Day two is done. 2.7 hours total in two flights.
First flight was at noon. The winds had kicked up a good deal. We had 20 knots at 500’. It was less on the surface but still significant. I did a rough water takeoff from Lake Dora and did rough water landing on Lake Yale. We tried some glassy water landings and takeoffs. It wasn’t glassy at all. But technique was key. A couple of items I was messing up were no waiting on the step until the plane was going fast enough. I tried to get the nose up (not a lot, it takes only a little to let the proper attitude for takeoff) too soon. That just increases drag and slows the process. And I tend to flair to high. In a land plane you can catch it with a bit of power but in this it’s not that responsive. I mixed in crosswind landings and takeoffs and did a confined landing and takeoff as well. The wind was stiff enoughI could not hold track on the confined with full right rudder-it started to turn into the wind as soon as it was on the step. But that’s what you’re supposed to do anyway.
After a few tries on Lake Yale we went to Little Lake Harris. We tried several glassy water landings in a row but getting descent correct to the LVR was difficult because of the winds (which you would never have doing a real glassy water anything. CFI eventually asked for the plane and tried one himself. He did better but not much better. Then we quit and flew back to lake Dora and home. He had me try a cross wind landing on Lake Dora and on touch down the plane started to weather vane so quickly that he grabbed the controls and settled it down. 1.6 hours, 12 landings. We went to lunch and he quizzed the two students on all the oral stuff. Float construction, lifting power, sailing, ploughing turns, etc.
My second flight was much calmer. But what wind there was came right out of the sun and it was getting late in the afternoon. So every time I turned on final, we were blinded. I couldn’t see the instruments to check power (mainly). We flew some on Little Lake Harris, a few on Lake Yale and I was doing the glassy stuff correctly except I was having trouble getting the power set right because I couldn’t see the tach. When I did. It was really smooth. He demonstrated a ploughing turn and we headed back to Lake Dora. Landed and stayed on the step, Did a step turn, then step taxied back in. Beached and secured the plane, got the log book filled out, and did the IACRA fun. 1.1 hours, 7 landings.
So today (as I write this) check ride is at 9 weather permitting.
