Seaplane endorsement?

Sport Pilot

Sport Pilot

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Does anyone here have a Single Engine -Sea endorsement (ASES)? Are there any suggestions or guidance that you learned along the way that you would like to share?

I am looking into obtaining the endorsement. It will require approximately 6 - 8 hours of flight time and 1.5 - 2.0 hours of ground.

Thanks!
 
Sport Pilot said:
Are there any suggestions or guidance that you learned along the way that you would like to share?!
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it’s a lot of fun. Go do it and enjoy.

IMHO, the most fun you can have in an airplane.
 
Are you talking about an endorsement at the Sport Pilot level or a rating at the Private Pilot (or higher) level?
 
Are you talking about an endorsement at the Sport Pilot level or a rating at the Private Pilot (or higher) level?
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Sport Pilot level.
 
ASES is a rating, not an endorsement (checkride with a DE required, but no written) for private pilots. I got my introduction to aviation (and soloed) on floats in Juneau. When I got back to the lower 48 I added float time but switched to wheels and got certificated as ASEL. I accumulated a grand total of 32 hours of ASES time (and yes, passed the checkride and added ASES to my certificate). Several thousand hours later, those 32 hours still live in my logbook.

ASES is fun, but rentals are hard to find. You pretty much have to own one to get the most out of the rating.

Bob
 
1578B003-F879-4420-99CD-98BFECEEB262.jpeg Bob,
I have been calling around and yes, it is difficult to rent a seaplane. ICON 5A are extremely difficult to rent due to insurance, and the SeaRey are almost exclusive to clubs.

The school I am having discussions with said that since I have my Sport certificate already, all I would need is 6 - 8 hours or so of training and fly with a senior CFI who will then endorse my logbook.
 
Sport Pilot said:
The school I am having discussions with said that since I have my Sport certificate already, all I would need is 6 - 8 hours or so of training and fly with a senior CFI who will then endorse my logbook.
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They are correct, it is an endorsement for sport pilots. It is a rating, which requires another checkride, if you wish to exercise private or higher privileges in a seaplane. Other than taking another checkride, I can't imagine that the training received would be much if any different for a sport pilot vs. a private pilot. Regardless, I'd want more than 6 hours of experience before being turned loose if the intent is to actually fly seaplanes after the training.
 
Light sport airplane pilots can also add light sport glider by endorsement. There are a lot of gliders that meet light sport aircraft spec.
 
mondtster said:
They are correct, it is an endorsement for sport pilots. It is a rating, which requires another checkride, if you wish to exercise private or higher privileges in a seaplane. Other than taking another checkride, I can't imagine that the training received would be much if any different for a sport pilot vs. a private pilot. Regardless, I'd want more than 6 hours of experience before being turned loose if the intent is to actually fly seaplanes after the training.
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Nah, I think that it being a rating at private level and higher is overkill. It should really just be an endorsement. It's easier than SEL flying.
 
I have a Sport ASES Endorsement.
I did mine in a J-3 on straight floats. It was a lot of fun and would recommend it!

Handful of hours with a CFI to train you, followed by a Proficiency Check with a different CFI. The Check CFI gives the endorsement.

Even though it's an endorsement, you'll still want to update the FAA, so your endorsement gets added to the back of your card.

Also remember that since this is a Proficiency Check and not a check ride, it will not reset your flight review timer.

Have fun!
 
amster105 said:
Also remember that since this is a Proficiency Check and not a check ride, it will not reset your flight review timer.

Have fun!
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But you could have it signed off that way if requested (and did 1hr ground/1hr of actual flying) just like any other endorsement.
 
EdFred said:
Nah, I think that it being a rating at private level and higher is overkill. It should really just be an endorsement. It's easier than SEL flying.
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License to learn applies more to float ratings than anything else in aviation. A trained monkey can fly floats on a big lake on a nice day. There's a lot more to it than that.
 
EdFred said:
But you could have it signed off that way if requested (and did 1hr ground/1hr of actual flying) just like any other endorsement.
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Wouldn't that have to be after the Proficiency Check though? Since the Proficiency Check is whats granting you the endorsement. And a FR has to be done in an aircraft you are rated/endorsed for.
 
amster105 said:
Wouldn't that have to be after the Proficiency Check though? Since the Proficiency Check is whats granting you the endorsement. And a FR has to be done in an aircraft you are rated/endorsed for.
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If you're getting an endorsement, you're already rated, and eligible to get a FR in that plane.
 
Stewartb said:
License to learn applies more to float ratings than anything else in aviation. A trained monkey can fly floats on a big lake on a nice day. There's a lot more to it than that.
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You have your perspective, I have mine.
 
Flying a float plane isn’t all that hard but if there’s any wind the sailing part can get a little tricky, you don’t have any brakes for one thing. The other factor is that, unlike an airport, you’re operating in a completely uncontrolled environment. There may be nautical charts available for some waterways but for most lakes you’ve got nothing showing you sandbars or underwater hazards. Then there’s the glassy water thing, you have to learn how to do that.
 
