This guy has to be one of the best amphibious pilots in the country. His explanations of maneuvering on the water are decades of experience condensed down into seconds.
The second plane I ever flew in was a Lake LA-4. I used to hang out at the local airport, and the gentleman was there fueling his plane before going back to his home airport. He kept his plane at a small grass strip that didn't have fuel. I recognized the plane from a pancake breakfast fly-in held at the grass strip a few months prior, and he offered me a ride on the spot. On the way there, we took the scenic route and landed on the river. One of my coolest childhood memories.
We always did the before landing litany” this is a water landing-gear up or this is a land landing-gear is down” Did that on downwind and once more on final. One thing you also want to remember is that when you add power the nose goes down as opposed to a regular tractor type where the nose rises. This is very important to remember if you have to recover from a bounce on the water and you have to use throttle. Add throttle-apply back pressure.
Nice video. The predecessor of the lake was the colonial skimmer I have 500 hours in one and have corresponded with the designer in England. I've also spent the night at Harry Shannon's house and we had a good time talking airplanes and his hobby which is physics. Our aircraft are referred to as hullcraft versus float planes but I didn't hear you say that, no big deal. The 150 horse colonial skimmer was only underpowered if you wanted to fly out of Flagstaff, which I did for 2 years. I don't know if you're aware of it but the designer of the skimmer also wrote two books volumes 1 and 2 titled how to design a small plane to survive a crash, so he knew a lot about these planes. The bulkhead is beefed up because of the need to do water landings but that helps in an off airport landing as well and with the engine on the roof should the plane flip over the cabin does not get compromised. Gee I wonder how I know all that, well there are things I don't like to talk about. I hope you get to do some teaching with Paul furnay before he passed away he was unbelievable. And once Armand rivard gave me a ride in one of his lakes and I gave him a ride in my colonial skimmer. Cheers. cyrooski@yahoo.com
This machine takes some flying. One of the best instructors I ever knew had a almost career ending accident when a student dumped the Buccaneer from too high up into a lake ..the engine pivoted into the cockpit, doing all sorts of hideous damage to the 2 occupants. Sadly I came upon a buccaneer tailplane on the chilcoot trail on the Alaskan panhandle near the top of a pass.
One of the most interesting videos you have posted. Bruce is one of the most knowledgable, articulate pilots you've featured. He would be a rare, truly amazing instructor. Thanks to you both for sharing this !
That was nuts!.. As in crazy cool! I've never smiled so much during one of your videos as I did with this one! His skills are phenomenal and makes it look way easier than it is. What a beautiful plane! 👍👍
Your reactions to landing on water for the first time are typical and fun to watch. They are a great reason to take people for their first water landings. Thanks for sharing with us! Also, you gotta love that southern gentleman charm! I wanna be like him when I grow up.
One of your best because of the plane and its owner. Love the plane and really enjoyed his discussion/explanations. The kind of fellow I like flying with.
Bobby, great to have you back updating Flying Doodles! Enjoyed Bruce’s story and his very competent seamanship with that sexy airworthy boat of his ! I soloed at KDWH (David Wayne Hooks Airport in Tomball TX that he speaks of ) on 7,000 ft long 17R... did a ton of touch and goes on the shorter ( and much skinnier) 17L ... just to the right of the “ditch” he speaks of ... runway 17W. .... Good times 😀 Hope you make time to do more great Flying Doodles posts!
I'm 61 years old, an active Airline captain for a major airline. My Dad was a surgeon and owned two Lake Buccaneer's based in southern ME and NH (827 and 1042). I have about 4,500 hours in the type. I got my Private SES (including complex endorsement), Instrument airplane, Commercial SEL and SES, Flight Instructor airplane, Flight Instructor Instrument airplane and ATP SEL and SES all in those two aircraft including a CAT II authorization. This is going to be a long post/ rant some may say about two small procedural items. It is my honest review of a topic that only applies to pilots and specifically LA-4-200 operators. The Buccaneer came without wing fillets, some may say that was a mistake, they were added back on the -EP/ EPR revision (Extended Prop). Either way, a fantastic aircraft. I was factory trained and have trained/ flown or met with most of the major players at Lake Aircraft between 80' - 2005 (Armand and his son Bruce, LS, PF, SR, HS and all the wonderful and knowledgeable mechanics in Laconia and Bartow). Only reason I say this is I'm fairly certain I was trained and tested the correct way and unless there is a whole "new math" thing going on recently, should I change/ adapt with the times? MY QUESTION: Is there any reason that a PIC of a single engine aircraft would remove their hand from the throttle prior to 400' AGL (Land Ops: "positive rate - gear up" hand BACK on the throttle)? The Lake has hydraulic trim which is set prior to takeoff in a green