Nowadays, seaplanes are mainly used for leisure, for instance, in exotic locations like the Maldives, where these amphibious aircraft carry passengers from the main airports to remote, paradisical islands. However, in the early days of aviation, seaplanes were crucial in proving that long-haul flights could be a reality. Among others, the Italian aviator Francesco de Pinedo, for instance, strongly advocated the superiority of seaplanes in performing long-distance flights.