What is a float plane?

Answer 1

A float plane is a type of seaplane. Float planes land on extended floats like a normal airplanes landing gear, as opposed to boat-hulled sea planes. Float planes are usually land airplanes which have been converted to land on water, although some aircraft are specially designed for this purpose. Some aircraft like the Cessna Caravan are available in float-plane configuration straight from the factory, but most float-planes are modified land-planes.

Float planes may or may not have the ability to extend wheels from their floats to land on land. It is a common feature, but not all float planes are so equipped.