Hello!
I have a few questions about flying floats to start of my career.
With the end of my integrated program on the horizon, I'm looking into getting some float experience, however I have some questions after doing some research.
A 7 hour rating seems a little pathetic, is it recommended to buy some hours and beef that up a little, to 10, 15, 20? Is that worth is, or does it just look silly on a resume?
What are peoples experiences with those 50h professional seaplane courses? IMO they appear to just make you look like a hedge fund kid with infinite cash when applying to your first job I'm not going to judge, has anyone here taken one, what was your experience?
How realistic is it to be getting float hours your first season of working, is doing a season on the dock pretty much a given? (assuming covid comes to end sooner than later)
Finally, Ive been doing my training in Montréal, would it be wisest to get the float rating out west to show some kind of mountain/ocean skill? Is a mountain flying course worth it?
You are correct a 7 hour rating is not much, especially in this climate. I wouldn't be bothered about going out west for a rating, you won't be flying there for a while unless you have a horseshoe up your ass. My advice would be get yourself a dockhand job ASAP. Ideally, you can finish your license and rating while working there, it'll give you a leg up. I'd say a season on the dock is almost guaranteed, and hours in the first year would depend on the operator. For operators in Ontario I'm sure most will depend on the ability of Americans to travel so who knows what business will be like. In terms of 7 hour or 50 hour, it's tough to say which is best. Ideally you can start dockhanding and get a 7 hour rating and maybe get a couple of flights in by the end of the season with that operator. On the other hand, more float time is always valuable. Depends how much cash you have to spend
Seven hours is a bare minimum license to learn, by TC had to make a low number, so that's it. 50 hours is still a license to learn, though with 50 hours of float time, you should have experienced enough to understand that more learning would be wise. With a few hundred hours, you're still not ready for anything, but you're ready for a few things.
Remember that every water landing is on a "runway" which is different than the last one you used, even if it was that one. If you're lucky, it's a waterdrome, with some infrastructure, but usually, it's at a lake with less than normal information, and support, and, if you have a problem there, you're further from help, maybe not within miles of a road. And, the insurance companies have figured this all out, and price insurance accordingly.
Well trained mountain flying is excellent. Poorly trained mountain flying will either scare you, or make you scary.
The float flying time you get after the rating is more about the varied experience, and less about the time on type. Renting a 185 to get that time will be painfully expensive. You'll get just as much experience flying it in a Cub or Champ on floats. You'll get a lot of great experience riding right/back seat with a very experienced float pilot. Yes, hands on time is valuable, but more than any other type of flying, watching it happen, and learning through osmosis is very important. If you're riding right seat, and the experienced pilot says "you'd better let me do this..." sit back, you're about to learn something! I probably had 40 hours right seat, hands off, before I was allowed to fly floats. But, when I started, I'd seen a lot, and learned fast.
Though I cannot comment about present work opportunities, working the dock is paying your dues, proving yourself as a worker, and getting to be where it's happening. If you want to fly, be where the flying is happening, and do what you can to make the boss appreciate you. You will not get that last second flying opportunity if you're in your basement on the computer, or working at the mall, to get the opportunity, be where it's happening.
Wear your lifejacket. Really... wear it all the time you're water flying....
I'd also add that working on the dock is indeed about paying dues and proving you are someone that can be trusted with the CPs airplane, but it will also teach you a ton. You'll learn all about operating on the water, you'll see guys dock in the most bizzare conditions etc. This will all make it a hell of a lot easier to learn when its your turn. And if you get on with a good operator, it'll be a great time too.
One thing I guess I'd ask about the 50 hour bush course is, who's instructing it? As in does the instructor have any serious amount of bush flying experience that qualifies them to be teaching this course? Some will, like a semi-retired long time bush pilot who's doing some instructing , others may actually be only a couple hundred hours ahead of their students in their education. 50 hours of float time will cost a chunk of change, you have to decide if you'll be getting your moneys worth.
I'm not going to judge, has anyone here taken one, what was your experience?
