The Lake Amphibian, while being one of the most successful and practical of any hull type amphibious aircraft, exhibits operational characteristics unique to it's design. Experience over the years has proven that a comprehensive educational and training program is necessary in order for the operator/owner/pilot to fully and safely utilize the capabilities of the aircraft.

Furthermore, most insurance underwriters require a minimum amount of training in the aircraft, usually by designated instructors, before they will bind coverage. The Lake training syllabus was in good part written and designed by Paul Furnee in the early 80's as the approved "Factory Training Program". This program is still the basis for insurance required training.

The initial training course was designed to be a 25 flight hour program, usually spread out over 5 full days, with five hours flight and three hours ground training each day. While the length of the program might seem excessive for a light single engine aircraft, it has been proven that those who complete it are much more comfortable with their aircraft, have far fewer accidents and get a lot more use from their aircraft.

In the past twenty years much has been done to develop the program. Many instructional techniques have been discovered that enhance the learning curve. And among those who complete the initial program, the accident rate has dropped to less than that of comparable land planes. In summary, it has been a very successful program, since emulated by many other manufacturers, and required by the insurance underwriters for many other aircraft types. The 25 hour requirement is no longer mandatory, but completion is now based more on individual capability, prior experience and the judgement of the Insurance approved instructor.

In addition, primarily at the direction of insurance underwriters, annual recurrency training is normally required to maintain insurance coverage. Although scheduled at 4 flight hours, the extent of this training usually depends more on the individual's experience(s) in the preceding year. It is generally considered that 100 flight hours and 100 + water operations per year is the minimum to maintain reasonable currency. Those who do less should definitely take advantage of the full four hours of annual training with a Lake experienced instructor.

We at Aircraft Innovation, under the direction of Paul Furnee, are approved by all Insurance underwriters to provide the required training. Paul is generally considered to be the "master" and the "instructor's instructor", since he has probably more Lake experience (12,000 hrs) than any other person in the world, most of it in the training phase. We do NOT consider training as a "test", but rather a demonstration of the capabilities of the aircraft and instruction in the ability of the trainee to utilize all those capabilities in a safe and enjoyable manner. Those who have the most confidence in their ability to manage the aircraft get the most enjoyment from doing so.