Oldest float manufacturer in the country is 70

“Our company has produced over 1,500 sets of aircraft floats over the past 70 years,” said Patrick McGowan, president. “We are proud of our Maine company that continues to serve several generations of pilots and aircraft throughout the world. Our product is handmade by Maine craftsmen and continues to be the toughest, lightest, and fastest aircraft float on the market.”

PK Floats was started in International Falls, Minnesota, in 1954 by Peter Kellner, who received an FAA TSO for his first float in 1955. Some of the floats manufactured in the 1950s are still in service today.

The floats are constructed with FAA-approved aluminum and materials and then hand-riveted together at the company’s headquarters in Lincoln, Maine. The 14,000-square-foot factory is located at Lincoln Regional Airport (LRG), and there is a seaplane base on the Penobscot River used to launch aircraft and serve the seaplane flying community.