Do you leave a rope tied to the float when flying?

[. ._]

This guy does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJmpP1dQ ... re=related

Is that common practice anywhere? It seems like one of those things that you'd say, "Well, it just hangs there. That's nothing."

Then you get it stuck on a log when landing or it gets caught in your water rudders or something weird. Is the guy in the video doing something bad? Or did he just forget to take it off?

What do you think?

-istp

[CLguy]

Yes always but this guys should shorten it some.

[HS-748 2A]

Alaskans often leave a long rope trailing like that. Not sure why.

[sheephunter]

I used to leave the ones on the wings on and tie them back to the floats because on amphibs. it's tough to tie them on without a ladder, but was told that the drag was significant enough that I should consider taking them off... I did and notice a little increase in airspeed. Enough to varify, that I wanted them off especially on the longer flights. The ones on my floats are always on but usually will be still sitting on the floats when I land and not hanging out the back 10'. Maybe he's practicing for banner pick-ups. Not sure what's right or wrong but he is noted as a flight instructor and to me that landing seemed to be way too fast and not what I would call smooth or professional. Just my opinion. Could be the video making it look worse than it was.

[Brown Bear]

I'll leave the rope trailing for take offs. Once airborne, I crawl out on the float and untie it. The guy in your video, is very obviously trolling for Jacks!

[HS-748 2A]

Here's a bit of an odd one.

[iflyforpie]

In my whole 15 hours of float flying, this is what I did.

Front lines (not ropes) would just trail, the rear lines we would place around the forward float struts (?) so they wouldn't trail into the water rudders.

[xsbank]

My first float job the boss hated the look of ropes on a/c so we always took them off and coiled them before we started up, docked then looped them back on. Good way to learn to splice a rope.

The rope on the tail of the Beav is so dock people don't have to grab the tail. I saw a guy grab somebody's fingers with the elevator and drag him off the dock - entertaining, for sure. Hell on fingers, though.

[Castorero]

In my whole 15 hours of float flying, this is what I did.

Front lines (not ropes) would just trail, the rear lines we would place around the forward float struts (?) so they wouldn't trail into the water rudders.

Looks nice and neat too, and you don't have to fish for the long rope that has sunk by the time you reach the dock.

Those long trailers look sloppy, just like the landing in the video.

Sooner or later that long rope will get stuck in something you wish it hadn't...

[Highflyinpilot]

Ive definetly seen a heck of a lot worse landings in person than this one.

[picton08]

Ropes are good for 3 reasons.you can throw it to the shore guy to pull on 2/ .When docking offside in some wind the dock guys got something to hold on to. 3/ Water skiing

[Bushav8er]

Yes.
Ropes on the dock are useless, except for adding more for the night.
The ropes only have to be long enough to tie to a dock, my aft rope was ALWAYS just short of the rear cleats so as not to tangle.
Dock hand? Fine but when you are alone it is ALWAYS better to have the plane in your hand (the ropes attached to the aircraft) rather than the dock! You step out onto the float, grab the ropes and step onto the dock/shore with the aircraft under control and ready to tie. In 5000+ hr float I've NEVER had a rope tangle or plane drift off.

My longer shore rope was always wrapped and stowed under my seat for easy access when needed. It was quick and easy to tie on when needed; don't coil the rope around your arm and tie to store, it won't throw without tangling. Lay it up over your hand back and forth in loops, use the free end to tie it off. It unties easy and leaves the free end to hold/tie off, the rest ready to throw without tangles.

[Castorero]

Yes.
Ropes on the dock are useless, except for adding more for the night.
The ropes only have to be long enough to tie to a dock, my aft rope was ALWAYS just short of the rear cleats so as not to tangle.
Dock hand? Fine but when you are alone it is ALWAYS better to have the plane in your hand (the ropes attached to the aircraft) rather than the dock! You step out onto the float, grab the ropes and step onto the dock/shore with the aircraft under control and ready to tie. In 5000+ hr float I've NEVER had a rope tangle or plane drift off.

My longer shore rope was always wrapped and stowed under my seat for easy access when needed. It was quick and easy to tie on when needed; don't coil the rope around your arm and tie to store, it won't throw without tangling. Lay it up over your hand back and forth in loops, use the free end to tie it off. It unties easy and leaves the free end to hold/tie off, the rest ready to throw without tangles.

AHH... the voice of experience always says it best, great advice, Bushav8er.

I have a 2 ft length (approx) of rope dangling from the tie down ring outboard of the strut under each wing.

