Re: Amphibious Planes

Jules wrote:
> 
> 
> Frank Olson wrote:
> Otherwise it's "keep your eye out for deadheads" (and
>> deadbeat boat drivers) - at least in Canada.
> 
> Yes. One cottage owner was steering his boat into floatplanes to thwart 
> them from landing. He also called and complained that the plane operator

> was at fault and cutting off his boat. Witness' proved otherwise.
> 
> He was a summer owner from the US.
> 
> Tourists.
> 


I love summertime and have some great memories of flying float as a 
"single guy" out to impress the ladies.  I was seventeen when I got my 
license and the first endorsement I got was my float.  Earned that on a 
Piper Supercub with 150 ponies up front.  Cultus Lake was my favourite 
place to practice glassy water landings.  Now-a-days, you'd be hard 
pressed to land amidst all the idiots in boats.  Sadly, the guy that 
taught me everything I know about float planes (and bears) is no longer 
with us.  He was killed in a midair over the Bellingham VOR.  Two good 
friends "bought it" with him too.  They were practicing instrument 
procedures in a Seneca and collided with a C-172 working the same radial 
and going in pretty much the opposite direction.  The guy in the 172 
walked away after force landing in a field.  The Seneca "augered" in. 
The ironic thing about this tragic event was that Bob (the CFI) was 
"paranoid" about clearing turns and "keepin' your eyes peeled for the 
other guy".  He'd had a close call with a student pilot years before 
when the C-150 he was piloting almost became an aerial landing strip for 
a Piper Arrow "letting down" on approach to the Delta Air Park.  I can 
only surmise he was distracted momentarily and missed seeing the 172 
coming right at him.  He was just a few hours away from the 14000 mark too