Float Plane! (Ketchikan, Kenai, Bethel: lawyer, insurance, travel)

[kteal]

Also, I just got my seaplane rating....and needless to say I'm hooked!!!! I'm going up to Bethel and will get a teeny tiny amount of time in a Beaver.... BUT! (not that I have much time at all!) Everywhere in Alaska seems to want you to have 500 hours alaskan experience, and a million hours on floats.... how does a girl go about building float time? I already gave both my arms and legs to WMU for my degree and ratings, so paying to fly isn't exactly a great option...or a smart one I should say. Any thoughts?!

[Rance]

Buy a floatplane and start logging hours! Congrats on getting your tailfeathers clipped!

[kteal]

HaHa Looks like I'll have to find a sugar daddy to buy me an airplane if I want to build time!

[Rance]

Well you never know. Your employer might pass on a good word about you which could lead to more flying jobs. And who knows...you might stumble across some doctor or lawyer or crusty bushman with a floatplane...and become good friends that gets you more time logged. I'd imagine with fuel costing more each week there may be a large cut back in recreational flying. And then again if you can afford to own a plane you can probably afford to fly it. Your not the first new pilot in your position.

[ASpilot2be]

Congrats

Where did you get your seaplane rating? I want to get mine.

[rotorhead]

The real bummer about getting a float rating is that even with the ticket fresh in your pocket, it's almost impossible to find a place that'll actually rent one to you. Even if you DID get your rating with them. I was really wanting to get the float add-on when I lived in Eagle River. There were a couple places that did ratings, one at Hood and another down in the Kenai, maybe Quartz Creek or Coopers Landing area? They were happy to get you the rating, but unless you could provide your own insurance they couldn't/wouldn't rent to you afterwards.

Good luck on finding a job. I guess you could try working a non-flying job at a lodge that has fly-in access and see how many empty legs you can scrounge, or maybe get a job as a loader/dock rat at one of the big float operations in Ketchikan or maybe Lake Hood in ANC. It's highly improbable that you'll find any place that'll hire you with the ink still wet on your ticket, but if you don't get your shoes wet hanging around where the action is your chances are even slimmer. Sometimes the only way to find out about a possible chance to build some hours is to be right there, on the spot.

[kteal]

I got my seaplane rating in Traverse City, Michigan. I'm headed up to Bethel in less than a month now, so if any of you are over that way, hit me up!

[Rance]

Warptman is the only one here...from there. He might even know some floatplane pilots/owners that may lead to some help in logging hours.
He is currently traveling in Europe but will be home soon.

[kteal]

Europe?! What a lucky guy! Thanks for the heads up though...I appreciate the help!

[Sarkar]

Here's a prefect reason why operators are very very careful who they put in their float aircraft....

This happened yesterday in eastern Washington.....2 killed, neither were the pilot

These aircraft won't land on water with the wheels down, as observed by a number of people.....pilot error, 2 dead and a $500K aircraft with a ton of damage, not to mention the possible loss of insurance of the charter outfit

A DeHavilland Beaver on ampfibs floats is very very costly aircraft...

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