Patent ID: 8430355

Claim:
A method of landing on a water surface a general aviation class amphibious aircraft adapted to take off and land on water, comprising: a. providing an aircraft, the aircraft having a center of gravity, the aircraft comprising: (i) at least one fuselage and a wing connected to the at least one fuselage, (ii) a power plant having a propeller, the power plant coupled to an aft portion of the at least one fuselage, (iii) a shroud surrounding the propeller, and (iv) at least two floats coupled to the wing, wherein each float comprises: a) a step that is located on a bottom surface of each float at a point that is forward of the location at which the bottom surface of the float intersects a line that (1) passes through the center of gravity of the aircraft and (2) is oriented at an angle of six degrees rearward from vertical, b) a forward portion located forward of the step, the forward portion including a ski surface that is planar in a left to right horizontal direction, c) an aft portion located rearward of the step, and d) a rudder coupled to the aft portion; b. decelerating to a landing speed; c. contacting the forward portion of each float with the water surface; d. allowing the aircraft to decelerate until the aft portion of each float is wetted; e. taxiing with the aft portion of each float wetted; and f. engaging the rudder on each aft portion to maneuver the aircraft while taxiing.