Flying An Incredible Amphibian. Am I Dreaming?

Flying an incredible amphibian am I dreaming?

Have you ever had an improbable dream?

Maybe it was attending your dream college or maybe it was graduating from same, or perhaps it was landing your dream job or buying a car that, up to now you only fantasized about, or meeting that certain special someone. Last, but not least perhaps you dreamed to learn to fly – getting your personal ticket to the sky. OK, except for the car, that was me too. I preferred wings over wheels, so I skipped the car fantasy and pursued aviation adventures.

Wheels to wings.

In the late 90’s my interest in aviation surged. Just retired from the Army, I had been around all sorts of military aircraft. I had spent so much time on land and water, some sailing but mostly paddling. Now I wanted a ticket to the sky so I enrolled in the private pilot ground school at Hanscom AFB in Bedford MA just 3 miles from my home. It was a wonderful time in my life because I received incredibly great flight instruction at a very affordable price through the Aero Club. In 1997 the sky was finally mine to fly alone.

Flying family and friends around New England

I discovered new places and many new faces. I even flew with a fighter pilot round trip from Bedford MA to Springfield VT in a tandem biplane. He taught me how to do 360 four-point rolls and fly upside down – which I did over the Connecticut River to the astonishment of boaters below. Further, over Wachusett Mountain we did a spiral vertical dive at 200 MPH straight down to about 1,000’ AGL before recovering. This one put a little more hair on my chest.

Blown away by a Seawind

Paging through a Kit Planes magazine I found what could be my improbable dream: a no rust composite IFR plane that can land on water with no floats! After some research I contacted SNA the kit maker, for their newsletter. I also attended every gathering they announced all over the Northeast U.S. and Canada. Promised a ride every time, I finally got one in Troi Riviers, Quebec Canada in 1999. With his IO-540 purring, the late CEO Dick Silva flew me and two others at 500’ AGL down the river at about 140 MPH. It was thrilling. One man ran off his dock when he saw the Seawind coming around a bend in the river. Landing back at the airport, I was hooked.

I had to make one more improbable dream come true but how?

Well that’s a whole other story I sure hope to tell you one day. But first, let me share with you how Seawinds are different from all other airplanes and further, how my Super Seawind is different from all other Seawinds.

Seawinds take-off, fly and land like no other airplanes.

Their composite nature makes them light, yet strong and virtually rustproof. Unlike metal airplanes, they are easy to structurally repair and paint. The top-mounted engine causes a high angle of thrust. This forces the nose down when power is added and up when power is reduced; this is exactly opposite what’s experienced with conventional airplanes. Further, the elevated engine and propeller provides over four feet of distance protection between surface water or stones. In addition, a high aerodynamic glide ratio of 10-1 plus four wing tanks give Seawinds a very long-range trip capacity. Additionally, the six-foot cargo bay competes with much larger aircraft, but at a relatively much lower price point.
Moreover, a reasonable cruise speed of 200 MPH means you can arrive at most destinations without needing a bathroom stop. With as many as four seats occupied, this can be a real benefit. With additional (but important) training you can land a Seawind on lakes and rivers close to your destinations. You can’t do that with a Piper, Cirrus, or Cessna. Also, this feature gives you the keys to camping at state and federal parks. I’ve camped out a few times with my Seawind and I’ve loved every one of those experiences.

Further, N71RJ, my Super Seawind is all the above and yet so much more. The first thing you’ll likely notice is the PT6A-20, 550 SHP turbine powering an MT 5-blade propeller-unique to my seaplane, N71RJ. At about 1.5 times the IO-540 take-off horsepower, my STOL Super Seawind, like a springing tiger, leaps forward and up at an exhilarating acceleration rate.
See performance stats. Further, unlike gas-powered Seawinds, my Super Seawind can hold a 1,000 FPM climb all the way to Class A airspace. And unlike all other Seawinds, it has a service ceiling of 24,000’. At this altitude it can approach a TAS of 300 MPH. This of course means that in just ten hours flight time it can cross the USA. Of course, that also means breathing two-place oxygen.

Moreover, Seawinds can, under ideal conditions, cross the USA with just two fuel-safe stops. I don’t know of any other four-seater in which I’d feel comfortable attempting that. Lastly, the rear seat folds down and extends the cargo space to get this; ten feet! You could load a kayak or all the camping gear you could imagine or bicycles. Pretty cool.

IFR or VFR flights are much easier once you learn the G900X and the Grand Rapids HX EFIS. Like the big airline cockpits, you will have not one but two panels that deliver full PFD and MFD Nav/Com and synthetic vision functions. The GRT EFIS also functions as the primary EIS. It gets better; each couples with the Trutrak autopilot, AP. This takes the pressure off during long non-stop flights so you can arrive refreshed with the computers doing the heavy lifting. With Highway In The Sky, HITS, the AP will follow a thread all the way to the Missed Approach Point, MAP. To do a missed approach, press the OBS button and you’ll be guided through the entire procedure. How sweet is that? VFR flight is also easier because you have two screens telling you where your are and where you are going and at what rate. This level of situational awareness is critical for any flying. With N71RJ, you know this in a glance. No calculations or interpretations needed. The computers are watching the skies, the weather, the engine and recording relevant flight and engine data for later reference. This is the way flying today should be.

See more at http://IFR or VFR flights are much easier.Remarkably, N71RJ also has a 7 to 31-hour oxygen capacity per pilot depending on altitude. Furthermore, its payload of 1331 is about 531 pounds greater! This equals 75 gallons of Jet A fuel or three more passengers. Moreover, it has a more robust avionics system than you’ll find in 98% of GA airplanes and 100% of seaplanes. With its TruTrak autopilot you can even fly it hands-free! This also means my plane is hard wired for IFR and for class A airspace. Turbines also fly the fastest and with less fuel consumption in class A airspace. This is where you can seek 20 GPH and 200 knots. With a 145-gallon maximum capacity, that could give you six hours of flight time with a one-hour reserve with the 35-gallon long-range center tank installed. When you add up range, ROC, speed, take-off and landing distances and a 24,000’ ceiling along with the spaceship-like cockpit you now have an airplane that would not disappoint an airlines captain, X fighter pilot, or a high-performance flyer. All said and done, It’s tip to tail two airplanes packaged in one for safety and high performance. Yes, today it’s my improbable dream come true. With some luck you can be the new lucky pilot to awake to the Super Seawind as your very own improbable dream come true.