For some travelers, arriving on Captiva meant landing on the water and stepping from a small seaplane onto Andy’s Dock. The photographs accompanying this story capture that memorable introduction to the island of local pilot Buddy Bobst and his Gulf Airways service, courtesy of Beach Edwards’ personal collection of slides. Beach is the son of long time Captiva resident Nancy Oden.

Monroe Stanley “Buddy” Bobst operated Gulf Airways in Fort Myers, transporting passengers from the mainland, usually Page Field, to Captiva. A water landing and a dockside arrival offered a distinctive alternative to the journey by boat—and placed passengers directly into the rhythm of island life.

Passengers were only part of the story. Bobst also made a morning run delivering the News-Press, a flight remembered locally as the “Dawn Patrol.” Along with visitors and returning residents, his airplane brought islanders their connection to the day’s news.

His service extended beyond Captiva. At nearby Cabbage Key, Gulf Airways helped meet the everyday needs of an island inn. The island’s historical account identifies the aircraft used there as a Republic Seabee amphibian and recalls guests watching it land on the water and taxi to the dock. Sunday flights brought passengers, newspapers, and large bundles of clean bed linens from a Fort Myers commercial laundry.

Although seaplane arrivals evoke Captiva’s years before the causeway, Bobst’s passenger flights continued afterward. The June 17, 1965, Islander reported that Margie Spang had returned to Captiva, noting: “She was brought in by BUDDY BOBST in the Sea Plane.” The brief mention suggests how familiar his flights had become—a remarkable arrival reported as an ordinary piece of island news.

Photographs of passengers stepping ashore preserve more than an unusual way to reach Captiva. They recall a time when a small airplane and a familiar pilot helped transport residents and visitors, at the same time connecting island communities to the services and daily necessities of the mainland.

Photos courtesy of Beach E. Edwards’ personal collection of slides. Beach,  
the son of long time Captiva resident Nancy Oden, shared his many photos with the CIHS.