Boutique seaplane charters from the southern shore of Lake Michigan.
A regional carrier so small we know all three of our customers by first name. Most of them, anyway.
What we actually do
Two pontoons, one propeller, and an unreasonable amount of optimism.
Dodo Airlines operates a small fleet of seaplanes out of a perfectly respectable stretch of water in Northwest Indiana. We fly leisurely loops over Lake Michigan, ferry impatient travelers to Chicago when the Skyway is a parking lot, and occasionally land somewhere genuinely scenic. Our pilots are licensed, our pontoons are inflated, and our coffee is included.
The Lakefront Loop
A 40-minute sightseeing flight along the Indiana Dunes and Chicago skyline. You'll point at things. We'll pretend it's the first time we've seen them.
The Chicago Hop
One-way charter into Burnham Harbor or Northerly Island, depending on which dock is currently in a mood. Faster than the train. Usually.
The Long Weekend
Custom multi-day charters to lake destinations across the Midwest. Door Country, the UP, and that one resort in Michigan that still doesn't have a road to it.
Private Lessons
Discovery flights for the chronically curious. You can take the controls for approximately the amount of time our insurance allows.
Why people choose us
Or at least, the reasons they've given when asked.
We don't have a frequent flyer program. We don't have a lounge. We don't have a phone tree, a hold queue, or a regional vice president of customer experience. What we do have is a pilot who's been doing this since 2009, a hangar that smells faintly of varnish, and a website with three pages on it.
Our entire schedule fits on a whiteboard. When it rains, we move it. When it doesn't rain, we fly. Most decisions are made by looking out the window, which we've found to be more accurate than several weather services we won't name here.
What our passengers say
Selected, edited for length, and lightly fact-checked.
"I told them I needed to be in Chicago by noon. We left at 11:14. I was at the restaurant by 11:52. The pilot waved goodbye. I have no notes."
— Marisol K., Munster
"The aircraft is older than my car and yet somehow more reassuring. Make of that what you will."
— Derek W., Crown Point
"They served pretzels from a tin. I haven't had a pretzel from a tin since 1994. I cried a little. They pretended not to notice."
— Anonymous, by request