Frequently Asked Questions.

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Q. I am due for a bi-annual flight review—will this count?

A. Yes, any additional rating will count as a biannual flight review as long as your current BFR has not expired.

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Q. What if I fail my checkride.

A. We have a remarkably high pass rate with our examiners, but should something go wrong in a checkride, we can sometimes do the recheck the same day.   Additional training will be provided at the hourly rate. Some examiners charge a $400 retest fee.   This retest fee is not included in your basic flat-rate cost.

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Q. What should I bring?
A. Water shoes, shorts, cool clothes, your current medical certificate, government-issued photo id, license, and logbook.

Q. Are there any minimum requirements for the course?
A. We require at least a private FAA pilot license, a valid 3rd class medical or BasicMed Qualification, and a current BFR.

Q. What is the schedule of the course?
A. Optimally, during the summer, you should arrive to have 2-3 hours of training the first afternoon or evening. We do not train at night. You will have the evening to study and rest up. The next morning we will have another 2-3 hours of flying and we will arrange your appointment with the examiner. The schedule will be more flexible during the week when there is less boat traffic, and during the non-summer months when boating traffic is minimal. The plane is heated and comfortable in the cooler months.

Q. What kind of weather is required?
A. Basically VFR minimums and at least one session and the examination will require minimum ceilings of 2500 to 3000 feet at the airport for stalls and high work. The rest of the training will be low and require about 1000 feet at the airport. Wind should be less than 12kts for your training.

Q. Can I fly in?
A. The crew at Shelby County Aiport airport is very friendly, and have Jet-A and Avgas available at reasonable rates. Transportation can be arranged to and from the training site.

Q. Are hotels available nearby?
A. There are many hotels near the airport.  Hotels Nearby KEET

Q. What can I do to improve the experience?

A. Come prepared with a positive attitude to have a fun day of learning on the water.

Q. What if I just can't get it?
A. If you are a reasonably proficient single-engine pilot you should have no insurmountable problems and really enjoy the experience, however, if it appears that you will need more time or possibly just some other arrangements, we will let you know as early as possible. By the same token after flight training has begun, if you are just not having any fun other arrangements can be made as well. Above all, this should be a fun learning experience.

Q. What should I do to prepare ahead of time?
A. You should purchase "Notes of a Seaplane Instructor" from ASA, Aircraft Spruce, or Amazon. web sites, or wherever you choose or you can do the online Gleim Course. A good knowledge base ahead of time will allow you to concentrate on the flying portion of the journey.

Q. Can I set up a clinic for a group of pilots?
A. We can arrange group rates and accommodations. There is currently only one seaplane in the fleet, thus we are limited by time and resources. I would recommend early fall or spring so that the days are still reasonably long and not as hot.

Q. Can the training be done at another location?
A. Yes, but only after certain circumstances are met, and schedules allow.

Q. What if I need to cancel or reschedule?
A. 24 hours notice is required to reschedule.

Q. What if the weather turns bad?
A. We will have to be flexible and deal with this will be a case-by-case basis. Check with AviationWeather.gov, ForeFlight and whatever your favorite aviation weather sources in the days before the lesson.

Q. I am already a seaplane pilot and I just want to get checked out in the Husky and get current. What are the arrangements?
A. This can be arranged on an hourly basis. Solo flight is not permitted by our insurance.

Q. What is the hourly rate for an instructor and the plane?
A. Our hourly rate is $375 for the Super Petrel LS wet with a one-hour minimum.