Are Land to Water Flights Possible?

User Support Hub Aircraft & Systems
1

Is it possible to fly from a ground airport to a sea one? I mean basically if it is possible to take off from ground with floats.

2

It is, given the right aircraft.

This is the current experience out at sea with waves…
FlightSimulator 2023 09 20 16 59 01 (youtube.com)

4 Likes
3

Hahaha that video is hilarious

2 Likes
4

Assuming your plane is amphibious, set your Origin airport to a shore based one, then pick a water based destination and runway.

1 Like
5

It can be done with the Wilga

6

40/10 realism.

7

Done that many times. Yes, it’s possible as well as the reverse.

9

Sure you can, as long as your aircraft also has a retractable landing gear.
The Icon A5 is a nice example in this.

10

The word you are looking for is amphibious.

11

Hi @jlferro ,
Welcome to the forums!

There are a number of default aircraft in MSFS that can take off from a runway & land on water (or the opposite).

  • Probably the easiest to fly is the Icon A5, but it is also the slowest. Great for sightseeing, but its slow cruise speed could make long flights tedious.
  • The De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver has a faster cruise speed of 109 Knots. This is a popular aircraft for bush / wilderness flying in Canada & Alaska.
  • Next up is the Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000) Float. Cruise speed of 124 KTAS, easy to handle, also good for sightseeing.
  • The CubCrafters X Cub (Floats) is a really fun aircraft to fly. Cruise speed is 126 KTAS.
  • Finally there is the Pilatus Pc-6 G950 Floats. This is a bit harder to steer on water in windy conditions, IMO. Cruise speed is 115 KTAS.

If you have not flown float planes before, taxiing on water needs practice, particulary in windy conditions, when the aircraft will be pushed around by the wind (weathervaning). I’d suggest setting the weather to the “Clear Skies” preset at first, until you get the hang of things. Also, remember to lower the rudders using Ctrl-W when taxiing!

A great place to fly these planes is along the coast of British Columbia. There are lots of land airports, plus many coves & fiords to explore. A good place to start would be the Victoria Harbor Seaplane Base (CYWH), heading north to Big Bay Seaplane Base (CAF6).

Happy Flights! :slightly_smiling_face: