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Anyone here into aircraft, mainly Grumman seaplanes?

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SacredYeti

Monkey
Sep 12, 2011
156
0
San Diego, CA
Well, the farther along I get in my aviation school the more I'm getting that twitchy bug in my head.

Been looking around at some Grumman HU-16B's (long wing model) and some turbine-converted Grumman Mallards.

With the prices ranging from 300k (restored military) to 750k (flying house boat), I can't imagine why anyone who likes to fly would buy a house over one of these things.

From what I understand the upkeep is about 2-2,500 per hour of flight. I know aircraft have there own special maintenance and such but then again so do houses. Idk, definitely an investment to look forward to.



Anyone here have seaplane experience they care to share thoughts on? :thumb:

hu16b.jpeg
 
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?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
My granddad built his own sea plane in his garage. It was a small 2 person plane, but I doubt it cost nearly what you're expecting to pay, and he still gets to enjoy flying.
 
DirtMcGirk

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
Know the two best days in owning a boat/plane?
The day you buy it and the day you sell it. The rest is just throwing a lot of money into a hole.

I have a 75' sail boat my grand father left me, no payments no money owed. I think over 10 years I've dropped $150,000 on the damn thing. It needed $50k worth of work up front, but then from there its been slip fees, diesel costs, up keep, dry dock work, etc.

Its my "all hell has hit the fan" back up plan, but if someone came around with the right offer, I'd sell it in a second.
 
5150dhbiker

5150dhbiker

Turbo Monkey
Nov 5, 2007
1,200
0
Santa Barbara, CA
The albatros is an awesome airplane especially if it has a turbine conversion! I would LOVE to fly one but first need to find somebody that has one.

Someday I would like to get a Lake LA270. I love those planes...in fact somebody has one where my dad used to hangar our bonanza.
 
S

SacredYeti

Monkey
Sep 12, 2011
156
0
San Diego, CA
DirtMcGirk said:
Know the two best days in owning a boat/plane?
The day you buy it and the day you sell it. The rest is just throwing a lot of money into a hole.

I have a 75' sail boat my grand father left me, no payments no money owed. I think over 10 years I've dropped $150,000 on the damn thing. It needed $50k worth of work up front, but then from there its been slip fees, diesel costs, up keep, dry dock work, etc.

Its my "all hell has hit the fan" back up plan, but if someone came around with the right offer, I'd sell it in a second.
Click to expand...
See, that's my tick with future aircraft ownership, but with special "era" aircraft like this there's so many groups that will help you out with maintainability just to fly it to an airshow here or there 3 times a year.

Like I said, it's serious money but idk, something epic to work toward I guess.

On another note though, just keep it to lakes and runways. I'm sure keeping it out of the ocean has gotta help quite a bit. (One of a few reasons I'm turned away from the turbo Mallards... used Chalks').


:EDIT:

Mallard, not an Albatross but still, there's something about amphibious aircraft and turboprops that make you go :drool:

 
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MMike

MMike

A fowl peckerwood.
Sep 5, 2001
18,207
105
just sittin' here drinkin' scotch
helicopters are still cooler.....



(photo by Scott Serfas while shooting Brain Farm's Art of Flight - Scott was good enough to send me some photos...So I want it clear that the photo is his)
 
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lovebunny

lovebunny

can i lick your balls?
Dec 14, 2003
7,310
209
San Diego, California, United States
SacredYeti said:
See, that's my tick with future aircraft ownership, but with special "era" aircraft like this there's so many groups that will help you out with maintainability just to fly it to an airshow here or there 3 times a year.

Like I said, it's serious money but idk, something epic to work toward I guess.

On another note though, just keep it to lakes and runways. I'm sure keeping it out of the ocean has gotta help quite a bit. (One of a few reasons I'm turned away from the turbo Mallards... used Chalks').


:EDIT:

Mallard, not an Albatross but still, there's something about amphibious aircraft and turboprops that make you go :drool:

Click to expand...
why is the left main stuck down for most of that video?
 
S

SacredYeti

Monkey
Sep 12, 2011
156
0
San Diego, CA
MMike said:
helicopters are still cooler.....



(photo by Scott Serfas while shooting Brain Farm's Art of Flight - Scott was good enough to send me some photos...So I want it clear that the photo is his)
Click to expand...
Don't get me wrong. If I had the money, I'd snag a 1998+ Bell 412 in a heartbeat.

lovebunny said:
why is the left main stuck down for most of that video?
Click to expand...
It's a flight on Chalk's Airline. Some random hydraulic issue so they had to hand-lower it. As you can see they circled for a while, but normally the plane would do a hot taxi back, power down, lower gear and up ramp.
 
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