Float season is almost here in Canada. Our ice is expected off our lake any day now and I'm going to make arrangements to get my new aerocets swapped out for the wheels. Weeeeeeee

Any ice repots from northern Minnesota?

Garth

The ice pretty much went out on Vermilion here in northern MN yesterday (march 26), and did lots of damage to those exposed to SE winds. I had some collateral dock damage, but not as bad as my neighhbors. The water is low, and at my place the ice picked up and moved a 3 foot diameter bolder that was on the lake bottom about 4 feet from my dock. It moved it up a 2 foot pier of rocks I had and smashed it into the dock I had on top of the rock pier bending it. Simply incredible the power of 4 inch thick ice moving about an inch a minute being driven by 30 mph winds. No damage to my floating dock or my plane rail system. My plane slept with the floats on last winter and I plan to take her up for a spin in the next day or two if this wind ever dies down. Want to say I flew on floats in northern MN in March. May never happen again. Ice is out a month earlier than average and broke the old ice out record date which was April 6. Plan on flying it down to Sky harbor Duluth for the annual next week. Russ

Ahhh, floats... the ice on smaller lakes in eastern WA would generally melt about middle of March. I had a place on a small lake up there with my 180 on floats out back for the summer season. Now down in CA don't have a place to keep it on the water, have to take some vacation every couple years and swap to floats and for a couple weeks then back to wheels. Enjoy the float season...

Of course, who can complain about flying on wheels?!

Here in northern Maine the ice is starting to disappear.
I bought this set of floats on Sunday, and the ice went out Tuesday. I am wicked excited to get these floats on the Taylorcraft.
-Levi

Anyone with a a 180/185 who wants in on the float game, I've got a set of PK 3500's at Surfside in Minnesota. First $3000 takes them.

Brad

Levi wrote:Here in northern Maine the ice is starting to disappear.
I bought this set of floats on Sunday, and the ice went out Tuesday. I am wicked excited to get these floats on the Taylorcraft.
-Levi

Levi - what type of floats are those?

I hope to get my plane in the water next week. The ice is almost out on my end of the lake. Even though its still March, its seemed like a long winter. Bring it on.

You guys are eager beavers! I am more interested in catching some yellowtail and yellowfin than freezing my ass off. Won't be till first of June till I am floating and that may be delayed a bit as I am going salmon fishing in Haida Gwai first of June and it is better to fly there on wheels to keep me out of saltwater. Go for it.

Gear,

Those are 1400's

-Levi

Ice went out on Gull here in BRD on Monday. So by Wednesday...

Well the weather conspired against me getting the floatplane in the air in March even though the lake was open on March 28th. But I made it up for a 15 minute flight this afternoon, April 1. The earliest I have ever been on floats. Sure felt good to be up in the sky again. Looking forward to a long float season. Russ

Jealous!

Hell, we're still DRIVIN' on the lake here! (But the skis are still workin'!!

Less than a month to go tho!!

our lake went a little backwards this past week so still looking like at least a week if weather cooperates. Just got back from a 3000 NM trip on wheels tho so i kinda got my fix for a few days

garth

Looks like its going to be an extra long winter this year. Last year sure was different. Not good for floatplane pilots who are waiting for ice out. Oh well, I'll have to fly some extra hours to make up for it, and to extend my lifespan.

Delete multiple post. Darn server broke down just as I was trying to post this.

Server malfunction made me do it.

Sorry for the multiple posts. So is the ice going out anywhere north of 42nd? Some rivers must be opening up soon.

nofate,
I have been 'chomping at the bit' to get back to MN and do some flying. Unfortunately I am going to have to just wait awhile. Spoke to my brother in northern MN last night and he stated there is 3 feet of snow on the ground and it was snowing like crazy!!! WTF??? It is the 3rd week of March and snowing like crazy, looks like it will be May before the lakes thaw.