Sea plane rating

[kris_adams]

So I'm up for my flight review and decided to try to get my SE-S rating (or is that license?).  I'm signed up to go to Jack Brown's course on December 18th.  Any chance someone has done this already and has some tips?  I'm pretty excited to go even though I don't really have any reason for getting a sea plane rating.

-Kris

[Parker_Woodruff]

I got my Commercial SES there in 2010. They are an excellent outfit and know what they're doing. They will email you some course literature that you should study. Get ready to learn some real airmanship.

[ryoder]

I visited them last year and really liked the area.  There are little lakes all over the place and it looks like a lot of fun.

Are you going to train in the cub?

[Seth]

Very cool.  I'm thinking of conducting my BFR as part of a taildragger rating next year.

 

-Seth

[WilliamR]

I did my Commercial SES there as well a few years ago.  Like Parker wrote, you will get some literature in the mail.  It's not hard to memorize and will be reviewed in class and on your oral exam.

You will want to verify, but I was able to park on the Jack Borwns ramp when I arrived.  The rental car was waiting for me.  Note, they lock the gate to the sea plane base after hours.  So I had to do some off roading around the airport to exit the property.

Living in Georgia, the rating is not very useful.  But it is a great way to renew your flight review.  As Parker wrote, it will improve your stick and rudder skills. 

Don't be surprised if you get lost splashing in all the lakes.  They all look the same and you never climb very high to get a good persepctive.

William

[kris_adams]

21 hours ago, Parker_Woodruff said:

I got my Commercial SES there in 2010. They are an excellent outfit and know what they're doing. They will email you some course literature that you should study. Get ready to learn some real airmanship.

Funny, I got the package about an hour after your email.

[kris_adams]

11 hours ago, ryoder said:

I visited them last year and really liked the area.  There are little lakes all over the place and it looks like a lot of fun.

Are you going to train in the cub?

Yes, I'm going with the Cub.  I've wanted to add a Cub to my logbook.

[kris_adams]

8 hours ago, Seth said:

Very cool.  I'm thinking of conducting my BFR as part of a taildragger rating next year.

 

-Seth

I want to get my taildragger as well so I could start towing gliders at a local port (for free of course).  Unfortunately their insurance company wants 50 hours taildragger time.  I can't figure out how to do that w/o spending 7-8AMU. 

[N201MKTurbo]

So, make friends with someone with a tail dragger and say you will buy all the gas food and motel rooms if he lets you fly left seat in his plane for a week long tour of the USA. Find a slow plane, you are trying to build time not miles and slower is usually cheaper!

[ryoder]

Fifty hours isn't much if you fly like I do in my Mooney.  I second the idea to fly with a friend.  You can also fly under the hood or as safety pilot and both log time.  People dismiss dual logging as not important but it is an inexpensive way to get hours for commercial ratings, proficiency, insurance deductions and is fun.  Find someone with an experimental too.  That would be even more diversity.

[Seth]

2 hours ago, Kris_Adams said:

I want to get my taildragger as well so I could start towing gliders at a local port (for free of course).  Unfortunately their insurance company wants 50 hours taildragger time.  I can't figure out how to do that w/o spending 7-8AMU. 

I like the idea menioned above!!!  You could also find someone and be the safety pilot for them here and there, though that's not really experience hours - but you would learn from them.  You could also simply purchase a Cessna 120 or 140 for $15k, get the fifty hours, and sell it, or keep it as a fun knockabout.  Maybe get a partner in the C120/C140 and each put up less than $10k.

 

-Seth

[kris_adams]

23 hours ago, Seth said:

I like the idea menioned above!!!  You could also find someone and be the safety pilot for them here and there, though that's not really experience hours - but you would learn from them.  You could also simply purchase a Cessna 120 or 140 for $15k, get the fifty hours, and sell it, or keep it as a fun knockabout.  Maybe get a partner in the C120/C140 and each put up less than $10k.

 

-Seth

I've thought about this one.  The wife isn't terribly excited about it yet but I'd love to own a 140.

[kris_adams]

So I made it down to Jack Brown's on Friday and passed the SES check ride Saturday afternoon.  Man, was it a lot of fun.  Ground school was about 1.5 hours followed by approximately 3.5 hours flying on Friday and 1.5 hours on Saturday.  After the last flight, my instructor (Eric who was awesome) reviewed the study guide and the check ride was about an hour later.

The only problem is now I'm looking at float planes in tradeaplane.  I took the course in the J3 so I was able to add a new plane to my logbook and check off my flight review for another 2 years.

Kris

[MB65E]

Nice work!! That's what nice about schools like that, the examiners are usually the owner or friends of the owner. The last time I tried to schedule an examiner for my SES the examiner wanted more than it cost to rent the airplane. 

My next kick will be to try and finish it at Pat Maggie's in HNL. 

Btw- his operation is for sale...

 

enjoy,

-Matt

[Parker_Woodruff]

4 minutes ago, Kris_Adams said:

So I made it down to Jack Brown's on Friday and passed the SES check ride Saturday afternoon.  Man, was it a lot of fun.  Ground school was about 1.5 hours followed by approximately 3.5 hours flying on Friday and 1.5 hours on Saturday.  After the last flight, my instructor (Eric who was awesome) reviewed the study guide and the check ride was about an hour later.

The only problem is now I'm looking at float planes in tradeaplane.  I took the course in the J3 so I was able to add a new plane to my logbook and check off my flight review for another 2 years.

Kris

When it comes time to add your Commercial or ATP (not sure what  you presently hold), check these guys out - a little closer to ATL:

http://www.ryanseaplanes.com

[kris_adams]

8 hours ago, Parker_Woodruff said:

When it comes time to add your Commercial or ATP (not sure what  you presently hold), check these guys out - a little closer to ATL:

http://www.ryanseaplanes.com

Very cool.  I'd love to do the orientation course in the Beaver.  I saw one at SNF a few years ago and would love to fly it.