snapshot18

Wingpilot :

Thanks. When and where I learned to fly, it was a long dirt field and the "Landing Zone" was anywhere from 'Here' to 'There'. However, by the time I had to do my first 'Cross Country', I had mastered hitting the runway (literally) fairly near the beginning (when I could make it out from the other mud).

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I never had to land or take off from a dirt or grass runway when flying fixed wing, but I certainly landed in a lot of them in a helicopter. In fact, I've landed and taken off from some pretty unusual places. Some weren't fun.

snapshot18

Wingpilot:

Did you ever pilot a pontoon helicopter? And land on water? (That sounds like a conflict of terms: "Land" on water; If one Lands on land, wouldn't he "Water' on water???

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

First question: Yes I did, both in a helicopter and in an airplane. I have a floatplane rating.

Second question, second part: Only to get rid of too much coffee. 😆

snapshot18

Wingpilot:

I only have a 'Single Engine, Land' rating. I've often wondered what the difference between a Land and Water rating might be; I'm guessing it's the landing- if you don't 'kiss' the water when landing, I'm guessing you might plow under. Personally , I don't like the float amphibian planes; I prefer the ones with a 'boat' bottom; are they safer/easier to land? In 2003, I designed an Amphibian. I was planning to build it; but when I figured out the plane was going to cost $68,000 (minimum), that killed that idea. I did get a software program that evaluated aircraft design to know, at least, if it would fly and just as I designed it, the program said my top speed would be 228mph. By sort of 'Reverse Engineering' my design by using the software, backwards, plus getting some ideas from the Aerospace Engineer who created the software, I got it up to 401 mph. I was going to use 2 turbo-charged Corvair engines of 350 HP each to keep the cost down, but it was still way beyond my means. I did build a 28' Trimaran sailboat down in San Diego back in '75-'78, then sailed it up to Marina Del Rey. Then later lived on it for 10 years. It only cost $16,100 and had the best equipment money could buy. Boy, what a dif 25 years makes. When I had the compass 'swung' the people doing the job said it was the most accurate 'Bulkhead' mounted compass they had ever seen. It's a shame we can't have everything we want!
BTW, where 'bouts you located? I'm in Corruption Corners, NV (aka Las Vegas).

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Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

That's an interesting design for an airplane. Very sleek and aerodynamic. And Wow!! Talk about high speed. Could be fun if one could afford. But like you said........

A lot of the floatplane training involves water operations, sailing the plane, maneuvering in and out of the dock, and dealing with windy conditions. Then there was training in taxiing at different speed, high speed taxiing on the step, landing in cross winds if you have no choice. Landing really wasn't a big deal, other than it's a matter of letting the plane fly onto the surface of the water and not pulling the throttle too fast--in which case you do run the chance of taking a nose dive and playing submarine!! Glassy water landings was something else because when the water is smooth like that, you can't see the surface to judge your distance above the surface. A lot of pilots have landed 10 feet above the water!!

All in all, the training was a good experience and I had a lot of fun with it. I did have one eye opener. Most of the flying was done in a Cessna 172. The 172 isn't a stellar performer on floats, so I was unprepared when one day the instructor told me we were going to fly the Cessna 180. That's when I learned that one needs to start out with full right pedal before advancing the throttle. If you don't, the only way you won't end up on the shore to your left is to pull the throttle and start over. The 180 has a lot more power than the 172.

All in all I had a great time learning to fly on floats. But then right after that I went back to Vietnam and never did get to do much of any fixed wing flying! Oh well, such is life.

snapshot18

Wingpilot:

