Flying My dream Super Seawind Amphibian
Flying My dream Super Seawind AmphibianPeople have asked me “What’s it like to fly your turbine amphibian?” My answer is “like no other airplane I have ever flown in the last eighteen years.” Today, we’ll fly through procedures for a dream flight beginning on terra firma at KBED to 52B, Greenville Seaplane Base, Maine, 258 road miles north of Bedford, MA.
Flight planning is made easy and free.
With Flightplan.com it takes me only minutes to develop a comprehensive flight plan with routing, altitudes, fuel consumption, weight and balance, and fuel prices along the route. In a snap, I upload my plan to Garmin Pilot on my I-pad. Filing now takes 2-3 button pushes. Next, the preflight checks.
I begin 48 hours ahead of my planned flight by using the embedded checklist I authored in Garmin Pilot (GP). For instance, such items like fuel need or battery charging to get back to 26 volts, need a 48-hour lead time. Once each item is complete, I check the box.
Start up and taxi procedures read from my yoke-mounted GP make what used to be a paper shuffling task easy as my touch screen. I follow the list, press the start button, check that I have good oil pressure, 18% N1, I then introduce fuel, hold the start button down to at least 48% as the 550-horsepower turbine continues to muscle up. I recheck engine indications and then switch on the avionics that include three Com and three Nav radios. Taxi; with an electric-hydraulic nosewheel steering, my Super Seawind can make short radial turns easily.
Take off
Take off on the GP checklist is latches, lights, flaps, fuel, pitch, Prop and power. Power on and soon after I say: “Yaba, daba, do”, the nose will pitch up and the Super Seawind will leap cat-like skyward. Wheels retracted and with the Earth below shrinking noticeably at 1000 FPM, I take a few more breaths and I level for cruise, sweet cruise.
As the nose levels airspeed climbs rapidly from 100 Kts to maneuvering speed, 148 knots IAS. I settle at 181 knots (208 MPH) groundspeed. I activate the Trutrak autopilot for GPS navigation and altitude hold. With the GDL 52R, I scan my I-pad for traffic and enroute weather. I’m also on frequency with Portland ATC. With a 270-degree view, half of Maine is visible below.
Approach and landing are a cinch with the Garmin G-900x. If IFR, I access the destination, Greenville airport, 52B and select the approach. If VFR, I just continue flying. The G900x will guide me to 52B for a visual approach. Arriving, I have local winds and weather and I set up for my water landing with GP.
Oops, the I-pad is dead!
No problem! I switch to the on-board Grand Rapids (GRT) EFIS select the carbon copy checklist and then “landing”. In less than 16 seconds it’s right in front of my eyes or I could flip to my laminated kneeboard copy. Ahh, isn’t redundancy soothing? Landing checklist complete, I switch to GRT synthetic vision with a water database. A synthetic runway is now portrayed on the lake for me to follow. How much easier can it get?
Next, I make my downwind pass to clear the field,
Flying My dream Super Seawind Amphibian
gear up – lights all blue, I turn base, the final, now all set up for my water landing at -200-300 FPM. I flare at about 10 feet, hold the nose up 3-5 degrees AND let the airplane hull, like a drifting leaf, settle, touching at 44-48 knots to the water, hold the yoke back and slide off the step. Picture me now taxing to a ramp, water rudder guided and maybe later a remote beach for a swim.
Approaching,
I extend the landing gear, retract the water rudder and taxi to my parking area, shut down and tie up. I am now 258 statute miles north from Boston in a country haven of boats, seaplanes and yes, admirers too. My Super Seawind now secured, I retrieve my bike and pack from the 6’ cargo bay and then I peddle off to a café for a lake-view lunch with a few friends.
Flying My dream Super Seawind Amphibian-When I reveal it was in just 1.5 hours flight time wheels up to water taxi, they just grin. I recognize this doubt; “You don’t think we’re that gullible to think you built a kit plane and flew here at over 200 MPH groundspeed, do you?” But later after visiting the Super Seawind website, www.superseawind.com, they are more likely to ask; “What took you so long to get here?” Well, smiling back, “I had to get a coffee at the new Seaplane lakeside drive-by coffee window. Haven’t you heard?”
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