Alright, looking to hit the 50 hour seaplane mark this summer; received my rating this past fall on the coast w/ a C180 (and a fantastic instructor). As it happens an opportunity for me to make the move north has surfaced. There is a school in Whitehorse that offers float training in a 150hp PA-18. and because you know I'll do the proper research about the school, I was hoping you'd be able to chime in on the aircraft, it's configuration and what it (or it's reputation) would be like to train on.

Opinions are appreciated!

The stock Super Cub on floats is a great seaplane. No bad habits, or characteristics, except one:

Look carefully at the weight certificate for the airplane on floats. Unless that airplane is equipped with Wipline floats, it will be limited to 1760 pounds maximum takeoff weight. Most of these airplanes weigh somewhere north of 1300 pounds when float equipped, though there are a VERY FEW lighter on EDO 2000 floats.

So, depending on YOUR weight, the weight of the instructor, and how much fuel you need, you may or may not be able to LEGALLY fly this airplane with two up and enough fuel to go anywhere.

People will tell you that the Cub will fly just fine at higher weights, and I'm well aware of that, having done so myself in Public Aircraft operating under restricted category A/W certificates. But, consider that your (or their) insurance may not be valid at high weights, your friendly local Canadian feds may not be amused, etc.

This is the very reason I sold my Super Cub and bought a C-170. I wanted to do float instruction in my airplane, and I could not LEGALLY fly with most potential customers in the Cub, due to GW considerations. And, the examiner was bigger than me by a ways. So, how can you send someone for a checkride who can't legally fly the airplane with the examiner in it

But, the Cub is a great little floatplane. I used to tell people it's really not a very good training airplane, because it performs far too well. It really doesn't challenge the fledgling seaplane pilot very much, because it's performance is too good. Get in a 65 hp J-3 on floats, and THAT will make you learn to work the plane.

MTV

Agree with MTV (how bout that), an overfloated (1400s, not 1320s) J-3 is a GREAT training aircraft. You have to learn to do everything 'just right', especially on a hot day. Or you can simulate it with the SC and restrict RPMs to a similar underpowerd condition.
Its good to learn the basics properly from the start, and with plenty of power you don't have to learn to 'finesse' the takeoffs, you can just 'power through'. That is NOT good learning.......

Thanks so much, and thank you MTV for the tip on mgtow.