Introduce Yourself !

[Lake250]

Nice to have you hear and look forward to hearing all about your adventures. Bob

Thanks Bob!

[Rajay]

Hello All,
My name is Bruce Emmel, I live on a lake northwest of Bemidji MN. In my younger days I got an A&P at Thief River Falls AVTI, worked a short time for Belanca and then got my ratings up to a CFI and a degree in Agricultural Aviation at the Univ of MN, Crookston. Crop Dusted one season and got my Sea Plane rating at Sky Harbor Duluth in the fall of 1982. Basically walked away from flying in 1986 and didn't fly again until 2009. (It's a long story) Spent 19 years managing a station for Mesaba and then started my own business.

Bought my first plane last winter, a Maule M5-210C. Last week I bought a pair of 2400a fiberfloats with every bolt, fitting, drawing plus copies of the Paperwork for the m5-210c it used to belong too. Next spring I hope to park my plane next to my boat.

Looking for some good conversation here,

Bruce,

First of all, welcome!

Secondly, I'm just curious - what is a "Mesaba" station? That's not something that I have heard of in my time in various places along the East coast anyway....

On the other hand, I have heard of Bemidji - in regard to Beech Queen Airs in particular, Thief River Falls - in regard to its A&P school (but I went to ERAU in DAB) and even Univ. of MN Crookston - having had several conversations with Mike Vivion on another forum, usually about USDI Gooses in AK in particular.

All the best,

Dave

[caf104]

Hello to All;
Go by the name of caf104 which was the only real aircraft that flew like a missile. 750 kt on the deck....mach 2.0 at 30000!
Presently retired from the RCAF and Airlines up in Canada.
Have recently acquired a 1948 Aeronca Sedan Seaplane # 173 with the Lycoming O-360 conversion.......subsonic at 100mph!
Sedan is based at our cottage in Kenora, Ontario.
Love to fish and hunt......now know pickerel/walleye come in at $200/lb. and the moose only $ 500/lb. Still the float flying is worth it!
cheers
Don

[Tim McCormack]

Welcome, Don. That Aeronca must be something with the O-360 in it. I've got that engine in my 172 and it's impressive in that. Start a thread in another section with some pictures. We'd all like to see it.

[KlausNW]

Welcome to the forum,
The Aeronca Sedan has a good following. I would like to hear more about it also.

[RKittine]

Howdy Don and welcome to the site.

One of my old partners in the Chief has a Sedan on EDO 2000s and I have enjoyed flying it with him. If I was not flying LSA I would be a partner with him in it as it is a great 2 place aircraft with rooms and weight left offer for camping and fishing equipment as well as food etc. Can't do that in the Chief.

Look forward to pictures and more info on your Sedan. My friend (also a Don) only has the 145 HP in it, but it performs well.

All the best. Bob

[Ken Osbourne]

Hi everyone,

A new member to this site and keen to learn more on seaplane ops.

About me,........living in Sydney Australia, age 55yrs and employed as a charter pilot/flying instructor. Instructing mainly on tailwheel acft, Citabria, Decathlon and Pitts Specials.

Newly float alighting gear rated and interested to increase my time on floats.
Currently building an RV8, that wont be on floats ..........

Looking forward to being part of the group.

Cheers Ken

[KlausNW]

Welcome Ken,
What do you mean by building a plane that's not on floats...... where are you planning to go

You'll love the RV-8, I have a number of friends that chose their RV over their wife with no regrets

[crepitus]

Hello all,
Stewart here, from Knoxville, TN. I've been a fan of seaplanes since I watched the Widgeon fly in and out of Fantasy Island, and Jake Cutter flying Cutter's Goose on Tales of the Gold Monkey in the 80's. I've wanted to fly planes since maybe 7-8 yrs old. I became a Buffett fan in college, partly for his music and partly from his flying adventures. I love those Grumman amphibians. I'm 38 now and I still yet have obtained my license. Long story short, I never financially had the opportunity to obtain a cert, so I always thought going the military route would be the possible option, but I've always had a "lazy eye" or ambliopia, being heavily left eye dominant because my right was terribly farsighted with astigmatism. Sometime around 2002, I almost quit my job as an EE and took a pay cut to be a Naval Aviator, once I heard they were admitting some applicants that had corrective surgery. I guess I let the recruiter psyche me out cause he suggested I didn't spend a few thousand to try to get accepted. I gave up then and haven't tried since. I am here now cause the bug has hit me again, but I don't see having the time or resources any time soon to invest, so I'll live vicariously through here. I enjoy reading these articles enough that I thought I'd join and interact a bit with you guys.

Cheers guys!

[RKittine]

Hey Stewart, Welcome. Look forward to hearing more from you. I used to live in Franklin, Tennessee, so I know where you are. And good luck on getting your license one of these days. Bob

[harmonii60]

Hi, Harmon here, own a Sedan on, you guessed it, EDO 2000's. The Sedan is based in SE Michigan and sports a 180 hp Lycoming. I feel fortunate to have it in the back yard, so to speak, and fly it every day I can.

