The 2-minute Facebook video below was posted in early November by longtime Minnesota pilot Rusty Eichorn (below). Of course, lakes in Minnesota will eventually be covered by 2 to 4 feet of ice, meaning float plane owners/pilots must put their planes in winter storage. (FYI: Some pilots will change from floats to wheels and then use their plane during winter, too.)
There are two ways to accomplish this task. The first is taking the plane out of the water as you would a boat; simply back in a trailer into the water at a boat access, position the float plane over the trailer, then carefully pull the plane out of the water, strap it to the trailer, then drive it to storage.
Option No. 2 is shown in this video. Landing a float plane on water is one thing, doing it safely on a smooth grass field requires even more skill — and confidence. (The weight of the plane is supported on the super-strong and tough keel beneath each float.)
Note: Come spring, there are two ways to get a float plane back in the water during spring. Those pilots who used a trailer at a boat access to remove their plane during fall, will likely slip it back into the water in the same manner. The second option is to place the plane on a trailer, then pull the trailer fast behind a truck, and when the necessary speed is achieved (at least 65 mph for a Cessna 180), the pilot can carefully lift the plane into the air. The video at the bottom of this page shows this surprising method.
P.S. For the Facebook video, be sure to "click to enter fullscreen” and turn up the volume for best viewing.
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