AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND SEA
This was our introduction to the Maule aircraft - by way of obtaining our seaplane ratings
First thing you learn to do is pump out the floats
Next, you learn how to put gas in the thing
You're hoping the inside of the tank looks better than this and that the Mogas STC is really all it's cut out to be
The instruments - an M7-260...
and an aspiring seaplane pilot (or three)
Oh, okay - this is like, totally cool!
It takes some getting used to taxiing with no brakes but afterwards...
Yeah Baby!
Yup, you've gotta do stalls in a floatplane too
There are a lot of lakes in Florida to land on
And sheeyoot, rivers too - yeee friggin' hah!
Yes it's true, probably the most fun you'll have in an airplane with your underpants on
I felt okay here but I did see a bunch of gators on the way in so I kept my eyes open
So, after about three days of training we went to Lake Ashby and met the examiner
I know now why they do the exam at Lake Ashby, because of the glassy water conditions there
Glassy water landings are one of the more challenging aspects of floatplane flying
I'd say that step turns are a close second - and so it was mostly glassy water landings
that the examiner wanted to see us do
So we did our glassy water landings and step taxis and turns and sailing and in the end
here is the examiner signing our tickets Airplane Single Engine Land and Sea
Two tired (but happy) newly minted seaplane pilots ready for a big honkin two thousand dollar burger!!!
Our instructor was also a Maule dealer so we got some extra seaplane hours the next day flying up to the
Maule factory at Spencer Field, Moultrie Georgia
That's Maule Lake next to the factory where we landed. It's basically a flooded ditch for seaplanes
only about 4 feet deep
Not to deflate the Maule legend but you've probably seen one of these famously spectacular pictures of
Belford Maule rocketing out of the hangar doors in one of his factory's airplanes
Well actually, that hangar is open at both ends and with the tarmac at the south end gave old
Belford at least a 250 foot run before reaching the door at the north end
While at the factory we saw this nearly completed M7 and the color kind of struck a chord in both of us
Nine Alfa Whisky was still only a glimmer in it's Papa's eye but it was beginning to take form
Our floatplane instructor/Maule dealer was quite a character and probably deserves an entire webpage to himself.
During our training we would normally stop at a lakeside or riverside restaurant and either my brother
or myself would pick up the tab. But when we got to Moultrie our instructor insisted that it was his turn to treat
Total bill for the three of us at the Sportsmans Restaurant - $4.75 (meatloaf special)
Back in Orlando from Moultrie here I am making my final seaplane approach
It was a highly memorable experience and I hope that someday I'll get to utilize that rating again
And just in case you have the idea that all seaplanes are slow dogs....