takeoff band which can handle both climb out below 400' prior to flap retraction AND an engine failure (initially 10° nose D-O-W-N w/in 5 seconds and stabilize no SLOWER than 60 KIAS or 70 mph prior to flair. You need to unload the wing IMMEDIATLY, like no other plane you have ever flown before, if you are "light" in your seat perfect, the nose will pitch UP on its own when the engine quits). As the PIC you need to fly the Buccaneer and not let it fly you. If you took a checkride w/ Bill Mason years ago out of LCI then you would know what I mean, a real (unplanned and unexpected) water landing on Lake Winnipesaukee less than 2 minutes after gear retraction. When you see it once you take note, when you see it a second time it is a habit and should be debriefed! A single engine airplane is NOT a multiengine TURBINE aircraft with an FAA approved V1 speed. On those airplanes you are supposed to remove your hand at V1, AFTER getting SAFELY airborne and the gear up my captains at TWA used to say "your throttles" at which time the FO would put their hand back on the throttles and control the power/ thrust. DON'T take your hand off the throttle of a single engine airplane prior to 400' AGL or flap retraction, ESPECIALLY a Lake Amphib. The Lake is a VERY unforgiving airplane to include low speed handling and especially stalls (adding Batwings or vortex generators to the Buccaneer makes it a gentleman's airplane but it still requires factory or approved training). Our second Buccaneer we added Batwings, it reduced the takeoff and landing speeds about 5 KIAS, increased the climb rate 100 - 200 fpm and made it an all-around safer airplane. Water ops in general add a lot more variables, and not in a good way. The risks are noticeably higher. A botched glassy water landing can occasionally result in a *surprise* very abrupt bounce, higher than most pilots expect with very low energy. What you do not want is your hand on your thigh when you need to GO AROUND N-O-W! Minimum maneuvering speed with Batwings (30° Bank): flaps down: 65 KIAS, flaps up 75 KIAS. On final: power on approach 52 - 55 KIAS. If your plane has no Batwings add 5 mph and convert kts to mph (+ 15%). There is almost no case I can imagine that a pilot would want to maneuver in the terminal area greater than 30° of bank. Understand YOUR limitations, the Lakes unique flying characteristics and you will love it! It is the most stable airplane I have ever flown, lead with an initial light press on the rudder and it is the perfect IFR platform. The Lake Buccaneer has a very noticeable and manageable stall buffet with takeoff power but almost none when power is reduced to idle, if the power reduction to idle is rapid, it will be SUDDEN, drop a wing and almost go on its back vertical and can easily be unrecoverable at low attitude. Victor Loranger was a Lake test pilot, trained me for my commercial and did spin the Buccaneer for its FAA Type Certification. He impressed upon me, no matter how good or experienced you think you are as a pilot do not try to spin a Lake Buccaneer, that was a onetime deal and you do not want to be the second. In the 80's the FAA had some serious discussions about requiring a type rating on the Lake, MU2 and Robinson helicopter because of the number of fatal accidents. The issue was resolved with the Lake to require annual Lake specific training (as opposed to Biannual or now flight reviews every two years). I was an approved instructor under that insurance program. This review is of a more experienced Lake pilot, he is not a professional and I am not going to hold him to that standard. Most Lake owners only get about 150 hrs/ yr and many owners used to fly to Kissimmee FL for the annual fly-in and to be honest this group of pilots are a bit older than average, had more disposable income but more importantly had the time and will to improve their skills and join a loyal seaplane community. The seaplane community is not the only community to consider. The Lake is a VERY LOUD airplane and operators should consider their noise footprint and duration on those that live next to your practice area. Memo to Capt. Sully: Never land a seaplane farther from shore than you can swim. "This is a WATER landing, first 4 switches on, gear UP, flaps down, I have 1-2-3 gear UP and locked, flaps down and locked, prop full forward, mixture full rich, (on final) This is a WATER landing, gear UP." Sully did an exceptional job under the circumstances, he and his FO Jeff Skites (met him on a layover in FCO years ago) landed on the water gear UP safely. As a community we have had our share of Lake pilots that didn't always get this correct. The Lake has no gear warning either up or down, that is the job of the PIC. Land operations: takeoff and land on the centerline. Water ops: don't show off, when you takeoff, climb to at least 100' AGL before beginning a 30° bank turn, you're still going to look awesome but avoid catching a wing tip on the water and cartwheeling to your death. Lastly: only step taxi as fast as required to remain on the step, I tore an aux fuel tank/ sponson off years ago and the resulting hockey stop was quite abrupt and embarrassing. The FAA 50' obstacle on approach is more like 100' approaching a body of water, compensate for the added distance and don't get too close to the tops of the pine trees, they will leave a noticeable dent on the leading edge. PERFORMANCE (w/ Batwings) 105 KTAS, 10.5 GPH cruise at 6,000', ENDR w/54 gal: 5:00 (510 NM), w/40 gal: 3:40 (370 NM) no reserve 1 HR Flight: 90 NM, 12.0 gal fuel (includes taxi, climb and descent to 6,000') 101KTAS, 10.5 GPH (24/24) at 1,000' MSL ILS Approach: 16" MP, 65 KIAS and 350 FPM Ground Roll Land: Max TO WT: (2,690 lbs, SL, ISA, No Wind) 1,000' Max Weight: Normally Full Fuel and three average sized males (put the heavier of the 2 passengers in the back seat) - will be close to the fwd CG limit. Max Weight Water Ops: You CAN do touch and goes but if you come off the step, you more than likely will NOT be able to get back on the step. Huge headache! Normal Water Ops: 40 gal fuel max and two people. www.flyalpine.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Lake-Owners-Manual-Original.pdf A written checklist I believe is better than the "verbal litany checklist," but on the water I do the verbal and there is always the checklist placard on the panel. The Lake takes off and lands with flaps DOWN always! Still a lot of pilots depart with their flaps up and that is how we lost our first plane in Nain. As a final note and something I notice as a Captain observing newer pilots on non-widebody aircraft: don't go low on the glidepath, don't get slow prior to the landing threshold and that includes short runways like LGA and even EYW. Below 500' AGL keep your hand on the throttles/ thrust levers and hold the control wheel the way it was designed to be held. When you have your hand off the throttle(s) and/or manipulating the control wheel in the center stalk/ pivot point it is AMATEUR HOUR and you are the only one that does not notice it! Maybe I'm overreacting, being too picky of an otherwise very knowledgeable and proficient Lake pilot who appears to fly his airplane quite well. Bruce, I genuinely enjoyed your video, and appreciate you putting yourself out there and sharing your airplane, experience and stories. My goal here is not to criticize but to pass on what I have learned from experience and what works best for ME. In less than 4 years my career will be over, no regrets, flying airplanes both small and large has been one of my greatest joys. Learning to fly and spending time with my Dad flying his LA42 to Labrador and Cancun were honestly better than when I flew him as a new International FO to Cairo on the B763. You can never learn too much about any subject, don't fly a jet with less than 1:15 reserve even in VFR conditions, know what you feel comfortable with and tell your FO to turn their cell phone off. Flying is about honestly assessing being fit for duty: risk management, time management, task management, energy management, reducing distractions and 14 hours of duty is all the fatigue I can manage on a good day. Soon after my Dad's passing I found his logbook. On his 75th birthday he departed solo from PSM and flew for 1:15, his entry: flew over New Castle, landed on Bow Lake, touch and goes - "Joy exuded from my pores."
Bruce seems like one of the COOLEST guys!!! You can often tell when you know you’re gonna have a good conversation with someone and Bruce def seems like that type of guy! Interesting as all hell and probably has a million cool stories to tell!
KSFM (Sanford Maine) is home field for me; which is where most Lakes were built. The company I currently work for still utilizes a few pieces of equipment (sheet metal shear and brake press) that originally made parts for Colonial and Lake. This area is pretty proud of the Lake years.
@@evanhodgson3901 The company is EKTO mfg. The "T" in "EKTO" is/was Jack Tarbox, who was lead engineer for Lake. I would be happy tp provide pics if there is a way of providing a way to contact you somehow?
I had my first ride in a Lake as a teenager working at Cornelia Fort in Nashville, TN. The Rivards made fuel stops there as the transitioned from NH to Florida seasonally. 50 years and 30,000 hours later, I’m still in love with those airplanes. Still hoping to own one at some point.
*WOWWWWWWWW this vid immediately jumped to the top of my list of FAVORITE FD Videos!!!* Back in the early 80's I fell in love with Lake Buccaneers from one photo in Flying magazine which I still have! To this day and all my flying, I've never seen one in person. Really impressive bird and the interior appears to be quite roomy! My mind was thoroughly blown by Bruce's water handling skills! There's has to be a follow up with Bruce... Extremely interesting aviator! Keep up the great work!
That was really a great 👍 ride-a-long Bobby! I could see the look 👀 of pure 🤩 joy when you first started flying over the waterways and could really see what there was to enjoy with the combination of flying and sailing ⛵️. I used to live near that airport and even got to fly a brand new 172 from the Cessna dealership at Houston Hobby and show it at an airshow when they changed the airport name. I fell in love with 😍 the Lake then and never lost my love for them. Thanks for sharing this video and for bringing back memories of a beautiful airplane at a local air show..
Great interview Bobby. Very informative. What an interesting character this man is. Speaks really well and one can tell is very experienced. What a great little plane. Thanks for making the video.
Lakes are really cool and unique planes. We used to see them all the time around here, as they used to sell them at our local airport (Gilford, NH). I could always tell a Lake plane by the sound it made flying overhead. Thanks for taking us along for the flight!
