Amphibian Aircraft

While working for an aviation company years back, I met an American Amphib Pilot. An amphibian aircraft is a floatplane designed to operate on land and on water. This veteran pilot has logged thousands of hours flying Cessna 206 Stationaires and Caravan floatplanes in Alaska.

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I learned that amphib flying needs special training and skills as compared to normal land based flying. Taking off from rough waters can be very tricky. Sudden squalls or big waves may just slam on the aircraft's floats or pontoons at a critical moment on take-off and/or landing. Landing on water can likewise be tricky.

Many think water is a soft surface but a hard landing can prove costly. Water can be as hard as concrete and can damage the aluminum structures of the floats. Very rare did I see amphib aircraft operating in the Philippines. I know of only one floatplane operator based in Subic. Perhaps someday when proper sea aerodromes are established in various islands this kind of flying eventually succeed.