Beaver on skis

[maDDtraPPer]

I see what your looking for now...

I can see where your going with this. The short and simple answer to your question is "experience".
There is no fixed answer for any given situation, water or snow, altitude, temperature, right down to individual A/C or even pilot physical conditions such as fatigue or hang over...
I have flown many different Beavers, 185's and each one performed differently. So a guy with a lot of experience can take the same plane into a smaller spot than someone who doesn't, and the same pilot can't do it with even a different airplane of the same type if it doesn't work as good. There simply is no simple explaination to the problem. You cannot train for it, it comes only with practice and work experience. Instructors should not be showing students that kind of stuff in my opinion. As far as I am concerned the instructor needs to teach a student the basics on how to safely fly the aircraft. Then it's up to the operator to train that employee to a level necessary based on their needs and the employees experience level. You can't instruct a student on how to be a bush pilot. What works in BC won't work in Manitoba. Just try and take off downwind in Manitoba on a hot summer day and see how long you'll be employed for. In BC wind is a lot lower on the list for take off decisions. Water and terrain dictate your actions. You cannot train a pilot who is ready to go out and fly the line all over this country and nobody should expect that.
I used to be able to guess right down to 50 pounds how much weight I could take on a given day in the 185 in the small pond in Newfoundland. There's no way in hell I could do that now, given the same plane and the same lakes. I have 3 times the experience now as then, but not there, and not in a 185 for a long time. So really it comes down to checking your EGO at the door and using judgement. Those pilots that piled her in at the end of the lake knew damn well they were going to do it. You have to be able to know when your licked and suffer the embarassment. I have never had a problem knowing when to call it off. The golden rule is "When in Doubt" DONT. That kind of thing even comes right down to the decision to shut down and dig out a wheel or ski, or use your paddle to push off the rocks...lots of airplanes wrecked on taxi because the pilot was too stuborn to admit he screwed up and get out and get wet or dirty.
We take an 8000 pound A/C into 400 feet here all day long. We service camps in 400 feet. Thats 2000 pounds in and 2000 pounds out. Sound crazy? It's no different than a guy who shoots an ILS down to minumums. It comes down to making the decision at the right time, and not worrying about ego. If I don't have my wheels down on the bags, it's full power and go around. Sometimes 2-3 times in a new spot, or a crosswind or just when you screw it up.
Two very experienced pilots in the same aircraft? Likely two high time PIC or two Captains? Now there is a recipe of ego + ego = disaster. Hopefully the new culture of SMS will encourage people to share each others mistakes without the usual burning at the stake from peers and fellow pilots. Think it will never happen to you? Think again.
I have recently had to come to terms with age. I almost had a bad accident last year because I was too tired to be working, but too stubborn to admit it. Thats no different than those guys who pushed the take off a past the decision point. In fact it's exactly the same thing. Hope it helps. Fly safe.