WATER
WINGS
How the
Pro's Fly Floats
by
Robert S Grant
This article first appeared in Canadian Aviation
Magazine April 1983 and is accompanied by some wonderfully evocative
photographs taken by Robert himself which I cannot replicate here, so I have
added a few just to add a little atmosphere. The headings are also added for
ease of reference. Thanks to Robert for letting me reproduce this article.
No one ever heard of
Kegaska. No one except the pilots who drop in on windy days. The place is a
small settlement exposed to the salt-water swells of the
Float flying, according
to a four-inch stack of aviation magazines on my desk, can be gratifying under the
most adverse conditions. If we can believe what the passengers, writers and
newly-minted pilots say about the Norsemen, Beeches, Otters and Beavers every
year, there is a romanticism about flying of the water.
Skies are not crowded in float country (at least, so it seems to a non-flyer),
and the possession of a pair of floats underneath an airplane is practically a
carte blanche to freedom.
Some Basics
In many cases, however, what are reasonable performers on wheels become poor
ones on water. Large cabins and cockpits often invite overloading. Some onboard
material, such as life preservers, first aid kits etc., are made compulsory by
Dept of Transport air regulations. A telephone canvass, among the pro's nest of
pilots who operate in northwestern
"If you
punch a float, you can always scrounge something to use as a patch", he
explained. "I once cut the top off an oil can and repaired a tear I had
above the waterline. The gasket cement and a couple of bolts sealed it nicely.
Some people used pieces of leather boots, tin roofing, stove pipes and even
inner tubes."
Several years
ago, a Piper Super Cub, contracted for fire patrol in
Every float
aircraft should a minimum of two 50-foot ropes at least one half inch in
thickness and a shorter one neatly coiled and placed near the pilot. A
permanent loop at one end of the throw rope saves frustrating fumbling with a
knot after the floats have nicely paralleled the dock and then just as nicely
floated beyond jumping distance.
Safety and
Common Sense
A float pilot has not yet been borne who will not fall into the water or get
his feet wet during his career. Personally, I take my socks off and put boots
back on to repel attacks by the rapacious starving bloodsuckers so common in
northern
Survival kits
are mandatory on commercial float aircraft, but many aircraft owners and pilots
tend to forget what type of medium their platforms land on. It is great fun to
watch a seaplane slowly submerge into the loonslime taking life-sustaining gear
down with it. Some operators have been placing their survival packages in
several buoyant containers with the reasoning that one or two will float to the
top if a rare error of judgement strands them in the wilderness.
Paddling
certain aircraft on windy days would be comparable to attempting to polevault
across the Straits of Belle Isle with a ballpoint pen. Nevertheless, every
water-based airplane needs a paddle. There are times when aircraft must be
pushed from muskeg shorelines and sand beaches or fended from other airplanes
or docks.
A small hatchet
placed within reach of the pilot's seat may someday come in handy when float
repairs are performed in the field. A layer of saplings cut and placed under a
float serves well as a temporary ramp when punctures occur below the waterline.
If an aircraft goes upside down at the bottom of a lake, doors can jam because
of impact or water pressure. Although windshield plexiglass has considerable
strength, a hatchet would probably win a lifesaving "let's get the hell
out of here" battle.
Anchors may be
useful on saltwater coasts or in the summer Arctic but, for most aircraft, the
weight and bulkiness makes them a nuisance. When carried, they must be fastened
to a member of the airframe. If an airplane should dig in and pitch nose down,
that metal in the rear baggage area instantly becomes deadly.
Until recently,
the standard float pump was a heavy brass affair, very chilly to use in cold
weather. If an aircraft owner purchases one, it should be unceremoniously
thrown into a deep body of water and a plastic pump substituted. Working float
pilots will be forever grateful. There would be one less of the easily jammed
brass pumps on the market.
Taxiing and Manoeuvreing
Ducks, although they may be shot at from time to time, have distinct advantages
over any floatplane. They have far more control on the surface and can make
themselves sit still in the water. Airplanes are subject to the vagaries of
every breeze that whistles through the spruce. Luckily, someone invented water
rudders to steer the airplane under most wind conditions. Sixteen years ago, a
young pilot in northern
In most
floatplanes, normal taxi rpm should not exceed 1000 in order to avoid propeller
spray damage. When turning out of a strong wind becomes necessary, short burst
of power may be sufficient. Once the nose of a float submerges, the time has
come to pull back the power and begin sailing. (Water rudders up, flaps down
and plenty of patience will help manoeuver the aircraft into very tight spots).
Some types, such as the Beech 18, will not sail well, but it's twin engines
provide asymmetric thrust to aid in changing direction.
"Certain
makes of floats have poor floatation in the rear compartments," explained
Joe Sinkowski, 5000-hour chief pilot for Green Airways of Red Lake, Ontario.
"With an Otter, for example, the engine should not be shut down while
sailing or the airplane may go back too fast and submerge the heels. The high
wing pitches the nose up and tail down. More than one airplane has gone over
backwards in high winds".
When
Manoeuvreing in confined areas, pilots use every possible means to control
direction. Some recommend opening doors on one side or the other, but this can
create embarrassing situations. "I yelled at a backseat passenger to open
the right rear door", said a Beaver pilot who had had to work his way towards
a small bay in a shallow wild rice lake. "he did exactly as I asked, but
when he opened the door, his tool box fell out and sank out of sight in the
mud".
External Loads
Sooner or later, everyone who flies into lake-country will carry external
loads. Boats or canoes are th most common objects fastened to the sides of
airplanes. Stoves, lumber and refrigerators are common in the fall of 1982, a
pool table, almost nine feet long and four feet wide, roped to the side of a
Norseman, made the journey to Poplar Hill, an Indian reserve north of
Armchair of
"dock" pilots, insist that external loads be carried on the right
side of an aircraft to help counteract the right-hand swinging tendency
encountered at take-off. I personally have flown boats and canoes on both sides
and cannot discern any differences. However, being familiar mainly with
high-powered airplanes, I put the question to several highly experienced pilots
who fly long-run types such as Norsemen and Stinsons. "I've had external
loads on both sides and cannot see much, if any, difference" said Norm
Wright, a chief pilot with Sab Air of
Takeoff
Under average conditions, once water rudders are up, takeoffs on floats are not
difficult. For most aircraft, the control column must be held hard back to the
stops to avoid prop spray. The point cropped up again and again while teaching
float flying at Georgian Bay Airways at
While
researching water flying, I came across an article in a well-known magazine
published in the
Anyone can sit
back in his rocking chair and say that rough water take-offs must be avoided.
The person stranded at a northern village where there are no disease-free
places to sleep or eat has a different outlook. Besides, the load of fish on
board will not keep all night and the sleeping bag is in the airplane he flew
yesterday. When it becomes necessary to get back to base, leaving from behind
an island may help even at the cost of a crosswind takeoff. The pilot must be
on the step before he comes out of the sheltered area or he will receive a
damaging pounding not only from the waves but from the aircraft owner when the
aircraft returns to base.
No one has ever
had a problem getting an airplane on the step in high winds. The pilot must
learn to read the waves which tend to travel in herds, i.e. waves of lesser
size follow the larger ones. Flap should be set as for a normal takeoff and,
according to another high-time Beech 18 driver, "trim works best set full
nose up". The initial part of a trough water takeoff "ain't no time
to be foolin' around with flap!" snorted another veteran. Once on the
step, the trim may be "felt" to help flatten the airplane. Care needs
to be taken that the aircraft does not leave the water until safe speed has
been attained despite what the American writer claimed. The extra speed ensures
control through the gusts always present in rough water conditions. A pilot
yanking an aircraft from the water in a semi-stalled condition leaves himself
in a very dangerous position. Should a gust pitch the aircraft up and leave it
"high and dry" 20 feet from the wave tops, a stall would pitch the
nose down. The floats would catch the swell and abruptly terminate the flight.
Pilots must remember that although the airspeed indicates high, the actual
groundspeed (waterspeed?) is low, thus the pounding would not be as severe as
striking the surface fully stalled.
