RPP+Floats or PPL+Floats

[Pete23]

Newbie here - I apologize if this has already been asked but please indulge me if you can.

I am a life long wanna be pilot. Never the money when I had time and never the time when money was available... until now. Life is getting too short and I am just going to go for it. CPL is not really on the table (I am 52) so a career change at this point is not realistic.

When I was a kid I always wanted to be a Bush Pilot so I figure a float rating would allow for this aspect of my dream to be fulfilled.

I have had sporadic training over the years totaling about 25 hrs (20 of them in a taildragger - which was also what my first solo was in).

Question: Is a RPP enough to then move to a float rating or am I better to get my PPL and then do the float? Perhaps a stupid question because more experience/knowledge/time is usually always better but in this case is it? Would there be crucial knowledge that I could be missing out on that would make getting the float rating harder if I only stayed with the RPP?

Thanks for taking the time!

[TurkeyFarmYQX]

I think most people here will recommend springing for the full PPL rating. It'll make you a safer pilot.

[praveen4143]

I think if you're really into doing floats then look into places like Air Hart where you can do all your training on floats from scratch. The RPP restricts you to a maximum of 1 pax despite being able to fly up to a maximum size of a 4 seater aircraft. You could make up your mind at about the halfway mark in the training in my opinion. (Halfway mark of RPP = 1/3 mark of the PPL)

If you do end up buying a floatplane, the insurance company might want you to get a certain number of hours before they will insure the aircraft hull, so doing all of your training on floatplanes will help!

Doing a landplane conversion afterwards will be fairly easy if you so desire.

[photofly]

Didn’t think you could get a PP-R on floats, but apparently you can.

[TrilliumFlt]

In Ontario you can do your PPL on floats at CNJ4

[matt17]

I got my RPP on floats in Sudbury at Sudbury Aviation while I am younger than yourself it was driven by a longtime dream/recreational interest. Because I had to travel for my lessons getting the RPP allowed me to finish faster and have an "End Point" with at least the RPP after 2 summers worth of lessons (Had to travel 7 hours each way for lessons so did 3-4 intensive days at a time 3-4 times each summer). The plan was to either purchase a plane or continue working towards my PPL during the summers. Having a child plus COVID this summer put that plan on pause but hopefully will pick it up again in the future.

[dialedin]

I intend to do my RPP, then work towards my PPL before doing floats. The reason mainly being is the closest training school is 1+ hours away by car, and my dad keeps his C150 at our farm in the summer time, where i live. So once i have my RPP, I will be able to just fly our own plane to the airport from home, which is only about a 20min flight at most, thereby building my own hours while finishing up the required PPL training.

[airway]

I intend to do my RPP, then work towards my PPL before doing floats. The reason mainly being is the closest training school is 1+ hours away by car, and my dad keeps his C150 at our farm in the summer time, where i live. So once i have my RPP, I will be able to just fly our own plane to the airport from home, which is only about a 20min flight at most, thereby building my own hours while finishing up the required PPL training.

Could he do that with a Student Pilot Permit?

[ahramin]

I intend to do my RPP, then work towards my PPL before doing floats. The reason mainly being is the closest training school is 1+ hours away by car, and my dad keeps his C150 at our farm in the summer time, where i live. So once i have my RPP, I will be able to just fly our own plane to the airport from home, which is only about a 20min flight at most, thereby building my own hours while finishing up the required PPL training.

Could he do that with a Student Pilot Permit?

That's what I was thinking. Looking at my logbook I had 17 hours total and 5.5 hours solo before leaving the circuit solo. I would think dialedin could be flying from home to the airport without the RPP.

Is your farm in the CFS?

[photofly]

I intend to do my RPP, then work towards my PPL before doing floats. The reason mainly being is the closest training school is 1+ hours away by car, and my dad keeps his C150 at our farm in the summer time, where i live. So once i have my RPP, I will be able to just fly our own plane to the airport from home, which is only about a 20min flight at most, thereby building my own hours while finishing up the required PPL training.

Could he do that with a Student Pilot Permit?

He could, but he would need approval from his instructor for each flight. With a PP-R he does the flight under his own volition.