The story of Jimmy Buffett the flying Pirate

[@mescko]

I dearly love amphibious planes/flying boats, my favorite kind of plane!

[@fillhixx]

This is all in Jimmys book A Pirate Looks At Fifty, but fun to hear again

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

It is a fantastic book! Happy to have read it, bubbles up ⚓🌴

[@jaybodner4189]

Please consider this...one way of honoring Jimmy would be to have Zac, Kenny, or Alan lead a concert tour with the full Reefer band for a year. One caveat....the fans must be allowed to tail-gate as we always have! We would have all the parts for a full Jimmy show, minus The GOAT. If none can commit to a year long tour, EACH lead for 4 months! I think Jimmy would approve.

[@dirkditmer453]

RIP Jimmy Buffett

[@DustinShuey]

USS Ironwood crew Merchant Mariner This is the historic stuff I like to learn about Jimmy and Maritime history I just love Merchant history I am born and raised into it from my father which ain't much of a father to me now

[@cindywagner4623]

Early 60’s I flew in a Grumman Goose and a PBY. Both flying seaplane.

[@BALOYBEACHBUM]

Is it "Fins Up or Floats Down?" Love you Jimmy! keep up the concerts!!

[@ralphholiman7401]

I can remember being anchored in Bimini harbor in the 1980's and watching the Chalk's planes land and take off. It really gave the Bimini experience that really cool experience. If you were behind them when they took off, you would be drenched in salt water spray!

[@JEBBADYAH]

RIP Jimmy 💔 your spirit will never die ❤🎶🥀🕊️🕯️🙏 and may you always have fair winds and following seas 💨🌬️🌊🌪️

[@Wigeon3211]

JB’s Albatross was on display in front of Margaritavill at Universal Orlando.

[@nightowl2210]

As it should

[@terryomalley296]

Good Flick on the inside of what you didn't know, Thanks Jimmy!

[@Snakebloke]

2:05 oh that poor PIlatus PC-12 😢

[@terrygalvin9653]

As a boy, I flew on Chalks to Bimini in the late 60s and later flew Antilles Airboats between St. Thomas and St. Croix many times. Loved the Goose and the Mallard.

[@mickkollins]

Yep Antilles Airboats and Captain Blair. STT to SJU many times in the late 60's on a Goose

[@sdingeswho]

Chalk’s Air Service - as also seen on Miami Vice 😁❤️😎🌴!

[@pauljarzemsky3256]

I once saw his Goose in the Confederate Air Force hanger in Midland, TX. A guy working in the hanger told me that it was being ferried from California to Florida, and put down there to wait out a storm. The back of the plane was filled with kayaks and salt water fishing rods. A really awesome toy!

[@lowandslow3939]

I’ve been a Buffett fan and an aviation fanatic since the seventies. I knew most of this but still enjoyed the video. His music is partially responsible for my twenty year career as a Chief Engineer on large private yachts. I also sorted out a problem with the grey water system on his explorer type boat in Barcelona. His young captain/engineer didn’t understand the float switches and pump controls and that the floats sometimes get hung up in muck. He gave me a bottle Jimmy’s rum for my help.

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

That is a super cool story! I am glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate you sharing your story and thank you commenting! ⚓

[@HeronPoint2021]

So Buffets' boat didn't require both an Eng. and a Capt.? Even some small boats like the Taconite and Fifer in Vancouver require both, but maybe that's because they Charter?

[@lowandslow3939]

@@HeronPoint2021 No, it did not. It was private. I’m sure more crew would be brought on board when there were “guests”.

[@DanO530.8]

Amazing he got to do training with the navy how lucky is that you could never get enough training

[@uprebel5150]

I saw the restoration of this sea plane back in the early 2000s in Pensacola at the Navy plane museum. I was on the bus tour on the tarmac where it was being restored. Luckily he was there that day and told us the reason that he bought it so he could fly anywhere in the Caribbean and go fishing.

[@jona.874]

He bought his Grumman Albatross in Nov 1995. The incident portrayed in the song Jamaica Mistaika was in January 1996. He retired it in 2003, and made it part of his Margaritaville in Orlando, Fla.

[@raymondclark1785]

In 1965 i flew on a Chalks Goose from Miami to Bimini. The pilot overheard someone ask if that's what i flew in the USAF He upgraded my seating to the co-pilots seat. Being used to precise navigation i was surprised to find they just followed a compass heading til they saw Bimini

[@Ranger830]

A lot of times on clear days you could see Bimini once at altitude! No need for compass! Lol shit a lot of times they don’t work there anyway! You know Bermuda Triangle and all! Lol 😂

[@Ranger830]

Many days growing up fishing and watching the Chalk’s planes take off and land! Those were the days man! Good times!