LA4-200 were built in Sanford Maine. Ferry pilot would put in a seat and fly a “green” plane to Houston for outfitting and paint. I used to fly on just 11 n-number digits from this one.
Certainly not the focus of the video but that trailing arm gear looks incredible. Bird settled into the water a little deeper than I expected! Looked kinda sketchy lol. Awesome!!!
There's a lady that flies one of these in and out of my local airport, 5M3, and everytime I see that airplane I can't help but watch. Very cool aircraft!
I like Bruce a lot, a no-nonsense stick and rudder float pilot. Reminds me a lot of my first instructor. Always told you how it was and never gave you no bullshit on how you were performing.
Great video. I learned to fly back in 1960 while in college at $8.00 per hour. I have been in float planes a couple of times as a passenger. I flew when I had the money but quit about 12 years later when I started my family. I have offered my kids and grandkids flight instructions on my nickel but no takers. Flight is still a joy to me anywhere in the world even as a passenger.
Really cool. Footage was like a VERY fast speedboat. Seemed like he was running out of room and then took the turn like a regular V hull motorboat. Bet it was neat to ride in.
Nice dude! Dad flew and owed a flying boat CF -HYZ ! My dad is one of the best west coast bush pilot aviator s ! He learned to fly a fleet Cunack! Cheers folks
Float plane experience is a bucket list item for me. I really enjoyed this particular video of yours. Thanks for sharing this one and all of your other videos. I look forward to seeing each new video. Thx.
@ 6:40 he said “if you land in a lake in California you’re gong to come back with your wings in a truck” does anyone know what he means by that? I reside in southern California and playing with the idea of purchasing a small seaplane…
Loved this video and have gone back several times to watch it again, the owner was a joy to listen to both regarding his history and while flying, he would make an amazing CFI ! Love Sailing Doodles also and recommend others check out Bobbies adventures on the seas ! Thanks for a terrific video
Howdy Bruce dad has many hours on type! Great bush pilot! West Coast b.c. .Dad owned a l a 4 with out gear! He owened a coloional skimmer as well a c--1! That one is at the bottom of Pitt lake anchorer around pillion????
Hydraulic gear, flaps and trim. Outer 1/3rd of each side of the horizontal is the trim. No nose wheel steering, free castor, but at an angle, so it takes a little to get used to it.
This guy has to be one of the best amphibious pilots in the country. His explanations of maneuvering on the water are decades of experience condensed down into seconds.
Could anyone imagine a legit WW2 (or other Catalina / PBY) pilot would have been thinking??.. (
Bruce has been a client of mine for several years polishing and coating his planes. Great guy and that lake is pretty neat
What type coatings?
Experience is oozing out of Bruce's ears. Much respect sir.
The second plane I ever flew in was a Lake LA-4. I used to hang out at the local airport, and the gentleman was there fueling his plane before going back to his home airport. He kept his plane at a small grass strip that didn't have fuel. I recognized the plane from a pancake breakfast fly-in held at the grass strip a few months prior, and he offered me a ride on the spot. On the way there, we took the scenic route and landed on the river. One of my coolest childhood memories.
A great story from Bruce on his journey in aviation. The ride in the Lake was fantastic, thanks for sharing.
We always did the before landing litany” this is a water landing-gear up or this is a land landing-gear is down” Did that on downwind and once more on final. One thing you also want to remember is that when you add power the nose goes down as opposed to a regular tractor type where the nose rises. This is very important to remember if you have to recover from a bounce on the water and you have to use throttle. Add throttle-apply back pressure.
This is one of the most interesting videos you had on. I could listen to that man all day. Thank you
This was so entertaining to watch! Had no idea a Lake could get around on the water like that.
Nice video. The predecessor of the lake was the colonial skimmer I have 500 hours in one and have corresponded with the designer in England. I've also spent the night at Harry Shannon's house and we had a good time talking airplanes and his hobby which is physics. Our aircraft are referred to as hullcraft versus float planes but I didn't hear you say that, no big deal. The 150 horse colonial skimmer was only underpowered if you wanted to fly out of Flagstaff, which I did for 2 years. I don't know if you're aware of it but the designer of the skimmer also wrote two books volumes 1 and 2 titled how to design a small plane to survive a crash, so he knew a lot about these planes. The bulkhead is beefed up because of the need to do water landings but that helps in an off airport landing as well and with the engine on the roof should the plane flip over the cabin does not get compromised. Gee I wonder how I know all that, well there are things I don't like to talk about. I hope you get to do some teaching with Paul furnay before he passed away he was unbelievable. And once Armand rivard gave me a ride in one of his lakes and I gave him a ride in my colonial skimmer. Cheers.
cyrooski@yahoo.com
Would love to read those books.
A dream flight in a dream plane - thank you for sharing this!
