Hi,

I am from Ontario and I am about 60 hours away from getting my commercial license. My uncle knows a floatplane operator in Ontario and he says he can give me a job as a floatplane operator as soon as I get my CPL. Unfortunately for his insurance reasons I need 50 hours on floats. He says he just doesn't have the resources to teach me or the time. I have my rating. I got it after my private at a floatplane op near where I live. I called the school as I was hoping I could take the rest of the hours there. Unfortuantely they don't teach commercial on floats only affer the rating or the 50 hour course. Apparently they don't have an actual instructor and to count towards commercial you have to be taught by a TC approved instructor. I could finish up my commercial on a landplane first and then get the 50 hour but i don't have the time or money right now. I called a couple schools on the the coast and they don't do it. Does anyone know if anyone does this? I need answers fast.

well congrats. It's great to have a job lined up. You can take CPL on a floatplane but as you discovered most places aren't focused on flight training and often bigger in the charter area etc and therefore don't have instructors. I took mine a while back at Air Hart Aviation in Kelowna. II believe they are still operating as a friend of mine went there last year as well to do the same thing. When i went I needed about 75 hours to finish my CPL and did it on floats. I believe air hart does charters etc but not their focus. They are primarily training and have a good rep. It was the best flying I experienced as a student. Well you mentioned you had your rating so at least you know what i mean about float flying. It's harder to get a job with a float operator with just a rating, although there are ones that you can get hired. For example, I got some buddies that worked for Kenn Borek and all they required for the Maldives was the rating, although they do like to see more. Ken Borek sends their guys to Air Hart for training as well.

If you are looking at a bush job get as many hours as you can on a float plane. The rating is good but you aren't going to really learn how to fly a floatplane in 7 hours, I guess it just prepares you so you don't kill yourself and well you at very least need a rating to fly a floatplane.

Good luck with your training!!

http://www.air-hart.com

Air Hart has a program for the completion of 50 hours and the CPL.

Leslee at Fort langley Air, http://www.fortlangleyair.com can help you too.

You'll have to come out to the West Coast but you'll have a great experience.

Get on WestJet, get out here, and talk to these people.

IIRC, Marg Highland of Sudbury Aviation offers float training...

Post an ad in the jobs forum for a contract class 3 or higher flight instructor with a float endorsement. Then just rent a floatplane and go do airwork in it, and take it out for your cross-countries.

Thank you all very much. I called the Sudbury school before (I think it was that one) and told didn't offer CPL on floats but the person I talked to seemed a little distracted and in a hurry when I called. I checked out airhart and Fort langley on the internet and it looks like Fort langley only has a 180 where air hart has a 172 XP as well and cheaper, considering how many hours I need. Fort Langley way at the bottom has a not that prices don't include fuel surcharge. I actually have a few friends in Kelowna as well so might have an option to crash with them. I am going to check it out a little more but I need to move fast. Thanks again for all your help. I wasn't expecting so many answers so fast

Just a question regarding getting your CPL on floats, how is the spin portion or power-off-180 maneuvers done?

You can do your full CPL on floats (C172) in Sarnia, Ontario (CYZR) at Huron Flight Centre 519-542-6599. Great group of guys in there. Ask for Jason about the floats.

FighterPilot wrote:Just a question regarding getting your CPL on floats, how is the spin portion or power-off-180 maneuvers done?

Everything but spins can be done on floats. Spins on wheels. I've heard of guys doing full flight test on floats, jump over to wheels just for the spin portion. I've also heard doing all training on floats, and just the flight test on wheels. What ever you want really.

For what its worth I know pacific rim aviation in Pitt has a 172 on floats. Not sure if they offer a CPL program on floats but it can't hurt to check out.

Cadismack wrote:For what its worth I know pacific rim aviation in Pitt has a 172 on floats. Not sure if they offer a CPL program on floats but it can't hurt to check out.

Didn't they recently write it off trying to get it off the ramp into the water?

I am a class 4 instructor and also looking to build my float time. I am thinking maybe I would be able to help you finish your dual time for the Commercial on floats. If I can get a class 2 that has a float rating to sign off on supervision requirments and you could arrange a plan to get the plane for however many hours a day, we could both be helping eachother out. I will look a little more into the regs but just wanted to get the message to you right away that we should be able to make this work.

Let me know what you think.

Aviationhopefull

I would suggest you want to get your CPL in a floatplane training done by somebody who has lots of real world float time, preferably in commercial float operations. That is IMO why a CPL on a floatplane is a pretty good idea. The chance of getting an experienced instructor is much higher, and means not only getting the CPL, but a bucket load of real world experience. It is almost impossible to find a CPL instructor at a typical wheeled FTU that will have any real world commercial flying experience.

Gremfly as a new class 4 (and I am assuming low time) you are qualified to , under supervision teach, PPL's. I highly recommend you work hard at getting good at that because instructing for the PPL is an important and necessary part of aviation and nothing to be ashamed off. Your success at imparting those fundamental foundation skills on which all subsequent instruction will build on, will determine your worth as an instructor.....However you, like virtually every class 4 (including myself when I was aclass 4), have no business instructing for the CPL particularly in a float plane.