Do pancakes float

No.

Although pancakes are cooked on a lightly oiled surface such as a griddle or a frying pan, they are not considered to be fried. Frying is an undesirable way to cook pancakes, as it results in an unpleasant texture: crunchy on the outside and sometimes undercooked on the inside and very greasy.

For this reason, the cooking surface for pancakes is typically oiled and then lightly blotted or dabbed with a paper towel to remove excess oil and prevent frying. Also, melted butter is typically added to the batter itself, which makes the pancakes easier to remove from the vessel