This machine takes some flying. One of the best instructors I ever knew had a almost career ending accident when a student dumped the Buccaneer from too high up into a lake ..the engine pivoted into the cockpit, doing all sorts of hideous damage to the 2 occupants. Sadly I came upon a buccaneer tailplane on the chilcoot trail on the Alaskan panhandle near the top of a pass.
One of the most interesting videos you have posted. Bruce is one of the most knowledgable, articulate pilots you've featured. He would be a rare, truly amazing instructor. Thanks to you both for sharing this !
Getting spoiled with all the flying doodles content recently. Bobby is a man on a mission. Thank you so much Bobby!
Wow, that's a cool plane. There is one at our local airport but I never thought much of it. It's a much more capable plane than I expected.
Jimmy Buffet has flown one for years.
That was nuts!.. As in crazy cool! I've never smiled so much during one of your videos as I did with this one! His skills are phenomenal and makes it look way easier than it is. What a beautiful plane! 👍👍
Looks like the water conditions were near perfect for water work! Awesome to see the on water performance of it vs a plane with floats
Your reactions to landing on water for the first time are typical and fun to watch. They are a great reason to take people for their first water landings. Thanks for sharing with us!
Also, you gotta love that southern gentleman charm! I wanna be like him when I grow up.
- where are you out of Rusty?
This guy's story is amazing!
One of your best because of the plane and its owner. Love the plane and really enjoyed his discussion/explanations. The kind of fellow I like flying with.
Bobby, great to have you back updating Flying Doodles!
Enjoyed Bruce’s story and his very competent seamanship with that sexy airworthy boat of his !
I soloed at KDWH (David Wayne Hooks Airport in Tomball TX that he speaks of ) on 7,000 ft long 17R... did a ton of touch and goes on the shorter ( and much skinnier) 17L ... just to the right of the “ditch” he speaks of ... runway 17W.
.... Good times 😀
Hope you make time to do more great Flying Doodles posts!
I'm 61 years old, an active Airline captain for a major airline. My Dad was a surgeon and owned two Lake Buccaneer's based in southern ME and NH (827 and 1042). I have about 4,500 hours in the type. I got my Private SES (including complex endorsement), Instrument airplane, Commercial SEL and SES, Flight Instructor airplane, Flight Instructor Instrument airplane and ATP SEL and SES all in those two aircraft including a CAT II authorization.
This is going to be a long post/ rant some may say about two small procedural items. It is my honest review of a topic that only applies to pilots and specifically LA-4-200 operators. The Buccaneer came without wing fillets, some may say that was a mistake, they were added back on the -EP/ EPR revision (Extended Prop). Either way, a fantastic aircraft.
I was factory trained and have trained/ flown or met with most of the major players at Lake Aircraft between 80' - 2005 (Armand and his son Bruce, LS, PF, SR, HS and all the wonderful and knowledgeable mechanics in Laconia and Bartow).
Only reason I say this is I'm fairly certain I was trained and tested the correct way and unless there is a whole "new math" thing going on recently, should I change/ adapt with the times?
MY QUESTION: Is there any reason that a PIC of a single engine aircraft would remove their hand from the throttle prior to 400' AGL (Land Ops: "positive rate - gear up" hand BACK on the throttle)? The Lake has hydraulic trim which is set prior to takeoff in a green takeoff band which can handle both climb out below 400' prior to flap retraction AND an engine failure (initially 10° nose D-O-W-N w/in 5 seconds and stabilize no SLOWER than 60 KIAS or 70 mph prior to flair. You need to unload the wing IMMEDIATLY, like no other plane you have ever flown before, if you are "light" in your seat perfect, the nose will pitch UP on its own when the engine quits). As the PIC you need to fly the Buccaneer and not let it fly you. If you took a checkride w/ Bill Mason years ago out of LCI then you would know what I mean, a real (unplanned and unexpected) water landing on Lake Winnipesaukee less than 2 minutes after gear retraction.
When you see it once you take note, when you see it a second time it is a habit and should be debriefed!
A single engine airplane is NOT a multiengine TURBINE aircraft with an FAA approved V1 speed. On those airplanes you are supposed to remove your hand at V1, AFTER getting SAFELY airborne and the gear up my captains at TWA used to say "your throttles" at which time the FO would put their hand back on the throttles and control the power/ thrust.
DON'T take your hand off the throttle of a single engine airplane prior to 400' AGL or flap retraction, ESPECIALLY a Lake Amphib. The Lake is a VERY unforgiving airplane to include low speed handling and especially stalls (adding Batwings or vortex generators to the Buccaneer makes it a gentleman's airplane but it still requires factory or approved training). Our second Buccaneer we added Batwings, it reduced the takeoff and landing speeds about 5 KIAS, increased the climb rate 100 - 200 fpm and made it an all-around safer airplane.
