Learning to fly an amphibian

ISUHawkeye

ISUHawkeye

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ISUHawkeye
I need the help of my friends on the POA forum.

For Christmas this year my wife has given me the chance to do some training in amphibian aircraft. I just need to set it up. I have searched the forum, and the Internet, but I would like some recomndaions from you. I live in central Iowa and would prefer to take the training in the Midwest.

Thanks in advance

John
 
ISUHawkeye said:
I need the help of my friends on the POA forum.

For Christmas this year my wife has given me the chance to do some training in amphibian aircraft. I just need to set it up. I have searched the forum, and the Internet, but I would like some recomndaions from you. I live in central Iowa and would prefer to take the training in the Midwest.

Thanks in advance

John
Click to expand...
You can get ASES training at my home base (KFCM) near Minneapolis in a 180HP 172 on amphib floats, at least that was the case last year. I think you'd have to wait a few months though.
 
Make a vacation out of it and do the training in FL. Dave Bahnson (dbahn) over on the purpleboard just put a SuperCruiser down there for the Winter for just such a reason.

(You lucky dog!)
 
You gotta come down to Florida and go to Jack Browns and fly a cub on floats!
 
gismo said:
You can get ASES training at my home base (KFCM) near Minneapolis in a 180HP 172 on amphib floats, at least that was the case last year. I think you'd have to wait a few months though.
Click to expand...

Which outfit provides that training?
 
A few years ago there was seaplane training near Branson, MO - I'll see if I can dig up any notes I may have kept when I was researching this. I bumped it back up on my to-do list and hope to do it myself this year.
 
Wow,

I cant believe all of the great replies. I would love to travel to florida to get this done, but thats not in the cards. Because of that restriction I will have to wait until the water turns soft again. In the mean time do any of you have experience with these folks?

http://www.adventureseaplanes.com/
 
ISUHawkeye said:
Wow,

I cant believe all of the great replies. I would love to travel to florida to get this done, but thats not in the cards. Because of that restriction I will have to wait until the water turns soft again. In the mean time do any of you have experience with these folks?

http://www.adventureseaplanes.com/
Click to expand...

I've flown into surfside both on water and on land a few times but I've never taken instruction there. They are nice folks though and have a pretty good reputation in the area AFaIK.
 
ISUHawkeye said:
Wow,

I cant believe all of the great replies. I would love to travel to florida to get this done, but thats not in the cards. Because of that restriction I will have to wait until the water turns soft again. In the mean time do any of you have experience with these folks?

http://www.adventureseaplanes.com/
Click to expand...

I don't have any experience with them... Yet! When I finally get around to doing my ASES rating, I'll probably go there simply because they are one of the VERY few places where you can rent a seaplane solo after you get your rating, and I want to support them because of that.

Also, I'm assuming you mean "seaplane" and not "amphibian." Training amphibs are rare because the insurance on them is ridiculously expensive (see what happens when you land one on water with the wheels down). It's much easier to find places that have seaplanes on straight floats, and they'll generally be cheaper than the ones on amphib floats.

There is an outfit that does seaplane training in Iowa - It's somewhere on the Mississippi (Burlington, maybe?). But, IIRC you're in DSM so it's not that close anyway. Adventure Seaplanes will be able to give you both river and lake experience - IIRC, the law in Iowa is that you can't land a seaplane on any lake unless it's specifically permitted. :( (As opposed to Michigan, etc. where you can land on any lake you want unless specifically prohibited.)

gismo said:
I've flown into surfside both on water and on land a few times but I've never taken instruction there. They are nice folks though and have a pretty good reputation in the area AFaIK.
Click to expand...

You can land on land at Surfside? I didn't know that. (Oh yeah - Looks like MN24 is the ID for the land side, 1900x25 grass.
 
Kent,

Thanks for the info. I have heard that there is someone on the mississippi, but I can't find any information on them. The adventure seaplane folks appear to be the best option so far.
 
Jim in the Quad Cities used to have a C180 on floats and Tommy Tompkins did the check rides. It's been out of business for 3-4 years or more.
Got my ASES in a PA-12 in Travers City, MI a few years ago and recommend it. Have done a refresher in a C172 at Crystal Lake, MN and that is OK, also.
Neither were amphibs, if you are intend on doing an amphib.
 
Thanks for the info Jim! I knew there was someone out there doing it, but I didn't know who.

Even though I would love to learn in amphibian I understand the restrictions, and would be very happy learning in a "Seaplane"
 
ISUHawkeye said:
Thanks for the info Jim! I knew there was someone out there doing it, but I didn't know who.

Even though I would love to learn in amphibian I understand the restrictions, and would be very happy learning in a "Seaplane"
Click to expand...
I really want to get my seaplane as well... But at the moment I'm doing my Instrument as well as glider addon so I'd be a little ambitious to throw seaplane in the middle at this moment
 
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