Anyone going to the Minnesota seaplanes pilot association annual safety seminar at Maddens first week of may? For the first time since i got my float rating , i may be available for it this year. May 3-5th. Thinking of taking the 182 down there.

Can anyone comment on it? Worth going?

garth

I've been several times, and yes, it's worth going. If nothing else, the social events are lots of fun. There is also some flying. A few safety seminars, though they tend to repeat some of the same seminars year after year, but if you haven't been, it'll all be new, so no worries.

It is fun. I'll see you there.

MTV

Glad to see you are an optimist Garth. Thinking float flying by the first weekend of May. The way this winter/spring is looking you might not be on floats till the first weekend in June. Thigh deep snow and 28 inches of ice here and no relief in the 10 day forecast. Russ

Rhyppa wrote:Glad to see you are an optimist Garth. Thinking float flying by the first weekend of May. The way this winter/spring is looking you might not be on floats till the first weekend in June. Thigh deep snow and 28 inches of ice here and no relief in the 10 day forecast. Russ

Russ - don't you guys have an icebreaker? Get on it!

Sounds like something fun to do, but I have to go back south in April-May, to spend some time in the John Deere. Hope the ice cooperates with you Garth, takes most of the length of my auger to get through the ice/frozen slush/ snow on the lakes right now. Russ, you been across the border lately? Slush has been so bad with all the snow, I have only been to Nora once.

Steve

Steve- was supposed to be going up today for a 5 day trip, but we decided to postpone it until Easter weekend based on the bad reports of slush from the area. Really need a big warmup to settle the snow and let the slush drain through, and there just isn't one in the forecast. Its bad enough here in northern MN, and I know there is more slush in the Attikoken area. Russ

We had one year when the ice wasn't off main Gull lake in time for the conference - but it will always be off Steamboat and Wilson Bays by then. (where all the activity is anyway) So no worries getting in.

Well - this seminar isn't looking good. We've still got 3 feet if ice on my lake with no signs of melting yet,..

So, take off on the ice on floats and land on Gull Lake.......though at this point, nothing down here is melting real fast either. Lots of time till May, though.

And, there is a road that direction.....

MTV

Hi Garth, not a problem off the ice with the 180 you flew in FLorida, look at YouTube - 180 off the ice Surfside, Matt & Tarra. I would not try that with those glass Aerocets though. No more ice take offs for my planes to Florida, October is much nicer to leave. See you at Maddens, I leave Florida april 26 for MN.

185 Bushbird wrote:Hi Garth, not a problem off the ice with the 180 you flew in FLorida, look at YouTube - 180 off the ice Surfside, Matt & Tarra. I would not try that with those glass Aerocets though. No more ice take offs for my planes to Florida, October is much nicer to leave. See you at Maddens, I leave Florida april 26 for MN.

Seen that video a few times Brian - one of my favorites. Your right, likely wont be trying that on the new aerocets I've got my fingers crossed on the ice melting so hopefully we'll see you down there. I likely won't be making a road trip if the ice is still around.

G

Well Ice measured yesterday was 3 feet so we've essentially lost nothing in the last 2-3 weeks. Not looking good. What's the ice reports down in brainerd?

Not looking good, but 20C on Sunday should help. Although I'll believe it when I see it. We've had so many forcasts of decent temps only to have it changed again to 0C or worse. It's getting old!

ice still over 30 inches as of saturday. no chance of getting out in time. major depression going on here,....

Look at the bright side, you can drive down, make a side trip and load up at Cabelas.

You could fly in on skis!!! I just made it back to snowy MN. I have spent three full days moving snow. I had to bring my vehicle to my brothers and leave it for a few days to enable me the time to get my tractor out of the shed and clear the driveway. The door into my shed was busted by me to get in. There is a layer of ice 6 inches high from the ground up that was froze to the door. I had snow piled 6-10 feet high along the side of my driveway. I was over at my hangar yesterday and my bulk propane tank is totally under snow! This is NUTS!!! Oh, it was 20 degrees F. at 7:30 this morning.
Piss on this, I'm headed to MT and SD, I'll be back when the snow melts!

Wrong direction Keith, probably snow there too. There is still 35 inches of ice on our lake and Ellen says its not melting much. I am in the southlands right now waiting for dry weather, (you may have drove through here the other day, depending on which route you took), Garth could land those Aerosets on some of these fields. Strange weather year.

Steve

I am leaving Florida Friday or Saturday for MN with 3 floatplanes??? 85+ and sunny??? Anyone with a right mind would know better! I will fly the 185 on wheels to Maddens MSPA, they have a nice grass runway, or one can drive there, only 2 1/2 hours from MSP. Might be more fun with wheel planes flying, I would like to see more flying than talking about flying! Just helped recover another amphib gear down water landing in Florida last week! Very lucky to here they are!

Hiberno absque fine...(Winter without end)
26 inches on most of Gull last Saturday. Even Minnetonka still has 20 inches. Wheels to the grass this year. The runway should be clear by Sunday if we get the 60's they are forecasting. (but we've heard that before...argh...must resist root of bitterness...Hebrews 12:15...

but alas, it is snowing again...