Seaplanes?

Its a blast. If the flight school is good with scheduling (DE,
airplane, CFI, etc) you can do it in a weekend no problem. Its a great
rating to have (because its fun). However, it not likly that you'll
find rentals, insurance is through the roof for buying, and there
aren't a lot of good sea ports in most areas. However, the experience
of the training is great.

-Robert

Gerry wrote:

http://www.gate.net/~seaplane/

Got my CSES a few years ago at Norcal Aviation
(http://www.norcalaviation.com) - took 1.5 days. Absolutely loved it.

I just did my CMES at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base right after AOPA's Expo
2005 in Tampa. Also finished it in 1.5 days. Seemed like I knew Jon Brown
before meeting him since I had watched their seaplane videos. His
questioning on the Twin Bee's systems was extremely thorough; some of the
Twin Bee's systems are a little 'different'.

My suggestion, buy the books and watch the videos.

Hilton

If you tell us where you are, maybe we can help you. I own an Amphib
Husky. I received my initial training at Schebles in Arizona on the
Colorado River (Bullhead City, although Schebles is actually in Kingman
AZ). I had 4 hours of instruction and a checkride all in one day!
Probably efficient moneywise, but I wouldn't recommend doing it that
way. The last hour, I don't think I learned anything. But most other
places are more money becuase they break it up and it takes longer. It
IS difficult to rent a Seaplane (a couple of places let you solo IF you
take instruction there and only on the lakes you learned on). Schebles
does not. The high accident rate (and most of the accidents aren't too
serious, just expensive), is due to taxiing, beaching and docking,
which are problematic. (Taxi over a sharp rock, run the plane up onto
rocks, punch a hole in the floats with a nail sticking out of a dock,
drift into a boat while trying to get started, land on waves that are
too big and break a strut, that sort of thing). Also, picking landing
zones is not easy. There are no runway numbers on the end of lakes!
Essentially it is "bush" flying. You have to be adept and like the
water. It is great fun though, and I have had a blast flying my Husky
into many lakes in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, Maine. Florida is
good too, as is Minnesota. Actually most states have at least a few
lakes where you can do it.

www.seaplanes.org is the website where the most information is. Great
organization. They have a list of instruction areas on their website.
Good luck, it is a great experience.

Doug wrote:
If you tell us where you are, maybe we can help you.

I live in North Texas, and it looks like there are a few possibilities,
but I'm reconsidering the idea after reading the next part....

The high accident rate (and most of the accidents aren't too
serious, just expensive), is due to taxiing, beaching and docking,
which are problematic. (Taxi over a sharp rock, run the plane up onto
rocks, punch a hole in the floats with a nail sticking out of a dock,
drift into a boat while trying to get started, land on waves that are
too big and break a strut, that sort of thing).

I just don't need an accident on my record.

Doug wrote:
The high accident rate (and most of the accidents aren't too
serious, just expensive), is due to taxiing, beaching and docking,
which are problematic. (Taxi over a sharp rock, run the plane up onto
rocks, punch a hole in the floats with a nail sticking out of a dock,
drift into a boat while trying to get started, land on waves that are
too big and break a strut, that sort of thing).

....and landing in water w/ gears down. Remember that one?

You aren't likely to have an accident if you stick with an instructor.
They land and take off in the same place. They have it figured out.
Seaplane instruction is fairly accident free. It is Seaplane adventure
flying that has the high accident rate.

Yes gear UP for water and DOWN for runway, but very few give
instruction in Amphibs.

BTW, most of the accidents listed above don't result in FAA
notification. They aren't that serious and are actually INCIDENTS. They
just taxi back to the base (or sometimes even fly) , or fly the parts
in and repair it. Never seems to get reported. It's because they aren't
seriouis. But even simple screw ups can be several thousand dollars.
And like I said, it almost never haoppens with the instructor .This is
why they don't allow solos.

The accident rate for dual is not bad, it is when pilots go
into the wild and have trouble on unmarked waterways,
wilderness rivers and lakes that the accident rates go up.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Rachel" wrote in message
...
| Doug wrote:
| If you tell us where you are, maybe we can help you.
|
| I live in North Texas, and it looks like there are a few
possibilities,
| but I'm reconsidering the idea after reading the next
part....
|
| The high accident rate (and most of the accidents aren't
too
| serious, just expensive), is due to taxiing, beaching
and docking,
| which are problematic. (Taxi over a sharp rock, run the
plane up onto
| rocks, punch a hole in the floats with a nail sticking
out of a dock,
| drift into a boat while trying to get started, land on
waves that are
| too big and break a strut, that sort of thing).
|
| I just don't need an accident on my record.

Yes the accident rate with an instructor, in the instruction
environment, is quite low. Not a lot of problems there.

The accident rate for dual is not bad, it is when pilots go
into the wild and have trouble on unmarked waterways,
wilderness rivers and lakes that the accident rates go up.

What are the typical kinds of accidents and incidents that seaplanes get
into?

Jose
--
You can choose whom to befriend, but you cannot choose whom to love.
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