Water ops in general add a lot more variables, and not in a good way. The risks are noticeably higher. A botched glassy water landing can occasionally result in a *surprise* very abrupt bounce, higher than most pilots expect with very low energy. What you do not want is your hand on your thigh when you need to GO AROUND N-O-W!
Minimum maneuvering speed with Batwings (30° Bank): flaps down: 65 KIAS, flaps up 75 KIAS. On final: power on approach 52 - 55 KIAS. If your plane has no Batwings add 5 mph and convert kts to mph (+ 15%). There is almost no case I can imagine that a pilot would want to maneuver in the terminal area greater than 30° of bank.
Understand YOUR limitations, the Lakes unique flying characteristics and you will love it! It is the most stable airplane I have ever flown, lead with an initial light press on the rudder and it is the perfect IFR platform. The Lake Buccaneer has a very noticeable and manageable stall buffet with takeoff power but almost none when power is reduced to idle, if the power reduction to idle is rapid, it will be SUDDEN, drop a wing and almost go on its back vertical and can easily be unrecoverable at low attitude. Victor Loranger was a Lake test pilot, trained me for my commercial and did spin the Buccaneer for its FAA Type Certification. He impressed upon me, no matter how good or experienced you think you are as a pilot do not try to spin a Lake Buccaneer, that was a onetime deal and you do not want to be the second.
In the 80's the FAA had some serious discussions about requiring a type rating on the Lake, MU2 and Robinson helicopter because of the number of fatal accidents. The issue was resolved with the Lake to require annual Lake specific training (as opposed to Biannual or now flight reviews every two years). I was an approved instructor under that insurance program.
This review is of a more experienced Lake pilot, he is not a professional and I am not going to hold him to that standard. Most Lake owners only get about 150 hrs/ yr and many owners used to fly to Kissimmee FL for the annual fly-in and to be honest this group of pilots are a bit older than average, had more disposable income but more importantly had the time and will to improve their skills and join a loyal seaplane community.
The seaplane community is not the only community to consider. The Lake is a VERY LOUD airplane and operators should consider their noise footprint and duration on those that live next to your practice area.
Memo to Capt. Sully: Never land a seaplane farther from shore than you can swim. "This is a WATER landing, first 4 switches on, gear UP, flaps down, I have 1-2-3 gear UP and locked, flaps down and locked, prop full forward, mixture full rich, (on final) This is a WATER landing, gear UP." Sully did an exceptional job under the circumstances, he and his FO Jeff Skites (met him on a layover in FCO years ago) landed on the water gear UP safely. As a community we have had our share of Lake pilots that didn't always get this correct. The Lake has no gear warning either up or down, that is the job of the PIC.
Land operations: takeoff and land on the centerline. Water ops: don't show off, when you takeoff, climb to at least 100' AGL before beginning a 30° bank turn, you're still going to look awesome but avoid catching a wing tip on the water and cartwheeling to your death. Lastly: only step taxi as fast as required to remain on the step, I tore an aux fuel tank/ sponson off years ago and the resulting hockey stop was quite abrupt and embarrassing. The FAA 50' obstacle on approach is more like 100' approaching a body of water, compensate for the added distance and don't get too close to the tops of the pine trees, they will leave a noticeable dent on the leading edge.
PERFORMANCE (w/ Batwings)
105 KTAS, 10.5 GPH cruise at 6,000', ENDR w/54 gal: 5:00 (510 NM), w/40 gal: 3:40 (370 NM) no reserve
1 HR Flight: 90 NM, 12.0 gal fuel (includes taxi, climb and descent to 6,000')
101KTAS, 10.5 GPH (24/24) at 1,000' MSL
ILS Approach: 16" MP, 65 KIAS and 350 FPM
Ground Roll Land: Max TO WT: (2,690 lbs, SL, ISA, No Wind) 1,000'
Max Weight: Normally Full Fuel and three average sized males (put the heavier of the 2 passengers in the back seat) - will be close to the fwd CG limit.
Max Weight Water Ops: You CAN do touch and goes but if you come off the step, you more than likely will NOT be able to get back on the step. Huge headache!
Normal Water Ops: 40 gal fuel max and two people.
www.flyalpine.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Lake-Owners-Manual-Original.pdf
A written checklist I believe is better than the "verbal litany checklist," but on the water I do the verbal and there is always the checklist placard on the panel. The Lake takes off and lands with flaps DOWN always! Still a lot of pilots depart with their flaps up and that is how we lost our first plane in Nain.
As a final note and something I notice as a Captain observing newer pilots on non-widebody aircraft: don't go low on the glidepath, don't get slow prior to the landing threshold and that includes short runways like LGA and even EYW. Below 500' AGL keep your hand on the throttles/ thrust levers and hold the control wheel the way it was designed to be held. When you have your hand off the throttle(s) and/or manipulating the control wheel in the center stalk/ pivot point it is AMATEUR HOUR and you are the only one that does not notice it!