[@CLOSEDCASKET-l7v]

Man, I used to ride a 15 foot boston whailer from bimini pushing with a 75 yama. to west palm beach with just a compass and a tank of gas and 3 gallons of water and a box of crackers and two sandwiches. BY MY SELF. us bahama boys grew up different to them miami boys. We ain't kn the 40 acres and mule bullsht or that blm foolishes. Salt life to the fullest.1980's seadog and I wasn't even 18 years old yet. 💪🏾respect!

[@Bob-pv7xz]

​@@Ranger830❤😅

[@FriedShrimpPoBoy]

I never would have imagined Bono and Jimmy were good friends.

[@safetymikeengland]

LOL - that whole business of owning and flying a seaplane - hell of a hobby!

[@fjp3305]

Love those Grumman seaplanes

[@markwilliamson2795]

Bubbles up fly boy ! Sea ya later....

[@Treetopflyer777]

I actually flew with Jimmy on the albatross. Over lunch he told me the interesting story. Apparently they confused a G3 (GulfStream) with the G-111 albatross (GIII in Roman numerals). I think Chris Blackwell was with them too if I recall correctly. Interesting story.

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

That is a super cool story!! Thank you for sharing it and thank you for watching 😄⚓

[@dathorndike4908]

Chris Blackwell from Island Records, right?

[@Treetopflyer777]

@@dathorndike4908 correct. Which made the situation that much worse when they realized their mistake…

[@Time-Traveller-2025]

I did the navy water training too

[@Time-Traveller-2025]

I flew that Chalks flight many times

[@Tglass]

Thanks for the post.

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

Thanks for watching!

[@FirewindII]

My favorite aircraft: The PBY. Loaded it at the Santa Barbara Air Attack Base in the '70's.

[@ronaldfazekas6492]

By the way, the Grumman Goose is not a "seaplane"--it's a "flying boat" or more properly, an "amphibian"--a flying boat lands on its belly in the water, not on floats

[@terrygalvin9653]

You are right but I always heard them called airboats, as in Antilles Airboats in the USVI, a term I still prefer.

[@ronaldfazekas6492]

Funny you should mention Antilles Airboats--In the late 1970's I got to fly on one--the girl at the San Juan travel agency dropped her pen when I mentioned them and told me she had seen them, and would NOT fly on them!@@terrygalvin9653

[@richardpark3054]

Yes, I own and fly a Republic Seabee (N6007K) and have learned to be tolerant of lay misuse of the nomenclature. No harm, no foul. All is good as long as everyone is having fun!

[@cuttersgoose]

True, and multiple planes are called gooses....never geese.... I have 3 gooses. Lol

[@seanrhone5306]

Flew Chalks to Bimini in 1980

[@georgecurtis6463]

Knew these as the sa-16. Rode in them as a kid in the 50s.

[@rski1036]

Looking up the tail number; the plane is still flying.

[@retcdnmilengr]

RIP Jimmy

[@chasefontenot6204]

Rip ❤

[@crocslocked5288]

Father in law use to fly Grumman Albatross. Had a run away prop, that they couldn't feather in a storm. Had to ditched the plane in Manila bay. Water survival training is no joke.

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

That must have been intense! And it definitely is great training to have whether you are a sea pilot or sailor for sure! Thanks for sharing with us ⚓

[@davidbaise5137]

Baby let me take you on a sea cruise!

[@robertscranton8293]

God love Jimmy

[@nomdeguerre7265]

I didn't know that Buffer owned a Goose. Cool.

[@steveskouson9620]

Never did. His is an Albatross. Also, just for the record, Buffett. steve

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

Yes he did and he also had a Widgeon too! Thanks for commenting on the video guys! ⚓

[@Stepclimb]

Jimmy’s first airplane, and flying boat was an LA-250 Lake Renegade. After that, it was the Grumman Widgeon, the Albatross and the Goose. The Widgeon was sold after it was repaired. The Albatross is at Universal Studios in Orlando and the Goose was donated to USS Alabama aviation park museum. His remaining seaplane is a Cessna C-208 Grand Caravan on Amphibious floats.

