RE: Newbie to seaplanes
Well, I've been flying a Tower Trainer 40 on Gee Bee Floats since January. I have a lake in front of my home, and after a few years of driving out to the fields I decided to take advantage of the unlimited runway on the water. On the ice and snow things worked great - once I decided to put the antenna up on the transmitter. :-( And since the ice melted, I have been taking off the water. The GB's work much better off the water than I had expected given the poor reviews I have read here. I have not had a problem with them at all! The most important thing I have learned is that it is essential to take off and land into the wind. Sometimes it is hard for me to tell the wind direction on the water, since it tends to swirl around the little bay I am on, but any attempt at crosswind takeoff or landing has ended badly. SO now, before each flying session, I paddle my canoe out a bit to get a sense of the wind off shore and plan my approach accordingly. Good luck and happy landings!