Unlike most utility aircraft, the Husky comes from the factory essentially ready for floats. It’s an excellent performer on the water.

The term “working airplane” has a specific connotation for most pilots and owners. A working airplane is one that earns money hauling people and stuff, often without regard to creature comfort or fancy amenities. A DeHavilland Beaver is a working airplane. So is a Piper Super Cub. Add one more: the Aviat Husky.

The Husky meets all the criteria for a working or bush airplane, in which a premium is placed on short-field capability and ruggedness, at the expense of speed, creature comfort and snappy handling. These airplanes are built to be routinely operated in environments considered hostile: short, rough strips and low-level flight typically required by pilots who do…