I enjoyed this thread, it triggered a distant memory: years ago, someone wrote an article about external cargo and had remarked that the Alaskan FAA folks have some manner of guidance about tying things to planes. I recall a tale of a 'fridge being transported under one seaplane. Sure enough, the FAA did produce an Advisory Circular, AC 91-69A,Seaplane Safety for 14 CFR Part 91 Operators with a paragraph dealing with external cargo. (7) Pilots should be careful when carrying external cargo and shouldfollow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding such carriage. If the manufacturer does not permit it, then the pilot should not either. Because of their bulk or size, certain items may not be able to be loaded in the cabin of small aircraft. Floats, because of their size, make a useful platform for carrying items that are too large to fit into the cabin. However, certain precautions must be taken to ensure safety of flight. Items must be placed to ensure compliance with weight and balance limitations. The weight should be equally distributed on both floats, items should be aft of the propeller arc, and the weight of any external cargo should be included during the weight and balance calculations. Finally, external loads must be properly secured to the aircraft in a manner that does not block the emergency exits.

Well, we have one of themost beautiful mornings on record going, here in Paradise. Time to ambleout back and hit the UP button on the door. Besides, I need to take arefrigerator to a friend...