Cold weather floats

The lake has come up and eliminated the beaches and I'm going to be stuck on floats thru a cold snap- nothing above freezing for a while.

In the past I have just worked the rudders and horizontal for a bit and left the float rudders down so they would thaw in the water.

Any advice on how to get thru till the water goes down and I can get in to the beaches - or ice on wheels?

Gary Reeves

Is there anyplace you can get it to and pull it from the water? Port Alsworth? Anchorage? Dillingham?
or are you already "stuck"?
Getting stuck in the ice dosn't sound like a good thing no mater how you look at it. I would be afraid of being there until spring.
I just pulled my floats yesterday.

Have you given any thought to a couple of big inner tubes under the spreader bars or the floats??

delete

Lake Clark Air in Port Alsworth should be able to pull you out if that is what you want. otherwise dj's idea sounds good to wait out the cold snap.

Carlon

Thanks for the responses.

Getting pulled out is not an option.

The only way I can get to my place is by air. Normally by this time the water is low enough to use the beach in the back cove. Unfortunately we had a lot of rain and the lake came up; so, my plan to go to wheels won't work.

I'm also not worried about getting frozen in the ice, although my cove and Hardenberg Bay tend to freeze early and may make landing in PA on floats tough. I'll just keep tying down closer to the main lake that won't freeze for quite a while.

What I'm after is advice on what to watch for when flying from the water in below freezing temperatures. I know my float rudders freeze and I've licked that problem. How about the rudder and elevator?

Gary

Hi Gary

Trying to remember all of the problems assoc will that type of operation. I was operating a Beaver out of Mcgrath the year of the big freeze in Sept mid 90's---5 below one morning. I think you have the water rudder situation under control. We were trying to operate with them up but then they would stay up-frozen. You would have to walk back and kick them down which became too much of a hassle not to mention dangerous in the river. Just left them down and flew. Still owe a lot of six packs to the west side of AK lol. The biggest problem that comes to mind if it got too cold was not the takeoff but the landing. If you flew for any length of time the floats would get super cool after being out of the water. When landing the spray would immediately freeze. Quite a load of ice to carry for takeoff. Also if you had any leaks in your floats it made it difficult to get the water out of a set of floats that had screw type fasteners in the covers. Like wip floats. The pumpouts would freeze up. Not as bad on EDO 2000's as the covers are easily removed. Good luck on your transition to cold this year. Heard the amount of rain you had was impressive. If my memory surprises me I'll post more. One other item---even though your rudders are down the cables can freeze up on landing hence no steering. Be ready.

Mark

Thanks Mark,

I'm trying to get the widow of my last best friend down the lake to PA while on floats below freezing. Lets remember ( that could be remember beer) Howard Bowman and his his Stinson 108-3 09K.

So, I'll pound the ice off the floats before I take off. I have put the motor home antifreeze in them already. Frankly, I'll de ice every thing every time. Looks low and windy tomorow, I will most likely wait until monday for her and then start looking for a chance to get off floats.

GR

When I worked in Kodiak in winter, I was always careful about the number of landings and takeoffs I did when it was cold. In salt water, it wasn't too bad down to 18 or so, the plane would not build ice. Below about 25 to 28 F, in fresh water, you'll start to build ice on the tail of the plane and the float decks. The tail and belly can gather quite a bit of ice if you make multiple landings.

I used to de-ice the Beaver with a garden bug sprayer, with a bit of RV anti-freeze and the rest screaming hot water. Mix it just prior to going out to the plane, and that mixture will de-ice most anything. One 3 gallon sprayer full will de-ice an amphib Beaver.

Further, the slippery pink stuff sticks to the plane a bit, and helps to prevent ice from forming on the skin. At least for a while, anyway.

Good luck. Flying in floats isn't much fun in that sort of condition.

Mike Vivion

Hey Gary---hope the water is receding for you. Temps seem to be working out. Hit 50 yet?? Just curious how it's going out there---good luck

Mark

Mark/Mike,

It must be spring. Actually the water is still going down and the temperature seems to be going up. I have flowers trying to bloom.

For a while I was using Mike's pink stuff solution. Great idea.
Now, I'm not even preheating. I figure that I need about 3 or four more days of warm weather to get enough beach back - then a real freeze to harden up the mud. Heck, I may even get to try Wup's new tailwheel.

Last year I never went off floats. This year I was set for a real winter and it is looking a lot like last winter.

Gary