Wally,
As Nigel says, some installations have an automatic system (water sensors, etc) when the floats are armed, but the 407 is a manual inflation, IIRC.
Strangely, True North's AOC
specifically bans the use of fixed floats or floating hull in any of their aircraft. Quite the strangest Condition that I've ever seen in an AOC
Only emergency floatation equipment is allowed,
CASA AOC register. 
Also, to answer your query (Wally) about moving up in the world and going rotary, you can't do better than PHS at Moorabbin
