I moved to this stunning country (the Chilcotin) in BC, Canada 8 yrs ago from Vancouver Island. A little place named Nimpo Lake. Lots'a folks around here own floatplanes & they all offered rides (I now realize I was just an excuse to go for a fly) and I jumped at every opportunity to go up. It was very apparent that it is a waste to live in this country & NOT own a floatplane.
My next-door neighbor (Terry) is a Cub enthusiast (he owns several of 'em) and I went up often with him on floats & skiis. From the start, I sensed the advantages of a SuperCub, it'd jump off the lake like a mallard, & fly slow enough to track a moose. I was always asking questions about flying, the airplane, what he was doing/thinking, what-ifs, etc, just interest stuff. I was fascinated as well as excited.
One day we met out on the ice, & as I prepared to do my contortionist impression getting into the back seat, Terry said "You get in the front today. "My look of disbelief made him smile, and he assured me I could do this, and I was aware that he could fly it just fine from the back seat. Alrighty then!
He told me what to do/expect, and just like he said, with 2 notches of flaps & 40 mph it just lifted off & we were flying. My heart was 1000' above our chord line but my brain stayed with me & we climbed out over the trees & toward the mtns. It occurred to me to stay away from the mtns, as I just wanted to get the feel of her in smooth air. After nearly an hour of turns, fig-8s I felt quite comfy, & Terry said "I'm bored w/this, let's go somewhere."
I flew around, asked questions, he explained & brought up lots'a other stuff which made me even more anxious to "know it all right now". I started thinking "I gotta have me one of these."
When we turned final over Nimpo Lake, I fully expected him to take over for the landing, because I know that's the hard/dangerous part (from flying RC models). He just coached me through what to do & just watched me do it. Damned if it didn't work!! I never felt any input from the aft stick, nor did I hear any shouting. Guess I did good.
I was absolutely hooked. I knew just what Leonardo meant about flight. I wanna do it again!!
I had already been innocently perusing the aircraft classified ads, but $100K for a Cub on floats was just too many $$ for a toy for me. Once in awhile I'd see something cheaper that seemed like it would work, but my (prejudiced) mentor said no, for whatever reason. We have a remote cabin in the mtns @ ~6000' & that would be about 20% of the reason to have our own plane.
I had pretty much given up the idea of owning a floatplane, as I didn't want something that would not do, besides, we were building a new (log) house. Then, a neighbor down the lake decided to sell his ratty, timed-out (read: cheap), SuperCub as he could do just fine with his C-185 & his Beaver. (Brian Reid jr.)
I lusted after this opportunity but still, it was not a good time for another major expense, so I waffled. Wife-unit saw me gazing at a floatplane going over, and announced "The house can wait, buy your damn airplane." I thought about that for about a nanosecond & called & made a deal. Whoa! I own a SuperCub on floats!! No sleep that night!!
Oh, there was one other minor problem... Such a noob that I had no license. Well as luck would have it, another part-time neighbor is a flight instructor. Seemed like this was coming together. Well, kinda.
Just after I bought this thing, this would-be instructor had to go away awhile. So, here I was with my new toy sitting on the ramp softly calling my name, and all I could do is sit in it & make vroom noises. Ecstatic about having it, and at the same time depressed about having no adult supervision. Well things eventually worked out, I got to fly by myself & ride on the air around Nimpo. Incredible difference between riding in someone's plane & flying yer own!
Then came time to do the rebuild. I really had no idea how ugly she was until it was finished. I had no idea how long even simple tasks would take, nor the cost of airplane things. Working full time, I finished the fuse the first winter (w/all the reinforcements & most Ak mods) and decided the wings would wait for the next winter, I had ta' get out there on the floats!
She's now all done, c/w a "new" wide deck 0320 from Bart in Kraploops pulling something over 170hp burning premium mogas, @ an incredible 5 gal/hr @ 95mph. Not a go fast plane, but that's not what bush flying is about. I'm LOVIN' this flying thing! I learned lots, and for the most part the rebuilding was a good experience. Don't think I wanna do it again tho.
This summer I'm going to Atlin, this fall I'm going to Wardner (Near Cranbrook in SE BC) to shoot an elk, and then to Dease lake (northernmost BC) for a moose. I've got about 160+ hrs under my belt now, & am ready to start pushing my envelope to make 'er work a bit harder in different configurations. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know yet. Still a bit stick challenged, but am lernin' fast. When/if I say something stupid here, bear w/me!
, but can't be be bothered to go there and enjoy it once a year? 
