Floatplane rental

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Scandinaviansky
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Floatplane rental

Post by Scandinaviansky »

Does anybody know of potential seaplane rental options throughout Canada? I know of some flight schools where you can rent a plane solo but maybe there are some private owners out there as well willing to rent out their planes to a qualified pilot?
Thanks for any recommendations.
Daniel
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GUMPS
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by GUMPS »

Where are you, or are you just going to travel to wherever in Canada someone will rent you his private aircraft? As for flight schools check out Lake Country in Orillia Ontario, or Hart Air in BC I think Sudbury aviation rents out their aircraft as well.
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up_and_locked
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by up_and_locked »

I am looking for someone with a C180 to do odd currency flights in Vancouver if ever... :)
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Rowdy
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Rowdy »

In Van, your best bet for the 180 would be to go see the boys at Ft. Langley Air ;)
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up_and_locked
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by up_and_locked »

Thanks Rowdy! Sorry, don't mean to hijack this topic. I would definitely recommend Air-Hart in kelowna. Top notch service and instruction.
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Scandinaviansky
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Scandinaviansky »

Yes, I would travel to wherever there is an option..as long as it is a beautiful spot:) I am looking for a place I can come back every year with an airplane around I can take flying.

Thanks for the flight school info but maybe there are private owners out there who are interested in getting some hours on their planes and will be cheaper than professional rental companies.

The greatest option would be to be able to do some commercial freelance flying some weeks a year but this might be difficult for a non-resident?

I am German with some commercial seaplane experience and the dream has always been to be able to fly seaplanes in Canada.

So if this sounds interesting for anybody out there let me know!
daniel@scandinavianskies.net

Thanks again! Daniel
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Rowdy
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Rowdy »

Daniel, due to the insurance concerns, there will be few if any floatplane owners out there that would be willing to let you fly their pricey birds, unless of course you happen to have a few thousand hours in the logbook on seaplanes, plus the costs to operate a 180 or 185 are getting up there these days!

Freelance float pilot you say? I've been trying to do that for a couple years here and it just doesnt work out all that well ;) All of the commercial ops will want you full time year round, or full time seasonal, again unless you have many thousands of hours here on the coast and are able to swing a part time spot for the summers. It becomes even more of a concern now that you mention you dont have the work visas in place.
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Scandinaviansky
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Scandinaviansky »

Thanks Rowdy!

Over here you can just add somebody who will be allowed to fly your plane on your insurance, required experience assumed. People would be interested as it keeps down their costs. Maybe I have to do it the other way around then, buy my own plane and rent it out:)

I figured that chances are low to get a gig as a freelancer. But I heard stories from people having been at the right place at the right time. As I am working as an airline pilot it is not necessarily about getting a paid job..it is about the fun and the experience. So I would be open to any deal. I will check if it would be possible to get some kind of restricted work visa and will keep on looking for the right spot and the right time:)

Daniel
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I_Heart_Seaplanes
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by I_Heart_Seaplanes »

Wow...I don't know if you were trying but you hit for the trifecta of sore spots in Canadian aviation: Foreign pilot working a seasonal position, German pilot looking for a work visa, and flying for free. Congrats and good luck
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Bobby868
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Bobby868 »

Scandinaviansky wrote:As I am working as an airline pilot it is not necessarily about getting a paid job..it is about the fun and the experience.
Daniel, I have a great job for someone like you. I have a floatplane operation in the Northwest Territories. I don't normally hire a dock hand / pilot for this time of year but since you're willing to work for free I figured why not. You can fly all the float trips that come up but when there are no flights you have to sit outside on the dock and watch for incoming planes and keep the vagrants away, oh and shovel the snow off the dock and chip a path in the ice so the planes can land and get to the dock. It starts in late November and goes to sometime in March.
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zeppelin
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by zeppelin »

Oh there you go again Bobby,being a dickhead !! I understand there are sanctions of this industry that deplore foreign help,and I certainly have no quarrell with that.But there are many,many CDN float pilots fying in all parts of the world.I also did it.This is because,I beleive,CDN float pilots are respected all over the world and are considered among the best.This is also the case with light wheeled and jet pilots,but I don't have first hand info on that,so I won't comment.
I don't have a problem with a German airline pilot doing a" little "float flying on his time off,in Canada..as long as it doesn't take from a pilot here,who speaks German.and has the same experiance level.It may in fact help the operator to bring in more German,Austrian,Swiss tourists,to his company for flight seeing tours..And these tourists love to spend money....money that would go to the air operator and the local community,hotels,restaraunts,bars and such...AND the said pilot would still need to go thru a harder time getting a work permit,than a CDN pilot ,flying in a foreign country...But then you,being a person who runs an airline would or should allready know that.
..On another note,how's plan B going for you..the brothel in Thailand..maybe you could start by sitting outside the brothel,during the rainy low season,keeping the riff raff away,while the Thai owner,laughs at you....I could help you buy one,and believe me ,I can.But why would you shag the profits away....it's included for the owner...HMMM,how do I know that????.I hope you run your airline better...
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GUMPS
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by GUMPS »