My own flying history since 1991 is not very storied, but I have made some long cross countries in small planes

For your enjoyment, have some water landing videos here...

https://www.youtube.com/user/harmonii60

[RKittine]

Hey Harmon,

Glad to see you made it over here.

Don Simmons, one of the partners I had in the Chief also had and still has a Sedan On Floats, built by the same guy who built the Chief. When they were together they looked like Father and Son. Both with the same paint scheme and done about the same time. Do still has the Sedan up on Round Lake New York and loves it and it only has a 145 HP in it. Bet your 180 is a real performer.

Look forward to your participation here on SeaplaneForum.

Which Ram Mount (arm length) are you using? When we talked about that mount here, people where concerned about vibration, but your videos look great.

Are you using a GoPro? What depth did you do the underwater videos at?

Bob

P.S. - You don't look 60!

[johnhefley]

Hi Folks!

John Hefley here from the Georgia Shore of Lake Champlain in Vermont. Glenn G. steered me over to this site, then nagged me a bit to register/introduce myself. So here I am!

The Cub is a 1947 J-3 with a 75 h.p. Continental, Edo 1320's, and Federal A1500s.

Owning and using the Cub regularly is one of the nice blessings of having a good, stable job. I'm truly blessed to be "living the dream!"
jh

[RKittine]

Welcome John And very nice looking J-3. Great taste in planes, floats etc. Don't feel bad, Glenn nags many of us ......

[psafran]

Nice shot at the balloon "museum" at Post Mills
Haven't been there in 10 years

Where's your dock on Champlain?

[CFII]

Hi, Harmon here, own a Sedan on, you guessed it, EDO 2000's. The Sedan is based in SE Michigan and sports a 180 hp Lycoming. I feel fortunate to have it in the back yard, so to speak, and fly it every day I can.

My own flying history since 1991 is not very storied, but I have made some long cross countries in small planes

For your enjoyment, have some water landing videos here...

https://www.youtube.com/user/harmonii60

Welcome all, and thanks to you Harmon, for posting the great videos.

[johnhefley]

Hi Paul:

Just across the Inland Sea from Hero's Seaplane Base.
jh

[cubdriver2]

John thats a tough neighborhood up there. Love post mills, we visit Brian a couple times a year. # 1 balloon ist in the world.

Glenn

[johnhefley]

Funny enough, that was my one and only time at Post Mills. Very nice airport. I met a couple of local pilots there who could not have been nicer!
jh

[cubdriver2]

Funny enough, that was my one and only time at Post Mills. Very nice airport. I met a couple of local pilots there who could not have been nicer!
jh

Did you go inside?

Glenn

[skimmerone]

Ah yes, Post Mills. You are right about the local pilots. They helped lift up my Lakes wings when I did my only wheels up landing...on land that is. Two of us flew two planes up to demonstrate the Lake to a couple of people. I went around since I thought the runway I was landing on was soft. My mind was programmed to the fact the gear was down for the second landing. I even commented to self that I was a bit fast on final a drew the nose a bit higher. It was definitely a short landing....about 300 feet, if that. I claimed I did it on purpose since it was a sod runway, to show the integrity of the hull. Not a bit of damage. Within 1/2 hour of 4000 hours.

[cubdriver2]

John you do realize that we pick on each other on here ( I have immunity ) Did you move to Lk Champlain to give your little C75 a chance at getting off of the water, and has the lake been big enough to experience flight?

Glenn

[harmonii60]

Hey Harmon,


Which Ram Mount (arm length) are you using? When we talked about that mount here, people where concerned about vibration, but your videos look great.

Are you using a GoPro? What depth did you do the underwater videos at?

Bob

P.S. - You don't look 60!

Well good thing, I'm only 53...

I am using the shorter one, 4"? But I have used the longer one (6"?)

Yes, I am using a GoPro Hero3 with the iPhone controlling it.

Most of the underwater vids were shot at 50-60 feet, although some were at 100' the light is bad at depth so everything looks grey unfortunately, unless you get a really really expensive light setup.

Hey i still have not figure out how to reply to a thread except by using the quote....

-Harmon

[harmonii60]

Also, I am looking for a partner on a Chief, based in SE Michigan, anyone?

[Buter]

Howdy folks

I'm a happy Texan living in the British Channel Islands and about to move back to the US. I currently fly tarmac based planes to pay the bills but will be converting over to FAA licenses and trading concrete for water in an effort to keep my happiness and my sanity. I get by more on luck and determination than I do skill and good looks so I'll post up the moving and conversion processes for your amusement. I am planning on moving the family to the Keys within the next 18 months and starting a little commercial operation with an aircraft type yet undecided.

I will mainly be in the background soaking up information for a while but you'll have to put up with the odd, daft question of mine. If anyone has suggestions for 'must read' threads for pilots beginning the aqua conversion on here I'd be grateful if you would point them out.

I've already had a little email chat with Jason and I look forward to getting to know the rest of y'all.

Cheers

Buter