Landing
A popular booklet, sold by a float manufacturing company recommends the
steepest possible stall with maximum flap for rough water landings. Again,
experienced personnel were appalled at such a suggestion. In fairness, the
writer's suggestion might do for Piper J-3's, Cessna 150's etc or any airplane
with a low stalling speed and small floats. For heavier machines with large
gear, the late Orville Wieban recommended a full flap landing with as flat an
attitude as possible. "The strength of the float is certainly not in the
heels", said Joe Sinkowski, who's career began with Wieban's Superior
Airways at
Sometimes the
temptation exists to land in heavy waters in front of the village to save a
long taxi. Even if sheltered islands or bays are considerable distances away,
that long taxi could prevent the loss of an airplane. For those unfortunates
who have to fly from the harbours of
Landing in a
familiar area day after day rarely presents problems, but away from base, a
significant difference between landplane and floatplane flying becomes
apparent. On runway fields or even on the Arctic tundra, if someone has landed
there before, there will usually be some indication. On floats, the pilot lands
on his own every time, unless he happens to arrive within 10 minutes of another
aircraft which leaves tracks in the water. The first circle over the lake
selects the best parking area. From the air all hills and ledges look flat.
More than one pilot has taxied up to what he thought was a natural dock and
found a cliff or rock face higher than the wing tips. Another circle determines
wind direction and the size and shape of the body of water. Finally, a safe
take-off path or escape route must be selected. The area may be surveyed from a
parallel pass, but if wind ripples the surface, a slow turn directly over the
centre of the lake enables a look straight down for shoals and deadheads. An
oblique look would be useless in glare or choppy conditions. All this implies
that float flying involves considerable memory work. Each hazard must be
memorized from the air because after touchdown, the obstacles disappear. If the
wind changes, the pilot must recall what hazards lie in his alternate takeoff
path.
Downwind
takeoffs & Landings
It
makes little sense to depart into wind when a large hill awaits the end of a
run. Downwind take-offs are standard procedure under certain conditions, i.e.
with a not so heavily loaded aircraft and lower wind velocities. "You've
got to stay right on ailerons and rudders and keep liftoff speed higher to
prevent weather-cocking", said Norm Wright, whose 14,000-hour total flying
time includes 9,000 on floats. "Pilots tend to forget that their downwind
groundspeed is high, but it's the indicated airspeed that counts. A person
should, if possible, stay in the same aircraft from day to day. This way he
develops a feel for that particular machine and will not have to be searching
for an airspeed indicator during a tense takooff run. He'll feel when it's
ready to fly".
Downwind
landings warrant caution. Some airplanes, especially the Beech 18, tend to dig
the nose of the floats in and must be watched. Groundspeeds are still higher
and here, touching down a long way back from the intended docking area might
prove to be wise. Plenty of pilots have misjudged their waterspeed and spent a
day or two picking dock spiders from their hair.
Landings with
light loads on gently rippled, long lakes are far easier than touchdowns on
paved runways. When available landing spaces shorten, an aircraft has to be
flown considerably slower than normal. A Beech 18, for example normally
approaches at 90-95 knots, but if light, an 80 knot IAS suffices. Full flap
with throttles backed right off, almost always comes into play. Joe, Sinkowski
recommends plenty of practice in airspeed control and believes in strict
adherence to the book numbers. "Power on about 10 or 15 feet up will
reduce the stress on landing. Once you flare at the lower airspeed, there's no
guarantee the rate of descent will stop just because you raised the nose.
Unless you're ready for it, the airplane might wind up hitting hard enough to
cause a few wrinkles in the fuselage".
Boats, carried
stern end first to reduce the turbulence around the elevators, require less
flap than normal on landing. A shallow descent with gentle movements on the
controls and no more than takeoff flap, are adequate on most airplanes. Final
approach should be 10 to 15 knots faster.
