Float Flying Resources

There were quite a few resources on the web on float flying which I recently discovered (after getting the sea plane rating).

Online Resources

Transport Canada Float Plane Passenger briefing (with underwater egress)

FAA Handbook on Float Flying - preflight, taxi, take off, cruise, landing, anchoring, docking

Float Flying Skills from Langley Air

Float Plane Rating

Super Helpful Video Resources

My Docking Video



Docking Part 1



Docking Part 2



Float Plane Operation in Moving Water
Preflight Unique to Float Flying and Briefing

Line Handling
Docking Line and Handling Ropes (and Current vs. Wind Take-Offs)

Moving Water Intro
High altitude check first (looking for power lines/other obstructions), then low altitude check for shallow water, obstacles, touch down area, taxi route, wind strength. Then current speed vs. wind speed.

Landing and Taxiing

Taxi / make turns into current for ultimate control. Taxing down current makes water rudder ineffective, so use lots of power!

 Moving Water and Docking

Float Plane Beaching

Float Plane Rating - good tips on Glassy Water Landings

Float Flying Resources

There were quite a few resources on the web on float flying which I recently discovered (after getting the sea plane rating).

PDF Resources

Transport Canada Float Plane Passenger briefing (with underwater egress)

FAA Handbook on Float Flying - preflight, taxi, take off, cruise, landing, anchoring, docking

Super Helpful Video Resources

Float Plane Operation in Moving Water
Preflight Unique to Float Flying and Briefing

Line Handling
Docking Line and Handling Ropes (and Current vs. Wind Take-Offs)

Moving Water Intro
High altitude check first (looking for power lines/other obstructions), then low altitude check for shallow water, obstacles, touch down area, taxi route, wind strength. Then current speed vs. wind speed.

Landing and Taxiing

Taxi / make turns into current for ultimate control. Taxing down current makes water rudder ineffective, so use lots of power!

 Moving Water and Docking

Float Plane Beaching

Float Plane Rating - good tips on Glassy Water Landings

Float Rating

With my mind on the float plane that had just arrived after waiting longer than three months, I was at the annual cottage party for the long weekend (14th year!)  I didn't want to drive back an hour to get the lesson (and missing the cottage party was out of question), so I arranged for a pickup at the cottage (who says you can't have it both ways?!)

I sent over the GPS coordinates, screen shot of the map, a picture of the dock, inspected the water for any obstacles (rocks, trees) and awaited the arrival with a handheld radio in hand. With a couple of overflights, the instructor found the cottage and the plane docked gracefully.

I climbed in not knowing what to expect.  Here's the rundown of how to handle floats - first lesson:

Taxi

Activate Water Rudders
Control Column all the way out
Slow throttle

Take Off

Deactivate Water Rudders
10° Flaps
Control column all the way out
Pick cloud as a reference point
Full power
Step? Lower control column to "sweet spot" slowly
Let plane take off and keep ground effect until acceleration
Climb out
Retract flaps with positive rate of climb

Landing

Overfly area
20° flaps
Downwind and GUMPS (gas, undercarriage, mixture, pumps, switches) check 
65 kts approach
Flare keeping shoreline and pheriperal view
Power off on touchdown
Gradual control column all the way out

Rust Remover IFR Flight

An engine overhaul put the plane out of commission for a couple of months, so those two months went by without me getting into the pilot's seat.

Instrument rated pilots are required to be current (six hours of instrument flying and six instrument approaches in the last six months) because rust builds quickly (way before those six months are up!).
Even though flying is much like riding a bike, lots of procedures slip from being on top of mind - there is just so much to keep at your fingertips.

It's key for any rust remover flight is to be uber-focused on flight duties - so, the first tip is to not have any passengers with you.  It's easier to focus without having to worry about passenger needs, or them distracting you.  Also, with the plane just back from an engine overhaul with new avionics, wanted to make sure there weren't any issues to deal with.

This rust remover flight went well.  There was a low level jet stream (50 knots at 6000 feet).  There were just a couple of learnings to re-iterate in this flight...

Rust Remover Lesson One: Need to check that the heading indicator is set to runway heading before take-off, as it's a good place to double check that the compass is correct (and to also make sure you are on the correct runway - not that I was on the wrong runway, but it's a good procedure to follow!)

I usually do the PTILT check (Pitot, Transponder, Instruments, Lights and Time) - but I missed the heading/runway alignment check - wich is part of the I, the instruments check.  Had this been an unfamiliar airport, it's a good system to have to double check - both to make sure you are on the right runway and to make sure your heading, which you would rely on a lot for departure procedures and air traffic control instructions at busy airport, is set correctly.

Rust Remover Lesson Two: Upon switching frequency closer to the arrival airport - be prepared for controller asking preferred approach right away.

Luckly I had tuned into the weather and knew runway I was going to use, but I hadn't decided on the approach.  With the plates in front of me, I was able to pick RNAV 27 without hesitating too much.  With heavy workload, and busy airspace, it could have been difficult.  Also, be prepared for the controller asking from which waypoint you'd like to start the approach from.

I hand flew the plane all the way there and most of the way back - just to get those flying muscles firing again!