Like any other checkride, your seaplane checkride will consist of an Oral Exam and Flight Test. Expect the oral to be under 90 minutes and the flight to around 1.0 or so on the hobbs, of course depending on how far you have to travel to get to the bodies of water you want to… Continue reading Your Checkride
Lesson Category: seaplane
Seaplane Bonus Lessons
These lessons are in addition to the regular course and are completely optional, of course, a little more information never hurt right? Click on the topics below to watch what it is like on your regular seaplane flight lessons, along with a short video from the master Don Lee about the Do’s and Don’ts of… Continue reading Seaplane Bonus Lessons
General Knowledge
In this lesson, we’ll cover some of the general knowledge of waterways, as well as some basic guidelines for flying common seaplane training aircraft you may find yourself in during your seaplane training. Click the topics below to get started!
Seaplane Parking
A few post-landing notes Maintain at least 50′ from other vessels while taxiing in Raise your flaps for better visibility while taxiing and reducing the effect of the wind on your seaplane Have an idea of where you want to go, you don’t have any brakes! In the next topics, we’ll cover anchoring, ramping, beaching,… Continue reading Seaplane Parking
Emergency Landing
Good news! Float planes can actually be safely landed in many more places than their land plane counterparts. Although you may not be taking off any time soon after landing a floatplane or flying boat in a field somewhere, it can still be done safely and with minimal damage to the hull or floats. In… Continue reading Emergency Landing
Crosswind Takeoff and Landing
Well here’s some good news, since we get to make our own runway each time with a seaplane, we rarely have to accept a crosswind. However, when the orientation of the water is such that you will be taking off or landing with a crosswind, there are a few extra things to consider that we’ll discuss… Continue reading Crosswind Takeoff and Landing
Confined Area Operations
A few notes about confined areas: You can generally land shorter than you can takeoff You might not be able to takeoff at all from a tiny lake you land on (don’t be that guy) If you think you landed somewhere too tiny to takeoff, leave it to someone more skilled to get the plane… Continue reading Confined Area Operations
Glassy Water Takeoff and Landing
It looks pretty, but it hurts… Glass water is such a concern to pilots because of the inability you have to properly judge your height above the surface. You run the risk of flying right into the water, never knowing it was coming. The most common accidents associated with glassy water are: Flaring high and… Continue reading Glassy Water Takeoff and Landing
Rough Water Takeoff and Landing
Rough water can make your day a little rough. Here are some tips to make things easier on yourself and your seaplane. Consider taking off and landing “upwind” closer to a lake shore where the water is calmer. Do not operate in waves greater than specified by the float or aircraft manufacturer. A general rule… Continue reading Rough Water Takeoff and Landing
Normal Takeoff and Landing
In this lesson, we’ll cover normal takeoff and landing procedures in your seaplane. Click Normal Seaplane Takeoff to get started.