>>any experience with a small inflatable (mini-liferaft)?<<

Directly, No.

Anything that will get you to the airplane and hold the plane or the pieces while getting you back is good.

If the plane goes down in the brambles on the opposite shore, or if the plane has an APC prop, is your boat going to be transformed into a bubble generator? Zodiacs and Avons are puncture resistant. A wal-mart vinyl pool-toy boat might not be.

I've done some checking into using a kyak for retrieval, and although this may be a marginal solution, it is easily portable and beats wishful thinking.

I'll agree, a larger boat would be a better solution, but is an option that may not be available to all of us.

--Bill

>>I've done some checking into using a kyak for retrieval,<<

I have 2 kayaks at my disposal: A cheepo fibergalass one and an upscale polyethylene "sit-on" kayak.

We take the dawg out for a boat ride in the fiberglass one, so it would make an adequate airplane retriever. The "good" (sit-on)kayak is so organized you can't take anything that is not designed to fit into one of its molded pockets.

With the cheapie jon-boat, I could row out, start the airplane in the boat, fly around, load the plane back in the boat, and paddle home.

I tried using the airplane to tow me but who wants to eat all that glow-fuel residue?

Nothing like a bit REAL life experience to sober up an idealist.
After reading your postings I think I will explore a CHEAP inflatable raft or Kayak and dust off my old fish'in pole....I will still try my marsh/air boat if the plane lands (dead motor) within 20-40 feet off shore.
I still believe a lake setting, even with possible retrieval hassles, will provide more enjoyable flights compared to a crowded AMA airfield with new 2-4 folks who don't know why a frequency board was invented.
-Kevin

Thanks for all the input Jim,
I plan on doing most of my initial flying (to get my feet wet, pun intended,) from a friend's pond at his home. He has both a "dry" strip and a "wet" one, and yet he drives over to fly at the club strip. Must be lonesome, but as soon as I get a float plane going he won't be!
I haven't seen it yet, but a couple the others have and they describe it as a "fire pond." Farms here, away from fire hydrant capabilities, have such ponds in case of fires. Pumpers can draw water from them. They are usually out in a clear area and make excellent float sites, but tend to get a bit deep in the middle. They aren't uaually too wide or long, so retrevial might not be as much of a problem as a river or lake.
We used to run boats in a like size pond and we'd get stalled boats back with casting rods and a weight instead of a lure. Good casting practice too.
As far as a Lake Ponchatrain Float Fly, well we may have to wait a bit on that one...but man that be a fun one at Mardi Gras time!

Some farms have what they call"stock tanks" where the cattle water. Usually the cattle keep the vegetation down, and you can walk to any point on the bank to retrieve a plane. Also, they are not too big. The ones I remember would be good for spot-landing practice. Definitely use the shadow of the plane coming over the bank to judge your landing position.

I wouldn't fly a RED seaplane there if they have a Brahman Bull, tho' :-)

A fish story:

This morning one of my flying buddies had a deadstick at the FLorida Float Flyers' Facility.

He wasn't very far out, so I tried to cast the famous FFFFishing bobber and weight over the plane to drag it back. The first cast was a little short, so I started reeling in fast to try again as the wind was taking it farther out. About that time WHAM! There was a big splash as a bass hit the bobber. He took it under and was making the drag in the reel sing. Then he jumped, and shook the bobber free. We never use a hook, but he must have swallowed the bobber to be able to pull so hard.

I pulled it on in, and there were bite marks on it (it's styrofoam)

So what would have happened if the bobber had gone OVER the airplane?????

Jim,
After that tale, I think I'll use only unstocked fire ponds!

wow Jim, nice story! You should've tried to reel her in though, but I guess if the plane was drifting, dinner doesn't take priority!!!

If that's what you meant, putting a motor on the back of the plane facing back is hilariously ridiculous!! You could just buy a car ESC which has reverse ($5 more, but weighs ~1oz more - better than another ESC and motor, esc, etc!))...then you'd have much much much more powerful back power, and still, if you're in the middle of the lake, forward is enough, as long as 'yer rudders work.

Rescue methods:
RC boat : very manuevarable, zero trouble, small, powerful, cheap, all-in-one package (like the firebirds of the plane hobby)...the HobbyZone R/C Zig Zag Racer:
http://www.ehobbies.com/rc-hbz-3310.html
a human-oar powered regular pontoon boat (that's what I have)
fishing rod (I don't like that idea...don't think it works as well as others)
a water rudder on the plane!!??

-aeroP

cut out the Zig Zag racer boat- I just read Jim's post on boats being really bad.

Nononono!. I have never meant to say that r/c boats are really bad. I regret sincerely if it came across that way.

If you ONLY have an R/C boat, situations will arise in which you will be disappointed in its capabilities. Other situations will arise where you say "Ain't I cool, I dragged my plane back with an R/C boat!"

The single most reliable and capable retrieval method is a man-carrying boat. All the other stuff works sometimes. All the other stuff is not "BAD" it's just less capable.

I understand Jim, I just expressed myself badly. It would be cool, and MUCH less embarrassing. Say your plane gets stuck...going in a man carrying boat (which is what I own and use) is embarrassing, like the walk of shame. With an RC boat, you could even show off and brag, but you'll be a lot more embrarrassed when it won't work....
-aeroP

Further evidence that you need a boat.

> Further evidence that you need a boat.

Haha. And more evidence of the magnetism of wood!

Nice shot of Tampa Bay....

--Bill

Sure doesn't look like a Florida Swamp.

Looks like a picture from somewhere a lot closer to me.

I swear I saw that before. Or at least something very much like it.

I never said I took the pic. It's just a case where no amount of techno-wizardry will replace a good ol' simple BOAT to get your steenkin' airplane back.

No I didn't mean it that way. It's just that a lot of lakes up this way tend to haev those big pillars right in the way sometimes. Keeps ya on your toes.

Nobidy cuts the pylons in THESE air races!