Stash Ventures, LLC

Nice drive to work this morning. #Cessna #Calspan #stashventures #airplane #floatplane

#NeverForget

#NeverForget

When people learn that I fly a floatplane, the most common question I get is "what's different about landing on the water?" Such a big question! One of the most hazardous situations when water flying is, paradoxically, when the weather is nicest! When the wind is calm and the sky clear blue, the water lays down like glass, creating a mirror-like surface. This requires a very exacting technique since direct perception of height above water is impossible to ascertain. These side-by-side videos show two consecutive glassy-water landings to the same section of river. My technique in the first landing shows a common error. Becoming impatient as I watched myself flying toward the trees at the river-bend, I started to "feel" for the water, dropping the nose infinitesimally - perhaps 1°. The result: 2 water landings in one, as I skipped off the surface and back airborne. Fortunately it did not result in porpoising, or multiple pitch excursions, which has been known to cause damage. In the video on the right, taken just after eating that slice of humble pie, I forced myself to be patient, and simply wait out the steady-speed and attitude descent path until hearing the floats contact the river surface. Note the single, smooth splashdown and deceleration. Glassy water takeoffs have also been known to create problems because the pilot loses situational awareness immediately after liftoff, inadvertently settling back into the water with sometimes disastrous results. Check back with me at Stash Ventures for more news in the near future! Thanks for watching. #floatplane #pilot #seaplane #cessna #flying #waterflying #airplane #pilottechnique

Bucket lists are funny - I actually took time with my wife to document the things we didn't want to miss out on in our lives. Owning an airplane, or better yet, a floatplane, was a key item in that bucket. Then I put the list somewhere. And the bucket sat, rusting away, while I transitioned from my Navy career to the civilian world. Occasionally I would remember there were things I wanted to do, and flirt with them for a bit before returning to my "important" work. One morning, early in 2021, I was working on top of my house and took a bad fall, landing badly on a brick patio. As I lay there waiting for the ambulance to collect my broken body, I thought about that bucket, and how difficult it would now be to achieve those things that meant the most to me and my wife. Motivated by this realization, I worked hard at the physical and occupational therapies necessary to return my body's functionality. Five months later, I bought my floatplane and flew it from Alaska to Virginia Beach. Do you have a bucket list? If not, make one. If so, don't leave the bucket rusting in the woodshed! #Carpediem #floatplane #pilot #dreams #liveitlikeyoustoleit #cessna

Nice article, but they forgot to include the most important point... Hampton Roads Executive Airport is home to Stash Ventures LLC, DBA Mermaid Floatplane Service! #floatplane #hamptonroadsexecutiveairport #pilot #mermaid #airplane #flying #seaplanepilotsassociation #tours

Nice article, but they forgot to include the most important point... Hampton Roads Executive Airport is home to Stash Ventures LLC, DBA Mermaid Floatplane Service! #floatplane #hamptonroadsexecutiveairport #pilot #mermaid #airplane #flying #seaplanepilotsassociation #tours

Lots of debate regarding right-of-way / fault in the floatplane / boat collision in Vancouver harbor. Regardless of circumstances and rules of the road, it seems there was plenty of opportunity to see and avoid this situation where, fortunately, all involved survived. #floatplane #airplane #mishap #survival #rightofway #COLREGS #beaver

The National Celebration of General Aviation should be great! #pilot #aviation #floatplane #airplane #flight #celebration #flying #cessna https://lnkd.in/gdMiUUDd

The National Celebration of General Aviation should be great! #pilot #aviation #floatplane #airplane #flight #celebration #flying #cessna https://lnkd.in/gdMiUUDd