Maybe I'm overreacting, being too picky of an otherwise very knowledgeable and proficient Lake pilot who appears to fly his airplane quite well. Bruce, I genuinely enjoyed your video, and appreciate you putting yourself out there and sharing your airplane, experience and stories.
My goal here is not to criticize but to pass on what I have learned from experience and what works best for ME. In less than 4 years my career will be over, no regrets, flying airplanes both small and large has been one of my greatest joys. Learning to fly and spending time with my Dad flying his LA42 to Labrador and Cancun were honestly better than when I flew him as a new International FO to Cairo on the B763. You can never learn too much about any subject, don't fly a jet with less than 1:15 reserve even in VFR conditions, know what you feel comfortable with and tell your FO to turn their cell phone off. Flying is about honestly assessing being fit for duty: risk management, time management, task management, energy management, reducing distractions and 14 hours of duty is all the fatigue I can manage on a good day.
Soon after my Dad's passing I found his logbook. On his 75th birthday he departed solo from PSM and flew for 1:15, his entry: flew over New Castle, landed on Bow Lake, touch and goes - "Joy exuded from my pores."
I think I need to print this out
Awesome! Always loved that airplane, that has to be the nicest example I have ever seen. What a good dude.
Bruce seems like one of the COOLEST guys!!! You can often tell when you know you’re gonna have a good conversation with someone and Bruce def seems like that type of guy! Interesting as all hell and probably has a million cool stories to tell!
KSFM (Sanford Maine) is home field for me; which is where most Lakes were built. The company I currently work for still utilizes a few pieces of equipment (sheet metal shear and brake press) that originally made parts for Colonial and Lake. This area is pretty proud of the Lake years.
What company would that be ? I own a C2 skimmer project and would love to see some pictures of some of the tooling that made it.
@@evanhodgson3901 The company is EKTO mfg. The "T" in "EKTO" is/was Jack Tarbox, who was lead engineer for Lake. I would be happy tp provide pics if there is a way of providing a way to contact you somehow?
It's amazing how well it maneuvers on the water I didn't expect that compared to a float plane.
I had my first ride in a Lake as a teenager working at Cornelia Fort in Nashville, TN. The Rivards made fuel stops there as the transitioned from NH to Florida seasonally. 50 years and 30,000 hours later, I’m still in love with those airplanes. Still hoping to own one at some point.
I have seen every one of your videos and for pure fun of flying this is my favorite! Thank you!
I had a 79 years back and had a lot of fun with it. This video brings back great memories.
*WOWWWWWWWW this vid immediately jumped to the top of my list of FAVORITE FD Videos!!!* Back in the early 80's I fell in love with Lake Buccaneers from one photo in Flying magazine which I still have! To this day and all my flying, I've never seen one in person. Really impressive bird and the interior appears to be quite roomy! My mind was thoroughly blown by Bruce's water handling skills! There's has to be a follow up with Bruce... Extremely interesting aviator! Keep up the great work!
This machine and pilot are unbelievable. Well done. Amazing plane.
What an awesome experience. This guy is truly a legendary pilot. Amazing skill and knowledge in such a niche of the aviation world.
probably one of the most interesting videos so far, he flies this thing like a champ!
Cool pilot, cool plane, cool bio.
That was really a great 👍 ride-a-long Bobby! I could see the look 👀 of pure 🤩 joy when you first started flying over the waterways and could really see what there was to enjoy with the combination of flying and sailing ⛵️. I used to live near that airport and even got to fly a brand new 172 from the Cessna dealership at Houston Hobby and show it at an airshow when they changed the airport name. I fell in love with 😍 the Lake then and never lost my love for them. Thanks for sharing this video and for bringing back memories of a beautiful airplane at a local air show..
That looked so fun, its an airplane and airboat all in 1
That was a fantastic episode! Being from Mn originally….I love that you can land that craft anywhere!
Great interview Bobby. Very informative. What an interesting character this man is. Speaks really well and one can tell is very experienced. What a great little plane. Thanks for making the video.
I flew one of these with Harry last year. I work ATC at amphibians + home airport. Great guy, fun aircraft.
Lakes are really cool and unique planes. We used to see them all the time around here, as they used to sell them at our local airport (Gilford, NH). I could always tell a Lake plane by the sound it made flying overhead. Thanks for taking us along for the flight!
Good video good aircraft
Very cool craft! Thanks for sharing these. Love the man's backstory. Would've loved to meet his father.
Good ole Cajun Hospitality---great video!!
Very educational and fun to watch. What an impressive individual who has to be one of the best ever on the water.
LA4-200 were built in Sanford Maine. Ferry pilot would put in a seat and fly a “green” plane to Houston for outfitting and paint. I used to fly on just 11 n-number digits from this one.
Wow - very cool demonstration. Talk about a puddle jumper.