Silvaire said:
The other factor is that, unlike an airport, you’re operating in a completely uncontrolled environment.
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Not always... "Beaver 03X cleared into the Bravo at or below 1500. Landing in the channel will be at your own risk. Report down and clear on this frequency." :D

Screenshot_20200917-001852_Pilot.jpg
 
Curious... can an ATP get a Sea endorsement at the Sport Pilot level? Similar to an add on at a lower grade?
I know it’s not practical, but may be a fun way to experience and gain knowledge without going through the checkride rigamarole.
 
Kritchlow said:
Curious... can an ATP get a Sea endorsement at the Sport Pilot level? Similar to an add on at a lower grade?
I know it’s not practical, but may be a fun way to experience and gain knowledge without going through the checkride rigamarole.
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As @MauleSkinner said, yes. A higher level certificate holder can always choose to exercise lower certificate privileges. Kind of like a commercial pilot certificate holder can do pro-rata flight sharing or rely on BasicMed (both private pilot privileges).
 
Operating on flowing water, sometimes rapidly flowing. Twisting creeks, submerged obstacles, current vs wind, swells vs wind, taxiing and docking in close quarters in wind, one way ops into the sun, step taxi to takeoff at different CGs... easy, says the internet. My fav is getting stuck on a submerged sandbar and having to unload the plane to float it off. In the middle of a river. Good times.
 
Stewartb said:
Operating on flowing water, sometimes rapidly flowing. Twisting creeks, submerged obstacles, current vs wind, swells vs wind, taxiing and docking in close quarters in wind, one way ops into the sun, step taxi to takeoff at different CGs... easy, says the internet. My fav is getting stuck on a submerged sandbar and having to unload the plane to float it off. In the middle of a river. Good times.
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A lot of that can be applied to land planes as well. Short fields, rough field, obstacles, winds, off airport fields, dogleg runways, uphill/downhill runways, canyons...

Self aggrandizing doesn't make anyone a better pilot. Getting stuck sounds like a pilot issue, not an airplane issue.
 
No self aggrandizing intended. It's a topic I'm immersed in, pardon the pun. Glacial river ops are tricky since river levels constantly change, sandbars, too, and you can't see 1/2" into the water. My cabin's on a small twisty creek. One float step turn takeoffs around a bend are how it's done. Coincidentally I had to demonstrate that technique during my float checkride. My examiner was a smart dude.

Off airport ops can be tricky but you can see what you've got and you have brakes once wheels are down. I'm fond of off airport ops. The ultimate pilot playground, the Knik River valley is about 10 flight minutes looking right over my airplanes, both of which are set up for off airport ops. Fun stuff. Let me know when you want to swap stories about ski flying. CF9C94B2-57FF-4EBA-9C7F-749461588DF4.jpeg
 
Stewartb said:
No self aggrandizing intended. It's a topic I'm immersed in, pardon the pun. Glacial river ops are tricky since river levels constantly change, sandbars, too, and you can't see 1/2" into the water. My cabin's on a small twisty creek. One float step turn takeoffs around a bend are how it's done. Coincidentally I had to demonstrate that technique during my float checkride. My examiner was a smart dude.

Off airport ops can be tricky but you can see what you've got and you have brakes once wheels are down. I'm fond of off airport ops. The ultimate pilot playground, the Knik River valley is about 10 flight minutes looking right over my airplanes, both of which are set up for off airport ops. Fun stuff. Let me know when you want to swap stories about ski flying.
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Did you get your sea plane rating in the valley? I recently met up with Alaska Float and Ski and had a good time out there on a discovery flight.
 
Here’s what the FAA had to say about it nearly 50 years ago. Not much has changed since.

 
smv said:
Not always... "Beaver 03X cleared into the Bravo at or below 1500. Landing in the channel will be at your own risk. Report down and clear on this frequency." :D

View attachment 90064
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I’ll raise you a

6-BD0-C6-BD-43-F1-40-F7-BE76-BF037840-B369.jpg
 
Stewartb said:
No self aggrandizing intended. It's a topic I'm immersed in, pardon the pun. Glacial river ops are tricky since river levels constantly change, sandbars, too, and you can't see 1/2" into the water. My cabin's on a small twisty creek. One float step turn takeoffs around a bend are how it's done. Coincidentally I had to demonstrate that technique during my float checkride. My examiner was a smart dude.

Off airport ops can be tricky but you can see what you've got and you have brakes once wheels are down. I'm fond of off airport ops. The ultimate pilot playground, the Knik River valley is about 10 flight minutes looking right over my airplanes, both of which are set up for off airport ops. Fun stuff. Let me know when you want to swap stories about ski flying. View attachment 90079
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lets just face it, where you operate requires skills that can only be learned in that environment. doesn't matter if it is on wheels,floats, or skis you really need to be taught there by someone that has done it.
 
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