The ends have a nautical loop with a knot at its base to keep the rope from flapping in flight and hitting the underside of the wing.
The knot(s) provide a quick grab hold when handling the plane at the dock.

They are at the right height for someone to grab the wing long before the floats get to the the dock in gusty conditions.
The previous owner had a similar set of short danglers at the wing tips, but they were too much, and not very useful from a practical standpoint, and I removed them.

I use the inboard danglers as a lower tie down point, when out of the water and leave them on while on wheels or skis for this reason.

Come to think of it, the same type of dangler at the tail, like the Beaver in the pic would be very useful also. Maybe a bit shorter, to keep it out of the water when parked, especially so in salt water to minimize slimy colonization of marine life on the rope end, and to keep it from whipping back and forth in flight, like the one in the pic seems to be doing.

On the other hand, this Beaver has a stinger at the tail, wonder if there is an STC for that? and even though the rope is useful to whip the tail around, the stinger, like in a C-185, is more than adequate to accomplish that.

I would be concerned that the rope could become entangled or stuck in the space between the tail and the rudder or the tail and the elevator in some freak way, with disastrous consequences. Murphy's Law and all that...

So, anyone ever see a Stinger on a Beaver, with or without an STC, any drawings around the pond?
It sure would be easier on the tail cone.

[Bushav8er]

Come to think of it, the same type of dangler at the tail, like the Beaver in the pic would be very useful also. Maybe a bit shorter, to keep it out of the water when parked, especially so in salt water to minimize slimy colonization of marine life on the rope end, and to keep it from whipping back and forth in flight, like the one in the pic seems to be doing.

Frankly this is the rope that is likely to catch things as it whips around on take-off and I really don't see the point of a tail rope unless you heel up on a shore for any length of time.

Wing ropes? Okay but again I don't see the need. They are there for dock guys and 1) do you know them /trust them to correctly handle your aircraft and 2) they are at an odd pivot location and 3) you won't use them alone and only then as an extra tie down if storm comes up. Even is gusty conditions you should be able to dock yourself and use the float ropes. My primary handling/docking rope is the aft float one as it is at a good pivot location for even aircraft control. In windy/gusty conditions I would sometimes tie the longer rope (from under seat) to this aft rope before stepping off the float.

Use what works for you but always consider the 'what-ifs' first and always approach it from the position of, you are always alone and solely responsible for safe, effective docking in all conditions.

[Castorero]

Again, Bushav8er, you are quite right, and I re-thought that tail rope idea for the same reasons. I got stuck in "edit" too long.

You are right about being paranoid with good Samaritans on the dock, and I would not suggest tying to shore from anywhere on the wings, however on wheels or skis the Beaver tie down is too high off the ground for me to tie to without carrying a ladder around and that's why I leave the dangler on.
On floats I use them to move the airplane from one dock to another when there is an inside 90 angle to the dock, granted you can use the float rope, but I find that I have better control of the airplane with the short line under the wing.

But you are certainly right about the tail dangler, very bad idea, and I would not use it myself.

[Highflyinpilot]

Im quite ashamed to admit it but while float training, i got out on the float, got the rope and threw it on the dock. The only problem was I threw the "whole rope" on the dock, i didnt leave one end with me to pull me in. Pretty stupid but i can laugh about it now.

So maybe i should keep the rope tied to the float

[V1CUT]

I use both wing and float ropes, leave them on, and have never had an issue. it's amazing when flying floats how many times you need a rope and cant grab one fast enough so i covered all bases, i wrap the rear float ropes once or twice around the strut of the float just to keep them away from the water rudder cables, but ive tried my hardest to get them caught up in them on the ground and have never been able to.

V

[SuperchargedRS]

All the planes that I have flown we would just have long lines on the bow, and a shorter line by the strut that could not touch the rudder, noting on the stern and let them hang.

I dont remember then ever ending up in the water, they just stayed on the topside on the floats.

[Lost Lake]

Based on the pilot's approach and lading, those ropes are there to haul the plane out of the water after the inevitable upset.

Never enough ropes on larger planes, (ie dhc -2/3)

Our current operation hase four float ropes and 2 wing ropes. I also carry a long quick throw rope for those times when things aren't nice. I also carry another 60 footer. I've used them all in 4,000 hr on floats.

I always laugh when I see the private guys coming into a dock with no ropes on (looks better) and trying to hang on in windy conditions.

[HS-748 2A]

This seems a little excessive. Maybe if a guy was doing lots of work in rivers where you just never have enough time or hand-holds..