This guy is 74 years old?? He said he was born in 1947, he looks fantastic!
Certainly not the focus of the video but that trailing arm gear looks incredible. Bird settled into the water a little deeper than I expected! Looked kinda sketchy lol. Awesome!!!
Wow, that's impressive.
What a cool airplane! Thanks for the video, Bobby.
There's a lady that flies one of these in and out of my local airport, 5M3, and everytime I see that airplane I can't help but watch. Very cool aircraft!
Best one yet. It just LOOKED like a blast.
That is an awesome plane!
I’ve missed these. Love the amphib, that’s alway been the dream for me. Thanks!
New Hampshire has over a dozen seaplane bases with facilities , and any body of water you can take off and land that's suitable for your type .
Awesome episode! Loved the plane and the owner. Please more unique planes like this.
Bruce is a living legend. What a great video!
I like Bruce a lot, a no-nonsense stick and rudder float pilot. Reminds me a lot of my first instructor. Always told you how it was and never gave you no bullshit on how you were performing.
Good news is the hwy 11 bridge is open now,lol. I grew up with Southern Seaplane in my backyard and Seaplanes we're our alarm clocks every morning!
Outside of all else.. The lines of this airplane, especially with regard to when it was first designed, are really nice..
Fascinating guy! Loved that he was planning his flights to Pensacola! Also, awesome bird!
Great one Bobby. My Dad actually brought home brochures on this one and he rarely did that kinda thing. Really enjoyed it.
Great video. I learned to fly back in 1960 while in college at $8.00 per hour. I have been in float planes a couple of times as a passenger. I flew when I had the money but quit about 12 years later when I started my family. I have offered my kids and grandkids flight instructions on my nickel but no takers. Flight is still a joy to me anywhere in the world even as a passenger.
Really cool. Footage was like a VERY fast speedboat. Seemed like he was running out of room and then took the turn like a regular V hull motorboat. Bet it was neat to ride in.
That’s a really cool plane ✈️ and he’s a great pilot
I wish this man and his farther were my father. 😂 Also I didn’t think that there were people still alive with such cool accents
Icon A5 Vacaville California. Amphibious aircraft. I love your plain. I want to fly one. This would do around Corpus Christi for sure.
wow the coolest most unique Flying Doodles videos !
I’m just starting my flight training 72 is not too late but getting close.I’ve always loved the laker thanks for the Video is spirt 6
awesome amphibious airplane
That was cool!
What great Airplane and video
Now that was a treat. Air boat, airplane combo.
Great start of your career story!
Fabulous!! What a wonderful, interesting, and educational story. ✨✨✨✨
Looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing
Great video. Interesting guy. And also wanted to know more about a lake amphib
Best flying video ever.
Nice video and great story and skills demo from Bruce. Good to see you back, looking forward to the next interesting video.
its like the cross between a jet ski, hover craft, and an ultralight.. super cool machine!!
Nice dude! Dad flew and owed a flying boat CF -HYZ ! My dad is one of the best west coast bush pilot aviator s ! He learned to fly a fleet Cunack! Cheers folks
Great flying experience.
That is cool as hell, Bobby 👍
What an incredible video. Thank you for posting it. 🙂
Would love to have him as a CFI!
what an impressive aircraft
What a great aircraft - thanks for the video!
Float plane experience is a bucket list item for me. I really enjoyed this particular video of yours. Thanks for sharing this one and all of your other videos. I look forward to seeing each new video. Thx.
N32DQ. . Beaufort South Carolina. I really Love Mine. Arrgh! Capt. Morgan. 18 years of flying mine.
What an amazing plane. That guy seems to know it "inside and out". What a professional.
@ 6:40 he said “if you land in a lake in California you’re gong to come back with your wings in a truck” does anyone know what he means by that?
I reside in southern California and playing with the idea of purchasing a small seaplane…
That was really cool. Enjoyed!
Loved this video and have gone back several times to watch it again, the owner was a joy to listen to both regarding his history and while flying, he would make an amazing CFI ! Love Sailing Doodles also and recommend others check out Bobbies adventures on the seas ! Thanks for a terrific video
Howdy Bruce dad has many hours on type! Great bush pilot! West Coast b.c. .Dad owned a l a 4 with out gear! He owened a coloional skimmer as well a c--1! That one is at the bottom of Pitt lake anchorer around pillion????
Hydraulic gear, flaps and trim. Outer 1/3rd of each side of the horizontal is the trim. No nose wheel steering, free castor, but at an angle, so it takes a little to get used to it.
That looked like a lot of fun!
Bruce, Sir you da Man!
This flying content is epic,informative, entertaining,this captain was extra awesome,love it man👍
Very good video
What a great episode! Very knowable pilot. We can tell u really enjoyed this flight!
He’s talking about hooks airport in Tomball TX