result was the world's only FAA-certified seaplane airline.
Iconic service: Flying on Chalk's was an event. Travelers wearing straw hats and cameras posed with deckhands for photos before departure. The route was featured in Miami Vice and Hollywood films as the ultimate romantic getaway. Locals loved Chalk's whimsical status – one Miami newspaper dubbed it "Paradise Island's shuttles of sunshine." By sunset each evening, Chalk's planes were streaking back above Key Largo's waters, having proved amphibious airlines could be both glamorous and practical.
Community connection: Beyond tourism, the G-111s did real work. They carried mail to island pharmacies and flew doctors to remote Bahamian clinics. In a June 1986 hurricane warning, Chalk's captain Phoebe Sinclair delivered emergency generators to stranded communities, her Albatross taking off seconds before storm winds peaked. Each smooth landing or daring water-bombing run reminded passengers of Chalk's motto: "Above the water, above the rest." Though Chalk's flights ended in 2007, its legacy endures as a symbol of adventure and innovation – a tradition Albatross 2.0 proudly upholds.
