diff --git a/src/Airports/simple.hxx b/src/Airports/simple.hxx
index 93c76fbe1..d226d40f4 100644
--- a/src/Airports/simple.hxx
+++ b/src/Airports/simple.hxx
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ public:
        }
        
        virtual Type maxType() const {
-         return SEAPORT;
+         return AIRPORT;
        }
        
        virtual bool passAirport(FGAirport* aApt) const {
@@ -128,9 +128,6 @@ public:
        
        virtual bool passAirport(FGAirport* aApt) const;
        
-       virtual Type maxType() const {
-         return AIRPORT;
-       }
      private:
        double mMinLengthFt;
      };
@@ -138,7 +135,7 @@ public:
      /**
       * Syntactic wrapper around FGPositioned::findClosest - find the closest
       * match for filter, and return it cast to FGAirport. The default filter
-      * passes all airports, including seaports and heliports.
+      * passes airports, but not seaports or heliports
       */
      static FGAirport* findClosest(const SGGeod& aPos, double aCuttofNm, Filter* filter = NULL);
      
diff --git a/src/Environment/environment_ctrl.cxx b/src/Environment/environment_ctrl.cxx
index 5b9cfcfb9..4c7ec797b 100644
--- a/src/Environment/environment_ctrl.cxx
+++ b/src/Environment/environment_ctrl.cxx
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ public:
 	virtual bool passAirport(FGAirport* aApt) const {
 		return aApt->getMetar();
 	}
+  
+  // permit heliports and seaports too
+  virtual FGPositioned::Type maxType() const
+  { return FGPositioned::SEAPORT; }
 };
 
 static AirportWithMetar airportWithMetarFilter;
diff --git a/src/Instrumentation/mk_viii.hxx b/src/Instrumentation/mk_viii.hxx
index 423562cfe..6e28b74fc 100755
--- a/src/Instrumentation/mk_viii.hxx
+++ b/src/Instrumentation/mk_viii.hxx
@@ -1594,10 +1594,6 @@ private:
         : mk(device) {}
         
       virtual bool passAirport(FGAirport *a) const;
-      
-      virtual FGPositioned::Type maxType() const {
-        return FGPositioned::AIRPORT;
-      }
     private:
       MK_VIII* mk;
     };