• Three amphibious aircraft fly in formation: the top one is painted red, white, and blue and bears the markings of the U.S. Coast Guard, the one beneath it is blue and white, and the third one is metallic gray.
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    A Grumman HU-16B Albatross (foreground) is accompanied by two HU-16Cs over Lake Conroe in Texas. The Albatross was designed to meet a U.S. Navy requirement for an amphibious utility aircraft that could also operate from snow and ice with skis. In 1955, Grumman developed an improved variant (16B) with a 16.5-foot increase in wingspan and larger aileron and tail surfaces. A Navy version, the 16C, operated as a search-and-rescue aircraft.

  • Three amphibious aircraft fly in formation: the top one is painted red, white, and blue and bears the markings of the U.S. Coast Guard, the one beneath it is blue and white, and the third one is metallic gray.

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Chris Ebdon/AV8PIX via Flickr

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