It's a sensational spring day in September with temperatures in the mid-20s on Lake Macquarie when Adam Faulkner describes his new business, Joy Air, during a chat on the Warners Bay foreshore.
Faulkner, who hails from Sydney, repeatedly remarks about how beautiful the lake looks on this day, almost like he's acknowledging the reason why he decided to base his floatplane here.
While Joy Air will be using only one aircraft, a zippy Wilga 2000, its bright red paint job will serve as a spectacular advertisement for its adventurous offer.
Joy Air will offer flights taking off from the middle of the lake, with the shortest option a 10-minute flight from the Warners Bay takeoff location, down to Pulbah Island near the mouth of Swansea Channel and back to Warners Bay. There are longer flights - down to Catherine Hill Bay via the shoreline and back, and into Nobbys headland in Newcastle via a coastal route.
The aircraft, also known as "Joy", must take off and land at least 300 metres from the shoreline, so a sporty tender boat is provided to pick up passengers from public or private jetties and later to return them to the same point.
The aircraft is also permitted to take off and land from the lake at Rafferty's Resort at Cams Wharf at the southern end of Lake Macquarie.
"It's been a long road," Faulkner says this week. "It's so exciting to see it come to life as I envisioned it."
The floatplane business has also been welcomed by Lake Macquarie City Council.
Faulkner, who is pilot by hobby (he will not be flying Joy) and financial planner by profession, looked at starting the business on the Central Coast as well as here in the Hunter.
"The thing that closed the deal was the council, to be honest," he says. "Their willingness to help us, their willingness to support the idea, and genuine interest in making the lake more a part of the area, and more of a focus."
There is no question that Lake Macquarie council has become more focused on increasing and improving its tourism appeal. From mountain bike tracks to parachuting, public sculptures and expanded public art gallery, and more water-based activities, there is more to do than ever.
"We are targeting those adventure tourists from Sydney in the last 18 months," says Bianca Gilmore, coordinator of cultural engagement, marketing and tourism for the the council.
"We are thrilled to see it launch this weekend," Gilmore says of Joy Air.
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To say Joy Air had to meet a lot of legal requirements would be an understatement. It required government permits for maritime activity, flight activity and running the business.
"We knew we had a lot of challenges to get a business like this up and running," Faulkner says. "It's very funny how floatplanes fit in to a whole range of things."
It has not been cheap, running well into six figures to get the business started. But Faulkner is in it for the long haul.
"As my old man keeps telling me, if it was easy everyone would do it," he says. "So you think, 'OK, I don't mind trudging through the hoops to get something like this together'. I'm so excited about it. The way this area operates now, and the future is very exciting."
When Joy Air's initial proposal got a public airing, it received some blowback from sailing clubs in the northern end of Lake Macquarie. Faulkner says he reached out to them, explaining how it would operate and says it helped reduce their fears. And he says he's willing to be flexible if possible - like not flying into Warners Bay when the wind is up and sailboat races are underway, flying instead out of Rafferty's Resort at Cams Wharf in those conditions.
Faulkner chose the Wilga aircraft because of its ability to land and takeoff in a short run. "About 300 metres will get you off the water," he says.
"You want that, to have something that's quick off the water, it avoids those lengthy takeoff runs, especially when it's got sailing boats around. It's going to be very fit for purpose."
The aircraft must be at a minimum of 500 feet before it can come into alignment with the shore, and it must be at 1000 feet before it can cross the shoreline.
While the aircraft can seat a pilot and three passengers, Faulkner has decided to market the flights as charters - you pay for the particular flight tour, and you have a total weight limit of 240 kilograms for your paying passengers (so you could take three people who weigh no more than 80kg each).
The tours, from Warners Bay or Raffertys, are outlined in detail on the Joy Air website (joyair.com.au) where people can book their flights. There's also a phone number on the website (1800 JOY AIR) for any questions. There are no plans for a permanent business or ticketing office - it's not necessary for people to make bookings.
Joy Air will also be marketing on social media platforms. But Faulkner reckons the business will advertise itself.
"Our best marketing is going to be a bright red airplane with floats flying around the area," he says.
As my old man keeps telling me, if it was easy everyone would do it'. So you think, 'OK, I don't mind trudging through the hoops to get something like this together'. I'm so excited about it. The way this area operates now, and the future is very exciting.
Joy Air operator Adam Faulkner
The most expensive flight is $949, from Raffertys, which runs up to Pulbah Island, then out through Swansea Channel and along the coastline to Nobbys lighthouse and back to Raffertys.
While the aircraft can seat a pilot and three passengers, Faulkner has decided to market the flights as charters - you pay for the particular flight tour, and you have a total weight limit of 240 kilograms for your paying passengers (so you could take three people who weigh no more than 80kg each).
The tours, from Warners Bay or Raffertys, are outlined in detail on the Joy Air website (joyair.com.au) where people can book their flights. There's also a phone number on the website (1800 JOY AIR) for any questions. There are no plans for a permanent business or ticketing office - it's not necessary for people to make bookings.
Joy Air will also be marketing on social media platforms. But Faulkner reckons the business will advertise itself.
"Our best marketing is going to be a bright red airplane with floats flying around the area," he says.
The most expensive flight is $949, from Raffertys, which runs up to Pulbah Island, then out through Swansea Channel and along the coastline to Nobbys lighthouse and back to Raffertys.
Joy Air can only fly on four days of any given seven-day period, and it is limited to 48 total flights over those four days. Initially, it will fly Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Monday.
Contrary to the popular notion that visitors to the region will be the main customers, Faulkner says the evidence from similar floatplane businesses in Australia shows most of the clientele will be locals.
"At the end of the day, when you think of boat traffic, the size of this aircraft, the amount of movements we have approval for, people will come to realise it's a very low impact activity on the lake," Faulkner says.
"And hopefully, it adds a whole new experience to people who live here that they can access and enjoy from a different perspective."
Faulkner is hoping to get a good measure of how the business will work by Easter, and then decide if Joy Air will fly through winter or take a break until next summer. Of course, he never stops thinking - winter whalewatching tours in Joy are a possibility.
