Seaplanes aren't just for fun - in Canada they are the only way to reach some remote locations. In this video, you'll fly in one for a series of takeoffs and landings in northern Ontario. Even better, the airplane is a de Havilland Beaver, an iconic bush plane still widely used in Alaska and Canada. Watch the airplane move from plow to "on the step" to takeoff, from both inside and outside the cockpit. And yes, sometimes the only way to dock a seaplane is to paddle your way there.

This is why you practice short field landings! The pilot loads up seven of his friends in a Pilatus, then takes off from his home airport's grass runway (yes, in a 10,000 lb. airplane) and flies to Courchevel, a scenic ski resort in the French Alps. There's a very convenient airport right on the side of the mountain, but it's less than 1,800 feet long and has a stunning 18.6% gradient.