Mark, I have found some that cannot be worked hard at all but you learned very well with my dog training electric collar on! The examiner even called me after the ride and said he had no squawks at all with your flying??? Even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while! Congrats and thanks for the kind words! I like to treat my customers like i would like to be treated and they usually leave as friends and hopefully come back! Been busy as heck since you left and have got the first and only 5 China float pilots trained with intrepreters on board and ready for 208 Caravan amphib training next. Argentina pilots next week for training on amphib floats getting them ready for 802 Air Tractor Fire Boss training at Wipaire. We just offer a bit more advanced training and have more options after the rating than some other places and usually more experienced instructors available. I guess i should add a J3 again plus a low time 100# instructor for simplicity and low budget SES training? had one before and sold it 6 months later, ever do a W&B for a J3 on floats?

I agree Florida is a great place for the training. My brother and I did it together at Florida Seaplanes in Orlando http://www.flyfloatplanes.com/ which is a small sole proprietorship that Rich runs off the lake in his back yard with a Maule M7. At the time he was offering "Buddy" discounts if there were two of you and that worked out great as you get to ride in the back seat and observe while your partner takes his instruction which, in essence, gives you double the exposure.

Rich is also the kind of guy who can keep you entertained with stories for hours on end, he's got some doozies!

silvaire wrote:I agree Florida is a great place for the training. My brother and I did it together at Florida Seaplanes in Orlando http://www.flyfloatplanes.com/ which is a small sole proprietorship that Rich runs off the lake in his back yard with a Maule M7. At the time he was offering "Buddy" discounts if there were two of you and that worked out great as you get to ride in the back seat and observe while your partner takes his instruction which, in essence, gives you double the exposure.

Rich is also the kind of guy who can keep you entertained with stories for hours on end, he's got some doozies!

Like his pissing contest over the radio with ATC when he was told to leave their airspace for an emergency? Classic.

MTV

Ah yes, I remember that incident and it still gives me a chuckle because I recognized Rich’s voice the minute I heard the recording.

FWIW you’d really have to know him to understand and you’re certainly free to formulate your own opinion as to that being a “pissing contest” or not but I can tell you this. The recording was posted on a website that consists solely of discussions over Air Traffic Control communications. These are folks whose favorite movie is “Pushing Tin” and who fully believe that without ground based controllers telling them what to do airliners would literally fall out of the sky.

Anyway, in this particular incident, it was later revealed that the poster had not only truncated the gaps from the recordings but had rearranged them in a manner that was a bit misleading as to what was said when. The gist of the incident was a regional carrier had a gear indication problem and in typical post 9/11 fervor the tower supervisor had decided to sterilize the entire airspace – i.e. no other aircraft allowed to even skirt the class D perimeter. It was in fact an unreasonable action but aside from that the so called “pissing contest” occurred after the entire incident was over. All ATC calls had been completely complied with.

I will say that, beyond any doubt, Rich does carry the attitude that ATC exists to serve the flying public and not the other way around. He is also is willing to stand up against the FAA and local governments when he knows they are wrong – especially when it comes to municipalities or homeowners trying to illegally deny seaplane access to public waterways. In my opinion we need more folks like him.

Again, you’re free to formulate your own opinion but I’d urge you to at least meet the guy before throwing him under the bus.

IN several threads on the internet, he threw HIMSELF under that bus. And, ATC specialists didn't have anything to do with that. But, as you say, make up your own mind. And in those discussions, he never argued the points you just made.....strange, wouldn't you say?

MTV

..."I guess i should add a J3 again plus a low time 100# instructor for simplicity and low budget SES training? had one before and sold it 6 months later, ever do a W&B for a J3 on floats?"...

Good post!

mtv wrote:IN several threads on the internet, he threw HIMSELF under that bus. And, ATC specialists didn't have anything to do with that. But, as you say, make up your own mind. And in those discussions, he never argued the points you just made.....strange, wouldn't you say?

MTV

It's something I consider a non-incident that happened over 5 years ago, I'm surprised you even brought it up. Rich is a great guy, great pilot and great instructor - Retired Navy carrier ops and Pan Am Captain. He's been fighting anti-aviation and anti-seaplane elements - people who would delight in making those activities completely illegal - for over 30 years.

My recommendation stands.