Glass Water
Glassy water landings have sunk more airplanes than any other type of
floatplane accident. Most professional pilots go to great lengths to avoid such
conditions. Rather than gamble, many put down a considerable distance back from
the dock on a ripple or boat wake. The object is to prevent the nose of the
floats touching first or, at the worst, a high roundout, and it may be attained
by nose high, power approaches. A steady rate of descent at 150-200 fpm, aided
by judging height from nearby shorelines or trees, if available will carry the
aircraft onto the water. If water birds are present the approach may be made
toward them. Ripples created on their terrified takeoffs are helpful. If
possible, pilots without experience should contact someone at their destination
if they are flying into cottage country or settled areas. A motorboat does
wonders in roughing up the water. Slow flight practice, even on wheels or skis,
may someday help the potential float pilot.
Short
Takeoffs
There
are many schools of thought on the short lake take-off. For certain, pumping
the floats again may make the difference between clearing a shoreline or
hanging in the spruce. Rear compartments are the most critical area of the
float. A load of water at 10 pounds a gallon in the rear end of an airplane
creates a dangerous center of gravity condition. One suggested method is to
begin as far back on the shoreline as possible, perhaps in a nearby cove. The
position of the aircraft should be at right angles to the intended path on the
initial run. This may add 10 to 15 knots before coming up on the step. With
some aircraft the use of flap is quite straightforward - in the Cessna 180/185
for example, one notch before power application followed by the second after
the aircraft has attained the planing attitude. Larger aircraft may perform
better with less than normal takeoff flap at first, or none at all until
reaching flying speed. Some may be 'walked', i.e. the alternate movement of the
rudder pedals increases the velocity of the float to hasten attaining the step
position. Once off the water, the nose must be levelled and flap removed very
slowly. Power should not be retarded until a positive rate of climb and
airspeed well above the stall are reached. The extra speed ensures the airplane
will fly through any gusts and prevent settling on the water again.
Docking & Beaching
It has
been said that anyone can fly floats, but not so many can properly park the
airplane. Shut the engine off too soon and, other than swimming, nothing
remains to be done except grind the expensive starter over and try again. Shut
off too late, and float repairs cost over $20 an hour [1983 rates!]. In settled
areas, the spectators are often anxious to help reach up and stop the inner
wing. This pivots the airplane around and slams the inside float into the dock.
In the bush, passengers such as prospectors, hunters or trappers often want to
be dropped off in some strange places. High treed shorelines are common to many
Canadian lakes. Usually a break in the trees can be found where an aircraft
wing will fit. Whenever possible, a helper familiar with the use of an axe
should accompany the aircraft. If not, a level headed passenger 'educated' as
to the dangers and the high cost of replacing propellers may be a great asset.
When the pilot has to work alone, a few paint scratches are practically
guaranteed. In a light wind, approaching downwind with engine idling as slowly
as possible will get a man to shore. Judgement for shutdown has to be precise.
Too soon and the aircraft will weathercock even in the slightest breeze. The
first person off the float can chop down a few trees to enable an easy
departure. If the aircraft has not weather-cocked, paddling or poling straight
back to clear the wingtips will prevent the tail from snagging in the bush.
Somewhere there
must be a pilot's heaven where there are endless miles of treeless sand
beaches. Shallow water leading to a beach sometimes contains hidden hazards in
the form of semi-submerged rocks. In settled areas, stakes driven into the
bottom for securing boats are not unusual. Low sloping sand areas may be
approached head on to allow passengers to step off the float onto the sand.
Unfortunately, the airplane often grounds far enough from dry land that someone,
usually the pilot, has to go into the water. Once the first person gets on
shore, a rope attached to the back bollard or tail will pull the airplane to
face the nose away from the beach. It helps if passengers disembark and move
toward the front end. This raises the heels of the floats and allows the
airplane to be pulled closer to shore. Approaching a beach at a 45° angle and
grounding, makes it easier to swing the airplane around after the load has
departed. On windy days, simply pull up the water rudders, weathercock and sail
in backwards so the heels touch first.
Float flying
differs in various parts of
Regardless of
where the floatplane pilot goes, there will be new challenges every time his
floats touch down.