I learned in a 172 as well. My most memorable moment was on my Final Check ride. The FAA pilot/Instructor/Tester asked me how my 'Slow Flying" was. I told him it was my worst aspect of flying . . . all that 'wallowing' and such. He then asked me if I knew where a particular air field was (another mud pie). I said 'No' that I had never flown in to there. He then told me to take 000° Magnetic Heading and that would take me there. On the way there, he told me to watch for the "High Tension" lines at the beginning of the runway. I said, "OK" and proceeded on. I spied the runway at some distance, but didn't see any lines- at first. As I slowed the 172 to about 60 mph and dropped flaps, the FAA guy asked me if I saw the lines. By then I said, "Yep". I was wallowing and flying and flying and wallowing and heading STRAIGHT for those 200,00+ volt lines, and Mr. FAA asked me again . . . and again I said, "Yep" . . . and kept going. End result: I got so close to those lines, intentionally, Mr. FAA guy was reaching for the yoke, but by the time he got his hands to the yoke (he never actually touched it), I whizzed right over those 'killers', cut the throttle, and dropped right on the runway slick as you please. I think he had to change his pants when we got back on home field, but he was so impressed, he gave me a grade of 'AA".
Of course there were the other side of the coin times, as well. Like the time I was on my 1st solo cross country. All the other students said, "Your starting point and destination are BOTH on the "???" River (don't remember the name as this was 57 years ago), so just follow the river. But, NO! I had to do FULL navigating, etc. Which I did,
AND GOT LOST! And if that wasn't enough, when I realized where I was, I was 2,000 feet over a Strategic Air Force Base! I was looking for a dozen fighters to be heading my way, but I guess the General must have said, "Don't bother guys, it's just another Dummy Student Pilot"!
But, with all the problems such as Cross Wind Landings and such, I actually finished top of class. This was a program associated with advanced Air Force ROTC. Whoever wanted to be a pilot in the AF (150 aprox. per my Instructor) were given 3 tests: Physical, Mental, and Psychological. 13 passed (NOT including me- I failed the Physical by virtue of 20:25 vision. One of the ROTC Instructors suggested I take 'Visual Training' during the summer months and maybe I would pass when the 2nd semester began. I did and I did (20:170). Then there were 14 thru Ground School- but 5 dropped out (Self eliminated for personal reasons when we started actual flying). However, I do give credit to my instructor who was referred to "The Instructor from Hell"! Even on a rare time when I did something absolutely right, he would fine something wrong! Wish I was back then (for more reasons that one).
I enjoy our convos and your experience. Hope all this didn't put you to sleep.
Oh, BTW, did you ever get to fly a fixed wing Jet? At summer ROTC camp, the 9 of us that finished flight training got to fly a T-33. About as gutless (for a jet) as the 172 was.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Nope, never flew a jet, but I did get to do some high altitude hands on flying in a Cessna turbprop one time. I discovered that there is a good reason for using an autopilot at 25,000 feet! Talk about mushy feeling.

I think all of flying is an adventure, no matter what you're flying or why. Even when going out in a combat situation it was a rush to take off in that Huey.

You talked about flying "misadventures.". I remember one time, as a military flight instructor, I had to take a guy out for a night flight. Turned out there was quite a wind blowing, and when we got to our destination we discovered there was a rodeo going on, so we slowed down a bit and in effect, hovered several hundred feet above the ground and watched the rodeo for awhile before turning around to head back. Interestingly, it took us over an hour to fly the 60 miles down, and about 30 minutes to make it back to the heliport! But due to the headwind on the first leg, my student got his required night time hours. It was all fun.

snapshot18

Wingpilot:

I can feel how much you miss it in your words and tone. Cherish those memories as they won't come again.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

There was a time when I wanted to fly for a living, and that lasted about a year until my wife threatened to move back to Texas since I was gone most of the time on assignments out of town. It was a lousy life. I ended up flying the helicopter for the Alaska State Troopers for several years until another trooper wrecked it. I moved on and retired in 1996. Do I miss flying? Sometimes. And whenever a helicopter flies overhead, I go out to look. I have a friend who owns an airplane, a Cessna 180, and we go flying sometimes, and he lets me do most of the flying. That's fun, and the first time I went up with Bill, I was surprised that I remembered so much and that I still had my "air sense." So in the end, that was another chapter in life. When I no longer was flying, I rode motorcycles, as riding a bike is about the closest sensation to flying there is without leaving the ground. I no longer ride. It was just time to hang up my helmet, and quite frankly, riding in Alaska is boring and the traffic is horrendous. I rode 44 years without an accident, so it was time to quit while I was still winning. Memories? Yeah, I've got a lot of them and I keep them filed away, all of theml, both good and bad.

snapshot18

Thanks, Wingpilot , for sharing. I do miss flying as I loved it. The opportunity of flying that T-33 ('dog' that is was) and doing a loop and an "Aileron roll', was a real GAS. I tried MS "Flight Simulator" and found it to be 'scarily' accurate. I did get considerable enjoyment with that, but quit updating with the last issue of "FS 2000". Plus the cost of renting a plane today (no, in 2000 a Cessna 172 rental was $100/hour- wet; don't know what it is today- scared to look) also scares me. When I received my license in 1961, I actually rented a Piper Cub for $10 an hour. But, when I noticed the big wad of bubble gum holding the starboard wing on, I returned it quickly Plus, in 1960, the window sticker on a brand new Cadillac convertible was $6,600! And 'they' call that, "Progress"?

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

right--progress.