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Notes of a Seaplane Instructor
by Burke Mees
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160 pages, softcover
Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1998
Available from SPA
$19.95 plus shipping & handling |
This instructional book from Burke Mees, a regular contributor to
Water Flying magazine, is ideal for students
looking for a little more than the basics of flying floats without being bogged down in hundreds of
pages of detail. The clear, simple wording is easy and entertaining to read, but imparts
useful and important knowledge. Numerous diagrams provide additional learning tools.
Book Review
by Bob Reinaker
The air taxi I was working for was gearing up for the summer season. I had been flying C206s and
C185s on wheels for a couple of months and riding around with the experienced float pilots when I had a chance. I had 35 hours
or so of float time bought and paid for from various operations giving float instruction in the Lower 48. After an hour checkout in
the C185 amphibian, I remember the chief pilot tossing me the keys and saying, "Go practice 10 hours and if you flip it don't come
back." He figured I was ready to learn.
Scraping paint, wrinkling float skins and denting wingtips may unfortunately be the price some have
to pay to become a "pro" at seaplane flying. Getting your feet wet has a literal meaning when it comes to learning the nuances of flying
seaplanes.
Times have changed a bit. Maybe the keys to expensive airplanes don't get tossed so easily these days,
but the seaplane pilot still has to pay attention for any tidbit of advice he can pick up. Rarely does he have a neat approach plate
or an enroute chart with runway lengths, critical altitudes, descent rates or obstruction heights figured on it. However, there is usually
somebody out there who can tell you where that submerged log is, why it's better to land up current at a particular bend in the river
or why you should pump the floats at the end of the day if the overnight temperature might fall below freezing.
Many of these tips have been learned the hard way. That pilot discovered the submerged log when he landed too long
after he misjudged the wind. Or the last time he landed at that particular spot on the river he landed down current but couldn't
turn quick enough to avoid passing downstream into the shallow water. Or the time he didn't pump the floats at the end of the day
and tried to take off the next frosty morning with an unwanted, additional cargo of ice in the float compartments.
As the title suggests, the book is based on notes acquired by Burke during his years instructing and flying
air taxi. It is loaded with tips and advice acquired by actual experience. Not only does Burke cover the information that any new float
student needs to know, but he goes beyond the basics. He offers bits of advice, procedures learned operating in different environments:
high altitude lakes, river currents, ice and snow. The book is full of hard-won knowledge that any seaplane pilot, novice
or veteran, can learn from. I wish I had this book back when I was learning to fly seaplanes. I could have avoided
getting my feet wet a few times.
Contents:
Introduction
- Preflight
- Taxi
- Takeoff
- Normal Takeoff
On the Step
Drag on Takeoff
Variations on the Normal Takeoff
Glassy Water Takeoff
Rough Water Takeoff
A Word About Rotating
One-Float Takeoff
Other Takeoffs
- Flying Characteristics
- Drag
Yaw Stability
- Before Landing
- Landings
- Normal Landing
Touchdown Waterspeed
Rough Water Landing
Glassy Water Landing
Short Field Landing
Crosswind Landing
Engine Failure Landing
Night Landings
- Yaw Stability on the Water
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- Water Handling
- Step Taxi and Step Turns
The Plow Concept: The Idea of Variable Weathervaning
Applications of the Plow Concept
Crosswind Taxi
Crosswind Takeoff
The Sailing Maneuver
Power-Off Sailing
Applications of Sailing
Power-On Sailing
- Postflight Procedures
- Docking
Beaching
Ramping
- Advanced Topics
- Seaplanes and Restricted Terrain
Density Altitude and Takeoff Performance
Weight and Balance and Takeoff Performance
Current
Tidal Current
The Effects of Wind and Current on Water Surface
- Amphibious Floatplanes
- Correct Gear Selection
Amphibious Operations
- Cold Weather Seaplane Operations
- Airframe Icing
Salt Water vs. Fresh Water
The Effect on Other Components
Conclusion
List of Terms Used in Seaplane Operations
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