C208 on Floats

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Way too much fun.

Enjoy (from our backseater):

[Gil Buettner]

My, gawd, Gil. It was that long ago?

Looks like the era may have ended. Derek has sold Northwoods. Nigel and Cole are attempting to keep things going with the new owners or others.

I talked to Cole about this last month on the 15th, our shared birthday, when he told me it looked like things were ending for us at CAD. I didn't realize Northwoods had been sold. Bummer.

Just checked: I got my commercial seaplane rating on July 25, 1998. I had a toral of 2.5 hours when I took the checkride. I am now all the way up to seven hours on floats.

[Rick Durden]

Way too much fun.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

And 10 years ago today I had much splashing in this Beaver (Kenmore) with an hour or so of dual. Yes, Rick, it was fun in Sausalito with Aaron's bunch, and a nice dinner afterward with Amelia and my daughter Ann (who flew with us)

[Rick Durden]

My, gawd, Gil. It was that long ago?

Looks like the era may have ended. Derek has sold Northwoods. Nigel and Cole are attempting to keep things going with the new owners or others.

New AOPA Pilot has a piece on another pilot who got his seaplane rating with us in CAD - Aaron Singer. He now runs a tour operation over the San Francisco Bay area with a Beaver on floats. We had a mini-Seaplane Weekend there several years ago because he let us use a 172 on floats. Only place I've ever experienced the need to make a 90-degree left turn just as you're getting onto the step.

As I recall, Scott Dyer was there.

We all got a ride in the Beaver. Didn't get a chance to fly it.

Um, my first up close look at the Cessna 208 on amphib floats was on the airport on San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize. It was parked at the Tropic airline facility (it runs 208s) and I was told it belonged to Jimmie Buffet and his pilot was ferrying it somewhere. Yeah, it stood real tall - I went through wondering how long it would take me to figure out where to flare to land it on wheels. My first few 185 amphib landings on wheels had been, "I think I should begin to flare in a second or THUMP!"

[Gil Buettner]

I did mine around 1998 at CAD with Rick Durden as my instructor. Flew Friday night and Saturday and took the checkride Sunday morning. It was $650 plus the fee for the DPE. I now have about seven hours on floats.

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Nice idea, Terry. I did mine 10-12 years ago in Maine. It is loads of fun.

[Terry Carraway]

I did an hour of dual in a Beaver on amphib floats about 10 years ago at Kenmore. Lots of splashing and the like! Fun.

We should go to FL together and do our ASES. There is a place that has a Maule on floats. That should be fun.

[Gil Buettner]

You went up to Gino's place, didn't you?

That's right. Had a great time for a few days.

[A. Niemyer]

I had a trip from Duluth to a fly-in fishing camp in Ontario in the right seat of a Beech 18 on floats. We have a Beaver on amphibious floats based at the airport where I work.

You went up to Gino's place, didn't you?

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

I did an hour of dual in a Beaver on amphib floats about 10 years ago at Kenmore. Lots of splashing and the like! Fun.

[Gil Buettner]

When I did my ASES at a small operation in Greenville, ME, the "big: FBO had a Beech 18 on floats.

A bunch of Beavers on floats across the inlet for the Forestry Service.

I had a trip from Duluth to a fly-in fishing camp in Ontario in the right seat of a Beech 18 on floats. We have a Beaver on amphibious floats based at the airport where I work.

[Sean Franklin]

Saw a C208 on floats parked on the ramp at KVBT when I was landing today. That is one TALL airplane!

[Scott Dyer HPN/NY]

Greenville also had (has?) a DC-3 on floats. THAT'S big.

I had a C208 on floats, and for a time a Beaver on floats, tied down just across from me 10-12 years ago.

[Terry Carraway]

When I did my ASES at a small operation in Greenville, ME, the "big: FBO had a Beech 18 on floats.

A bunch of Beavers on floats across the inlet for the Forestry Service.