Amphib Floats vs Tailwheel

[cooker]

Hello
I would like to get some discussion going regarding the transition from M5 tailwheel to amphib floats when landing on 'land' ... some water dicusion would be good to but i have searched the forums and don't see much in terms of land landings on floats.
Do any of you have some advice to share ... major concerns about the transition ? .... Key things to remember? ..... What makes it hard? ..... What sneeks up on you ? ...... What are some of the tricks you have learned when landing amphibs on grass or paved runways? These are just some ideas please share what you know

I realize the most important thing is get some instruction and practice as much as possible but I want to hear what you are all thinking....

Thanks guys .. i am new to the forums and am enjoying going through all the old posts.

[andy]

I've flown a C-180 on Edo 2790 amphibs and a DHC-2 Beaver on Wipline 6100 amphibs. The Edos had a tendancy for the bow wheels to shimmy if you put too much weight on them above about 30 mph when landing. Keep the yoke back once you're on the runway until the speed bleeds off and use slow, gentle pressure on one brake or the other rather than hard jabs to keep it aligned. Let the speed bleed off gradually and avoid using hard braking if possible.

The Beaver is a big, heavy airplane. Nothing happens quickly on amphibs. Less tendancy to shimmy but it will dive forward onto the bow wheels if you brake too hard. Same advice - yoke back, steady, gentle pressure rather than hard braking. You need to plan ahead for turns and use the airplane's inertia to do most of the work. You can wear the brake pads out prematurely if you don't manage the airplane's inertia.

I've never flown a Maule on amphibs but the techniques above are likely to be applicable.

[maules.com]

Big Number One--- Double check the gear is Down and Locked, then check again

The trailing link type suspension on the mains makes for very smooth landings
Independent braking, rudder and aileron are directional control.
Don't try to high speed taxi turn off the runway too early, as the front outside of turn suspension depresses alot and can cause embarrassment.
Landing an amphib is easier than a tri-gear I think.

[aero101]

Also make sure gear is up a couple of times for the water landings. This happened here several years ago, note- gear down! Gear in wrong possition is quite common error on the amphibs and makes for a bad day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-48V1m_MZxE

[andy]

It's a good idea to have several methods to verify gear up for a water landing and down for land landing: gear lights, visible indicator on floats and curved mirror mounted on wing strut. Gear might need 15 seconds or more to cycle fully, so plan ahead on landing. Also have a plan memorized if gear doesn't fully cycle. Practice manual gear extension and retraction so you know what to expect and think about what you'd do if a hydraulic leak prevented manual gear operation.