AOPA resources can help you prepare
Flying, for all of us, continues to be a learning experience. Many private pilots look forward to earning instrument ratings; flight instructors work toward becoming airline transport pilots; renters are anxious to check out in higher-performance aircraft.
The experiences of Katie Writer and Ian Twombly (see "Living the Dream," p. 30, and "Role Reversal," p. 34) reminded me of my own interest in seaplane flying. For many years I had wanted to add a seaplane rating to my certificate. Like so many of us, I put off scheduling this dream. Finally, a friend and I agreed to go to a weekend school and try out the strange environment of taking off and landing on water.
So many AOPA members don't take advantage of the association's wealth of information on any given subject. I must admit that often I don't remember how much material we have. So I contacted our Pilot Information Center (800/USA-AOPA or [email protected]) and told the technical specialist of my pending floatplane lessons. I was steered to a free, comprehensive seaplane subject report on AOPA Online. This resource included a link to the appropriate FAA practical test standards, which provided the details of all the tasks that would be required for the rating. The subject report also linked to several AOPA Pilot magazine articles written by others who had attended the same two-day course. It was helpful to read their observations, since many of the problems they encountered are universal.
The Seaplane Pilots Association (SPA) is an independent organization, long supported by AOPA, that serves the unique needs of seaplane pilots. The SPA Web site includes a list of experienced seaplane flight instructors around the country. The organization also produces an excellent magazine, Water Flying. I soon got a real appreciation for the value of general aviation's ability to use many of our lakes and waterways as airports.
With the knowledge gained from the AOPA and SPA Web sites, my friend and I chose Jack Brown's Seaplane Base in Winter Haven, Florida. Since 1962, Brown's has trained more than 16,000 seaplane pilots from all over the world. We soon found ourselves at the Winter Haven Airport on a Friday evening, ready to start training the next morning. Lessons would start at 7 a.m. to take advantage of the morning calm. I should mention that the weather was not at all cooperative that first day, with strong winds and several heavy rain squalls.
Bright and early on Saturday, I met my instructor, John Rennie, whose enthusiasm for flying floats was only exceeded by his calm and patient manner. In real life he is a corporate pilot flying business jets, but it was obvious that seaplane flying is his true love.
Ground school is integrated into the five hours of flight time, and we had two days to accomplish everything. To add to the challenge, my training and checkride would be in a Piper J-3 Cub on floats. With very little stick time, let alone Cub time, I was apprehensive as we began. Thank goodness this Cub had a "whopping" 90-horsepower engine -- it had to work hard to carry the weight of the floats and two adults off the water. We never flew higher than 900 feet above the water, and that was for stalls, steep turns, and slow flight. Ninety percent of the flying was at 500 feet, which made the experience even more fun.
Central Florida is famous as the "Land of 1,000 Lakes" -- perfect for "splash and goes" and water taxiing. Even without sailing experience, I quickly discovered how operating on the water brought an instant recognition of the importance of wind direction, application of power, and use of both air and water rudders. To minimize the noise for those who live near the water, my CFI was careful to make sure that we never stayed at one lake too long. "Friendly flying" was the rule.
The first day's lunch break consisted of landing on a lake, docking, and walking a dozen yards to a local restaurant. Then the rain hit. The AOPA materials never described the experience of flying with the window and door wide open and rain pouring onto the student.
By the second day I was more comfortable, and my checkride went flawlessly. Jon Brown, son of the late Jack Brown who founded the business, was my examiner. He filled out a temporary certificate that read "Airplane Single-Engine Land and Sea."
Floatplane purists look down on weekend courses, and for the right reasons. They really just introduce pilots to the basics. I wouldn't take out a seaplane by myself without more training. Still, the experience brought me back to the basics of flying, placing great emphasis on wind direction in the air and on the water.
The next time you undertake a new challenge, be sure to use the free information services from AOPA so that you are well prepared for the experience.
See an index of AOPA aviation subject reports, available free at AOPA Online.
