Most challenging region to fly floats in Canada?

[just curious]

Any Ocean coast:
Labrador, tides wind fog, rocks, not as many people around to pass on wx and stuff.

The Arctic frequent durable fog

BC, low ceilings, big rocks, currents like Langara, fiords like Stewart, dock facilities managers in Vancouver.

Northwest Ontario is flat. Real flat. I think the whole thing from Fort Frances to Big Trout is 1340 feet. Might zoom up around the hill north of Pickle to 1440. Lakes are all different shapes. Maps have their names on 'em. The most challenging thing about flying floats in NWO is getting off the dock into a pilot seat.

[Prairie Chicken]

Good one Bob!

And it's really sad there are fewer and fewer of elevators still standing. It's like, they're taking out the lighthouses along the coasts ....

[DHCdriver]

There used to be an orange grain elevator south of Winnipeg and west of Stienbach years ago, you shouldn't hit that if your out that way.

[Midnight Sun Flyer]

Any Ocean coast:
Labrador, tides wind fog, rocks, not as many people around to pass on wx and stuff.

The Arctic frequent durable fog

BC, low ceilings, big rocks, currents like Langara, fiords like Stewart, dock facilities managers in Vancouver.

Northwest Ontario is flat. Real flat. I think the whole thing from Fort Frances to Big Trout is 1340 feet. Might zoom up around the hill north of Pickle to 1440. Lakes are all different shapes. Maps have their names on 'em. The most challenging thing about flying floats in NWO is getting off the dock into a pilot seat.

Black Tickle was fun landing on the Harbour with the wing blowing up from the south, or Nain with a North easter blowing in along with the fog and heavy seas.

[skytramp2800]

First trip out of the circuit... a $85 on floats, up to the arctic coast, east to Hudson Bay, all across the barrens, back and forth all summer. sectionals with ..."topographical data incomplete" and a copy of "Finding the sun's true bearing" (still have it) living in a tent, and using a bucket...
Out of Prince Rupert, in March, across to the Charlottes at 100 feet, turn NOW when you see the lumber, 'cause it's higher than you are...going by Toe Hill, you know you're there when you feel the bumps... the Beaver "coughing" when you get tumbled...up and down the Grenville Channel, if not in a screaming sou'easter, then less than a mile in fog, with a little flap, and ready to pump them down if you're going to land...NOW.
Up and down the west coast of Vancouver Island in the winter, 30-40 knots out of the SE, smooth if you're a bit off shore, getting HAMMERED when you have to turn inside, only to land on glassy water, to hear the wind howling aloft. And... you have to go back outside to get home...
Bright sunny days after a weeks worth of winter gales, to see whales scratching their bellies on Rose Spit at low tide, on a Sunday Morning....landing in the middle of Grenville Channel, just you, all by yourself, sitting on the wing, waiting for the pod of Orcas to pass you by, the pod you saw on the way down to Hartley Bay. God is good...

All across the high arctic in the lovely DC-3, and the fabulous Twin Otter... ( doesn't go fast, doesn't go REALLY far, doesn't really carry a whole lot, noisy) but that sweet aeroplane will go anywhere, land on anything, on wheels, on skiis, and my absolutely most favorite in the whole wide world... on floats.. and never let you down) Spent many a night in the DeHavilland Hotel...

Never been on the east coast, and I can only imagine that it could hardly be much different.

Never did have a GPS, only sectionals, (back then) and VNC's... and a pencil, and sometimes a sun compass...and my thumb on the map... and a whiz wheel, up until...

Now?? I have three GPS's and sometimes I wonder what might happen if the boss man was to hit the switch that would turn them all off....

Oh yes.... I still have my maps, all safe and dry in my kit, just in case.

[skybaron]

Great post skytramp!

[squawk]

i have to agree with the boys who vote for B.C. i have never flown floats out of B.C but from the type of wx/terrain i have seen in my IFR job.. well hats off! i flew floats in NWT and if i could see straight down, all was well. nothing to run into. My first job was out of pickle lake on a cessna 180. Ops manager wouldnt give me a GPS because he thaught i should read a map to get to now the country. i got to now the country alright! All those lakes around Webeque sure do look the same. if i took my finger off the Map i'd end up in Moosonee or out of gas! prob the later!

[Midnight Sun Flyer]

For the most part I found float flying fun just use common sense, stay out of the fog and heavy seas don’t attempt take off when the winds are over 50 kts. What I found very challenging was flying an DHC-2 Beaver on skis winter time in the north during white-out conditions back in the days when the airports were scarce and far between with only the very basic of instruments, there were times you didn’t know which side was up, Any Pilot who flew in the north and survived back in them days have a few stories to tell.