I see the sales pitch now "Attention Europians; We have a German pilot" :prayer:
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Bobby868
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Bobby868 »

zeppelin wrote: I don't have a problem . . .as long as it doesn't take from a pilot here . .
Scandinaviansky wrote:

As I am working as an airline pilot it is not necessarily about getting a paid job..it is about the fun and the experience.
:roll:

Where on earth did i say I had a problem with Germans? I have some German blood in fact. I do have a problem with any pilot, Canadian, foriegn whatever that wants to work for free.
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zeppelin
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by zeppelin »

I don't think you did say you had a problem with Germans,and I didn't say you had a problem with "Germans".You just made a stupid joke,ridiculing someone,you knew to be ,coinsidentally,German.
Now, how about that brothel?..I can help...honest..I'm sitting with some lovely Thai girls right now....at least I think their girls..
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182-SS
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by 182-SS »

Contact Kevin at http://seaplaneadventures.ca/ hes got a nice set up, fresh IO550, brand new Aerocet Anphibs. check out his web site, if your looking for a rental and beautiful place to fly in a nice machine, this is the one.
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Scandinaviansky
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Scandinaviansky »

Maybe I earned the sarcasm. If it came out wrong: I don´t wanna compete with any pilot looking for a job by flying for free!
I went the hard way myself, working my way up step by step from the scratch through all kinds of ( good and bad) jobs, so I would be the last one taking a job from someone who needs it.
But flying the big birds now, my heart still belongs to seaplanes and always will. I used to combine the airline and seaplane flying but there are just a handfull seaplane operators over here just flying some hours a year, decreasing.
The dream has always been flying in a commercial operation in Canada, but without being Canadian resident and available all season chances are like zero. So if I don´t wanna spend thousands of dollars renting a plane and fly around myself I have to think a bit outside the box. I know of stories where a guy at the right time at the right place ended up flying some daily mail delivery round some lakes on his holidays while the pilot had some time to fix stuff on the base, do some paperwork or just drink coffee on the porch. A win win situation. And maybe someone would be interested in some help some weeks a year. Without taking any job. I thought it´s worth trying even if it may sound ridiculous to you.
And of course I could do any promotion and sales over here.
In the end we share the same passion for nature and flying, but you are the lucky guys living in the right country. Thanks zeppelin and 182:)
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by 1000 HP »

Bobby868 wrote:Where on earth did i say I had a problem with Germans? I have some German blood in fact.
I have Viking blood. Doesn't mean I have a problem with Vikings. My great great great great grandmother may not have liked them.... :shock:

But hey Scandinaviansky, come on out. You'll love the lack of controlled airspace only a very short distance from any major center. I recently flew my Mooney from Lloydminster Alberta to Toronto Buttonville and other than landing in Winnipeg and Buttonville, never talked to a controller except to update my altimeter.

Floats are hard to rent, but Kelowna seems to be the place.
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zeppelin
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by zeppelin »

Your welcome Scandi.After all,the "Zeppelin" was a German invention.AND,if it wasn't for many young German pilots,I might have been brought up a city boy.My Grandfather and family lived in London in 1940,and by the end of Sept,figured it wasn't the best place to be,so he bought and moved to a farm in South Wales.The farm house had a traditional Welsh Pub attatched to the side,which my Grandfather ran.I was born near the farm about 15 years later.,This move not only instilled in me, a love for the outdoors and open space ,but also gave me a great fondness for beer.Hence,today,I fly float planes,enjoy a life in the outdoors,and drink beer.Sure beats city life.So I also Thank You....
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by Colonel Sanders »

You'll love the lack of controlled airspace only a very short distance from any major center
I think Europeans would be amazed at how much
uncontrolled airspace (in the sense that VFR requires
no contact with ATC) we have in Canada.

I am based at an uncontrolled airport. I rarely talk
to ATC. Don't need a clearance. Don't need to file
a flight plan. No landing fees. 100LL is hideously
expensive (at $1.8/litre, all taxes in) but mogas is
legal and moderately hideously expensive ($1.2/litre,
all taxes in).

It disappoints me that more people don't take
advantage of our freedom to fly in Canada. Any time
I want to, I pull an airplane out of the hangar and
off I go.

Most days, the skies are empty.
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Re: Floatplane rental

Post by 1000 HP »

Colonel Sanders wrote:Most days, the skies are empty.
From Lloydminster to Buttonville I did routine position reports both ways and only heard 3 people, aside from Winnipeg and Toronto control zones. I only talked to one of them to let him know the wind in Marathon. The other 2 were no where near me. I think it was about 2500 km each way :rolleyes:
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