Looking to do a SES rating...preferably in a Lake amphibian. Any recommendations for SES instruction in eastern Washington, eastern OR, or central ID? TIA

Weston at Northwest Ag in Moses Lake has a Lake amphib. I think he was getting things lined up to do instruction with it, but I don’t know if he’s there yet.

They've got a Lake up at Tanglefoot on Priest Lake. I don't think they do any instruction but might know who does.
Whomever you find to do instruction, if local I'd be looking for a checkride from Glenn Smith who bounces back and forth from CdA area to WY. Very fair DPE who does SES.

https://lakeamphibclub.com/flight-resources/instructor-list/

ZP

ZPilot wrote:https://lakeamphibclub.com/flight-resources/instructor-list/

ZP

I find that wild that we only have 2 in the upper midwest...none in MN.

Zzz wrote:

ZPilot wrote:https://lakeamphibclub.com/flight-resources/instructor-list/

ZP

I find that wild that we only have 2 in the upper midwest...none in MN.

Yeah. It's quite the short list. It has been complained about. They want more instructors, but...the requirements to be an approved instructor are hard to meet.
On top of that, insurance companies have made it rather prohibitive to instruct in your own airplane.

ZPilot wrote:

Zzz wrote:

ZPilot wrote:https://lakeamphibclub.com/flight-resources/instructor-list/

ZP

I find that wild that we only have 2 in the upper midwest...none in MN.

Yeah. It's quite the short list. It has been complained about. They want more instructors, but...the requirements to be an approved instructor are hard to meet.
On top of that, insurance companies have made it rather prohibitive to instruct in your own airplane.

Is there a FAR requirement to be approved?

Seems to me it’s a target rich environment if someone has a lake, is comfortable in it, knows a DPE who also is, doesn’t care about becoming approved to worrying about insurance

I’d wager in my CFI days lots of the planes I flew probably didn’t have full on flight school rental insurance, none of us were “approved” just CFIs who got hired at school, we all survived

NineThreeKilo wrote:

ZPilot wrote:

Zzz wrote:

ZPilot wrote:https://lakeamphibclub.com/flight-resources/instructor-list/

ZP

I find that wild that we only have 2 in the upper midwest...none in MN.

Yeah. It's quite the short list. It has been complained about. They want more instructors, but...the requirements to be an approved instructor are hard to meet.
On top of that, insurance companies have made it rather prohibitive to instruct in your own airplane.

Is there a FAR requirement to be approved?

Seems to me it’s a target rich environment if someone has a lake, is comfortable in it, knows a DPE who also is, doesn’t care about becoming approved to worrying about insurance

I’d wager in my CFI days lots of the planes I flew probably didn’t have full on flight school rental insurance, none of us were “approved” just CFIs who got hired at school, we all survived

Owned a Colonial C-2 Skimmer and Lake Buccaneer, instructed in both. Before doing so went through the factory course in Kissimmee (early 80's) and flew a lot locally with John Staber (Lake instructor at the time), whom is probably the most knowledgeable and experienced instructor in the Skimmer/Lake series.

I highly recommend one find a factory trained and very experienced Lake instructor for their initial and continuation training. Not because the Lake is difficult, but because it is different. I will not go down the "war story" rabbit hole, suffice to say I have instructed several new Lake owners that have scared the b'Jesus out of themselves because they already had a SES and thought the Lake can't be that tough. It's not, but you don't know what you don't know.

When I sold the C-2, the buyer already had a SES rating. Upon flying the C-2, he asked if he could spend the night and fly with me the next day, smart man. The course is not about insurance discounts, that is just a beneficial by-product. The course is about ground academics to learn the machine then the ability to safely explore its envelope under the supervision of an expert who has been there.

TR

TR wrote:Owned a Colonial C-2 Skimmer and Lake Buccaneer, instructed in both. Before doing so went through the factory course in Kissimmee (early 80's) and flew a lot locally with John Staber (Lake instructor at the time), whom is probably the most knowledgeable and experienced instructor in the Skimmer/Lake series.

I highly recommend one find a factory trained and very experienced Lake instructor for their initial and continuation training. Not because the Lake is difficult, but because it is different. I will not go down the "war story" rabbit hole, suffice to say I have instructed several new Lake owners that have scared the b'Jesus out of themselves because they already had a SES and thought the Lake can't be that tough. It's not, but you don't know what you don't know.

When I sold the C-2, the buyer already had a SES rating. Upon flying the C-2, he asked if he could spend the night and fly with me the next day, smart man. The course is not about insurance discounts, that is just a beneficial by-product. The course is about ground academics to learn the machine then the ability to safely explore its envelope under the supervision of an expert who has been there.

TR

For someone who has sea time how long does it take to understand the lake?

Don’t need to be Michelangelo in the thing, but to be good enough to meet ACS spec, not damage skin/tin/ticket? A few flights? 20hrs? 200hrs?


I don’t have any lake time what so ever, but I see enough of them around where I was somewhat surprised that it’s this hard to find someone to give some instruction in one?

For someone who has sea time how long does it take to understand the lake?

3 - 5 hrs.