seaplanes-floatplanes

Aussie

Aussie

New Member
Hey Does anyone here fly, or ever been for a flight in a floatplane?
What was the experiance like? Is it much harder to fly then a aircraft on wheels?
How do you brake in the water, i guess you just dont?
Whats the landing on water like? Hard, bumpy?

Thanks guys.....also, is it hard to get a rating/endorsement flying these birds?
I heard there are a fair share of float plane jobs in Canada?

Thanks again!
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Hey Aussie, I got my float plane rating in Alaska last year, awesome experience. The great thing about flying floats, you can always, or almost always, land with a headwind.
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All I can say is that it was like a National Geographic special flying up there.

The course I took also included mountain flying, which was a great experience-cost was about $1400. I know they do alot of that training in Canada, as well as Maine and Florida, it depends where you want to get it. It's probably cheaper in those other places, but I wouldn't trade the Alaska training for any in the world. Check out www.scenicmountainair.com
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yeah mate, thanks!
theres a little bit of Float flying in Syd, over harbour ect. but not easy to get into.
However, landing on water must be a thril!! I guess you dont have a runway to stay on, and always have headwind...hehe never thought of it that way!!!

So how do you not hit ramps and jetties(pier) when taxi in?

Thanks mate!!
 
Here's a question, if you've already got an ASEL, do you have get any training other than takeoffs and landings for the ASES rating? Do you have to demonstrate anything other than than takeoffs and landings for the checkride?
 
So how do you not hit ramps and jetties(pier) when taxi in?

Thanks mate!!

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I didn't encounter any in AK, except for where we were docking. Just line it up and cut the power about 10-15 feet from the dock. As far as anything in the water, you basically do a flyover of the landing site once, twice, or however many times you feel that you need to make a safe landing.

When you land a float plane, you don't flare like a typical airplane with wheels, you set an attitude and wait for the plane to settle. Glassy water is a little trickier, because you don't have real good depth perception when the water is like glass, but its part of the fun. Hope that helps mate!
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[ QUOTE ]
Here's a question, if you've already got an ASEL, do you have get any training other than takeoffs and landings for the ASES rating? Do you have to demonstrate anything other than than takeoffs and landings for the checkride?

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There's a whole bunch of stuff that you need to know in addition to landing and taking off. Some of them include getting the plane up on the step, taxing, turning, and emergency procedures. Also, a lot of the rules that you would have for boating, such as right-of-way, buoys, mooring, docking, and beaching.
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There was as lot more than I thought was involved, but it was well worth it. Hopefully it will come in helpful one day when I get a job as a floatplane pilot in Alaska!
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Duh, I should have known that!
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But actually my real question is, is there anything you have to do other than what is specific to sea planes. I.e., you don't have to do the whole private pilot checkride all over in a sea plane do you? Is there any airwork you have to demonstrate?
 
I finished a little over half my seaplane training today, and it was far and away the best flying I've done. I've been instructing the past month--mostly in 152's and 172's--so the transition to the 150/150 floatplane wasn't too dramatic. There should be quite a bit of stuff on the checkride other than takeoffs and landings--taxiing, sailing, beaching, etc. Landing on water is unbelievably cool, but taking off is better--the plane really accelerates as soon as it breaks free from the surface.

We did some pretty fantastic stuff today--I might post video from my last few flights/checkride at the end of the week.

-Zach
 
I did my SES in Florida at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base. It was an absolute blast! The rating took about 6 hours and some change, and cost around $900 I believe. I did it over the course of a weekend. On my checkride we did the various takeoffs and landings (glassy water, rough water, normal, etc), plus docking, step, plow, etc taxiing, and I believe we did some basic airwork like stalls.

I had so much fun I'd like to go back and do my commercial single engine sea add-on now that I have my CSEL. Not that I'll ever use it, it just gives me an excuse to fly floats.
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Sarah
 
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Duh, I should have known that!
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But actually my real question is, is there anything you have to do other than what is specific to sea planes. I.e., you don't have to do the whole private pilot checkride all over in a sea plane do you? Is there any airwork you have to demonstrate?

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HaHa, no you don't have to do any of the PPl stuff except what is specific to floatplanes.
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The airwork that I had to do at least, because it involved mountain flying, was to learn how to read the wind to know which side of the mountain to fly on--you want ot be on the upwind side as opposed to a downdraft. Of course my examiner, who had 14,000 hours on floats, showed me how to use it as an elevator-catch it high up ont he mountain, and get out on the floor you want.
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Of course there was the engine out emergency I had to deal with, and not just take it down to a couple hundred feet and then apply power. On the engine out, he said you better get this baby down on that lake right there, or we're in deep sh*t. It was my best landing of the checkride.
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It's amazing what you can do when you know you have to!
 
I had so much fun I'd like to go back and do my commercial single engine sea add-on now that I have my CSEL. Not that I'll ever use it, it just gives me an excuse to fly floats.
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Sarah

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I'd like to do that too, hopefully I'll have an excuse to use it. It is an absolute blast isn't it?
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BushPilot: yes it is an absolute blast. The only thing that's come even close is the tailwheel endorsement I did in the mountains in New Mexico. I can't wait to be able to go back.

I had the engine out simulation on my checkride as well, that was carried all the way into a landing. Luckily I had a nice long lake at about my 2 o'clock and was already almost situated into the wind. It too was my best landing of the ride!
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Sarah
 
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So how do you not hit ramps and jetties(pier) when taxi in?

Thanks mate!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't encounter any in AK, except for where we were docking. Just line it up and cut the power about 10-15 feet from the dock. As far as anything in the water, you basically do a flyover of the landing site once, twice, or however many times you feel that you need to make a safe landing.

When you land a float plane, you don't flare like a typical airplane with wheels, you set an attitude and wait for the plane to settle. Glassy water is a little trickier, because you don't have real good depth perception when the water is like glass, but its part of the fun. Hope that helps mate!
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Yeah that does, thanks mate!
So when your coming to park at the pier, and you cut the power 10-15feet away, you want to make sure you dont drift away from the jetty, or not drift into it!
Then i guess you jump out and tie it down?
 
Ohh and i forgot....you said you need to be able to get the plane up on the step....
what the????

Sorry mate, but i dont know what you mean by that!
 
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Ohh and i forgot....you said you need to be able to get the plane up on the step....
what the????

Sorry mate, but i dont know what you mean by that!

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All "on the step" means is that the airplane is moving across the water fast enough for the floats to plane on the surface, rather than plow through the water. It's the lowest-drag condition to be in on the surface. Think about a speedboat, and how when you apply full throttle, it's nose rises, but then lowers as it speeds up and starts planing...the same thing happens with a floatplane.

-Zach
 
Ok, i get it, but how is it done?
Do you also add full throttle and wait for the speed to come up to get it on the step?

Thanks Mate!
 
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Ok, i get it, but how is it done?
Do you also add full throttle and wait for the speed to come up to get it on the step?


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You get on the step by going full back on the yoke and adding full power. The nose will rise dramatically (I think it will actually rise in two steps for most floatplanes), and when it does, it's ready to be on the step. You then release back pressure sloooowly (too little back pressure will induce porpoising) and either accelerate for a takeoff or reduce power if you're step taxiing.

-Zach
 
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