[@jerrymiller276]

From the description of the crash you gave this sounds very much as if he tried to get off the water before the plane was ready to fly and suffered a stall/spin at very low altitude. Classic roll and nose drop is what leads me to considering the possibility. If it had happened a higher altitude it probably would have been fatal.

[@rotorheadv8]

He actually hit a freak wave.

[@kathyparker7837]

That is what he said in his book A Pirate Looks at 50. ​@@rotorheadv8

[@johndoe-cp6vp]

relieved the wing didn't fall off his chalks flight

[@richardpark3054]

Yeah, really! Chalks flew planes that were literally falling apart.

[@stellar1620]

The Widgeon at 4:04 is owned by a good buddy of mine in western N.Y. I have about 10 hours of right hand seat time in this lovely old girl.

[@SIONARAFLORIDA]

Whatabout a reggae dub version of dis ere riddiiim ???

[@MelvinHawkins-k7k]

Chalk’s Air Service - as also seen on Miami Vice ️!. Isn't that a flying boat, not a seaplane?.

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

Yes you're right! Will definitely look into the difference of the two in the future. Thank for you watching and hope you enjoyed 😄⚓

[@3581tossit]

a flying boat and a float plane are bothe seaplanes

[@steffenrosmus9177]

Seems that Warren Buffet is not the only pirate in the family 😂😂😂

[@anneholland608]

They are NOT related.

[@jimh3362]

I like Jimmy Buffett and his music but this story is very chopped up. He deserves better.

[@steveavant9727]

It also deserves a live narrator, not a robo voice.

[@patlalla148]

I can't find the words. PH Since 76.

[@michellelyon3149]

Bubble’s up….

[@markmartin3221]

It is not how strong our feelings are about our ideals or what we disagree on but to wish death on someone is not cool. Instead take time and effort to see goodness and likes.

[@BluegillGreg]

Isn't that a flying boat, not a seaplane?

[@chibani-]

A flying boat is a seaplane but a seaplane isn't necessary a flying boat. Seaplanes can be divided in 2 categories : flying boats and floatplanes

[@GLEX234]

It’s an amphibian, lands on land or water. A flying boat can only land on water, but might have docking gear

[@PDNH]

"Bubbles Up"

[@Pfsif]

It's a shame the Jamaican police didn't put Bono out of our misery.

[@utetrahemicon]

RIP

[@HaveYouEverPondered]

Sad day for music and all of his fans. Rest in peace Jimmy Buffett

[@utetrahemicon]

I think I would add: Fair Winds and Following Seas.

[@williampage622]

Neat story. Poor research and narration.

[@edcew8236]

Fun story, but lots of non-idiomatic words and statements.

[@billeudy8481]

When he started throwing fundraisers for Hillary I turned in my fin.

[@captnickalbert]

Fool

[@Zerowolf760]

Yea...its too bad he supported that deranged woman, but everyone is entitled to their opinions

[@cehenrichs]

Your loss…

[@BobbyTucker]

Good Man, @billeudy8481, I'm with you 100%.

[@bradsillasen1972]

Kinda ruins his image that he bought a cruise ship line. Those things are evil and have no rightful place on this planet.

[@BobbyTucker]

Could be they mixed up the name with Warren Buffet, Warren Buffet had the money to buy a Cruise Ship Line, he was also a Billionaire.

[@bradsillasen1972]

@@BobbyTuckerJimmy Buffet (musician) did own at least one seaplane and this is about that.

[@tomquinn5437]

This story is full of holes and BS.

[@fritzkatz]

Such as?

[@johnclinete6193]

What's worse? Jimmy Buffet and his music or his fans?

[@lowandslow3939]

Hey, I resemble that remark! ;-)

[@christopherdahle9985]

Yet you watched the video and felt compelled to comment. Put Volcano on, mix up a margarita and let your inner parrot head out of the closet son.

[@johnclinete6193]

@@christopherdahle9985 OH God I hate tequila! Tequila sunshine is ok but damn Tequila is too expensive. My drink is overproof white rum coke and vanilla extract. I don't have a name for it.

[@georgelevin6134]

It’s ok cupcake just keep listening to your Justin Bieber and your bubble gum music.

[@johnclinete6193]

@@georgelevin6134 Didn't want to start a musical war with you. The closest thing to hippie music that I listen to would be Rush or Zeppelin. My tastes went from there to metal. Industrial and 90s. My buddy is on a blues cruise Greece then up to Croatia. I don't know if he's into Buffet. I guess if I got free tickets and free food and drinks I'd go see Buffet just not a fan.

[@jodywade5617]

Read Jimmy's two books