“It’s a fun airplane to fly, and it gets me almost everywhere.” What Hollywood actor Harrison Ford says about his own 1955 Beaver is equally true for Schwab’s aircraft. The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver made its maiden flight on August 16, 1947, and by the end of production in 1967, 1,692 examples had been built and exported to 60 countries. Powered by a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 nine-cylinder radial engine, the Beaver cruises at 220 km/h.
When most people think of the DHC-2 Beaver as a seaplane, they picture the waters around Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Many seaplane operators there rely on the rugged Beaver, including Harbour Air, the largest seaplane company in the Americas—and the second largest in the world after Trans Maldivian Airways—with 14 Beavers in its fleet. Harbour Air even began testing the world’s first all-electric Beaver in 2019.
But you don’t have to be in Canada to experience a Beaver on floats. For those who prefer warmer climates, beaches, and scuba diving in Asia, the Philippines offers a perfect alternative. In the northern province of Palawan, Swiss-Canadian Raymond Schwab operates Horizon Sun Charter (www.seaplane.ph) from the island of Busuanga/Coron, located between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The region is famed for its crystal-clear waters and outstanding diving spots, including numerous WWII shipwrecks, making it one of the Philippines’ top tourist destinations. Palawan is also home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Palawan has three airports with connections to Manila and Cebu: Puerto Princesa (PPS/RPVP), El Nido (ENI), and Busuanga (USU/RPVV). My journey took me from Cebu to Francisco B. Reyes Airport on Busuanga. On arrival, the complimentary resort shuttle was waiting. The transfer included a 20-minute van ride to the coast, followed by another 20 minutes aboard a traditional Philippine bangka pump boat to reach the El Rio Y Mar Resort. “The rugged coastline with its beautiful lagoons and resorts—many only accessible by boat—makes Palawan an ideal place for seaplanes,” says Schwab. The resort itself can be reached only by water or seaplane, yet the entire trip from airport touchdown to arrival at the resort took just one hour.
Born in Switzerland and raised in Quebec, Schwab founded Horizon Sun Charters in 2015. “My dream of flying began on a flight from Zurich to Montreal. A visit to the cockpit sealed my future,” he recalls. “I started flying in 1990 in Quebec at age 16. I flew aircraft before driving a car. It took me a few years to complete all my licenses—private, commercial, instrument, seaplane rating, and airline transport—while working a variety of jobs: airport UNICOM, flight school front desk, dishwasher, factory work, plane washing… and the rest is history.” He first flew seaplanes in Quebec and British Columbia before going on to fly in Madagascar, Indonesia, Switzerland, war-torn Afghanistan, and the jungles of Papua New Guinea. With his life savings, Schwab bought a 1957 de Havilland Canada Beaver in Quebec and brought it to Palawan to launch his business.
His Beaver, serial number 1096, was delivered to the U.S. Army on June 22, 1957, as 56-4399. The military ordered 973 Beavers in total. In 1972, it was offered for sale in Germany at the Coleman Barracks at Sandhofen Air Base near Mannheim. It later served various Canadian owners as C-GQKS and, in 2005, underwent a complete airframe overhaul and conversion to a seaplane. After flying in Canada until 2015, it joined Horizon Sun Charters and the Philippine aircraft register as RP-C2016, christened The Spirit of Busuanga.
Today, Horizon Sun Charters offers resort transfers, scenic flights over Palawan, and custom charters in the six-passenger Beaver. “Resort transfers and scenic flights are definitely our most popular services, but transfers between Busuanga and El Nido are in high demand too. We also offer packages with seaplane transfers, hotel stays, and activities like island hopping in remote locations such as Balabac,” explains Schwab.
Of course, I couldn’t resist taking a flight in this classic. Every day at 5:00 p.m. (or by request), Schwab offers a sunset tour. It was my first time in a seaplane, and the water takeoff directly toward the resort was a thrill. After liftoff, we banked left between two hills toward the airport, passing above a departing Sunlight Air ATR 72. We then turned out to sea, descending to 700 feet to circle Coron’s small islands and lagoons at 90 knots. A 360-degree turn over Club Paradise Resort capped the tour before we returned for a smooth water landing at sunset. To my surprise, the touchdown was gentler than on a paved runway—you barely notice it. In Schwab’s words: “Come to Palawan and fly with us. We’ll show you places you’ll remember for a lifetime.”
