$12k insurance?? Was that for an amphib Beaver? Not intending to be sarcastic, that just seems really high.

Mine is $3.2k for $110k insured value for amphib coverage, and as a new amphib pilot. Need signoff by approved CFI but no hours requirement. Lower than I expected, but I've been with the same company for the 7 years I've owned my 180, including most of my time on straight floats. I had feared $5-6k from what I've heard, but never $12k.

Reviving an old thread because there's info here like what I'm looking for.

A185E. Has Edo 3500 amphibs floats. Electric hydraulic pump in the tail. Manual backup pump under the mag switch.

Installing Fluidyne skis. The skis have a whole separate hydraulic system with manual pump on the RHS of the tunnel. Is there a basis for plumbing the two systems together, and getting rid of the ski pump? Cap the bulkhead fittings for the floats when they're off the airplane, and connect to the bulkhead fittings for the skis, and visa-versa?

This above is a friend's airplane. Now about my own: Aerocet amphibs. Parker electric pump in the tail. Parker manual pump left of the flap lever on top of the tunnel. Never been on skis.

If I installed hydraulic wheel skis, I like the Airglass LH4000, could I use the existing pumps to actuate the new skis and only have to add some plumbing, no additional pump?

Where do I go for paperwork to do this?

Pinecone wrote:Reviving an old thread because there's info here like what I'm looking for.

A185E. Has Edo 3500 amphibs floats. Electric hydraulic pump in the tail. Manual backup pump under the mag switch.

Installing Fluidyne skis. The skis have a whole separate hydraulic system with manual pump on the RHS of the tunnel. Is there a basis for plumbing the two systems together, and getting rid of the ski pump? Cap the bulkhead fittings for the floats when they're off the airplane, and connect to the bulkhead fittings for the skis, and visa-versa?

This above is a friend's airplane. Now about my own: Aerocet amphibs. Parker electric pump in the tail. Parker manual pump left of the flap lever on top of the tunnel. Never been on skis.

If I installed hydraulic wheel skis, I like the Airglass LH4000, could I use the existing pumps to actuate the new skis and only have to add some plumbing, no additional pump?

Where do I go for paperwork to do this?

We did something similar on a 185 years ago. Those were Wip floats, but, anyway, our maintenance folks just got a field approval to use the amphib pump and system for the skis. That thing always made me nervous....I was too used to having to manually pump skis down and up. Never flew that plane enough to get used to it.

In any case, you'll probably have to get the specs of the pump from Aerocet, and the requirements for pressure, volume, etc from Airglass for the skis to document that it's all compatible, which I'm sure it will be. Your mechanic may be comfortable doing that as a "Minor", but if not, the FSDO should be able to field approve it, with the data.

MTV

MTV

Wipline advertises on their site that you can use their amphibs hydraulic system to actuate Fluidyne skis. They own both, so maybe they were able to write it into their existing paper work, or maybe they have an easy path to field approval each time.

I'm one state north of you MTV, just north of Calgary. I've inquired with a knowledgeable acquaintance about the possibility of a LSTC. No other field approval process available here. A LSTC is one that has to go through extensive testing and engineering, and is only granted to a single serial number, or in some cases, all the serial numbers owned by an applicant such as a commercial operator. (LSTC is limited STC)

Pinecone wrote:Wipline advertises on their site that you can use their amphibs hydraulic system to actuate Fluidyne skis. They own both, so maybe they were able to write it into their existing paper work, or maybe they have an easy path to field approval each time.

I'm one state north of you MTV, just north of Calgary. I've inquired with a knowledgeable acquaintance about the possibility of a LSTC. No other field approval process available here. A LSTC is one that has to go through extensive testing and engineering, and is only granted to a single serial number, or in some cases, all the serial numbers owned by an applicant such as a commercial operator. (LSTC is limited STC)

Actually the case I described occurred well before Wipaire acquired the Fluidyne line of skis, so we had to use a field approval. You’re right that now, Wip has melded those lines to the extent they can both use same hydraulics.

I’m not familiar with Canadian procedures. I’d talk to your engineer/mechanic gather all the data available, and approach whoever in govt. to evaluate odds of approval.

Or, it might just be a lot easier to add a manual pump for the skis, and/or make the Aerocet hydraulic pack easily removable, to be replaced by the ski pump.

I operated a Top Cub that went on Wip amphibs in summer, but we ran it on wheels in winter. To keep it light, the mechanics installed quick disconnects in hydraulics, and removed the whole hydraulic power pack as a unit, then capped the lines. Left a bit of hydraulic lines, but got the big stuff out of the Plane.

I realize that’s a bit of a goat rope, but......

MTV

I'll do some more checking and report back if I figure out an angle. Thanks.