How safe is this?

[SuperchargedRS]

It's safer than being 70+ lbs overweight.

Everyone who posted about the dangers, remember this thread when you're woofing down some Timmy's eh?!

[Pop n Fresh]

You're making me crave an iced cap and those blueberry fritters.

[B-rad]

Or do you not understand the connection between that accident and water skiing a wheel airplane..

...By the way the nose wheels were in the air when the mains touched down.

Well it didn't seam like a problem until the nose gear touched down.

As far as understanding the connection maybe I am a little unsure. Can you help me understand how you can compare an amphibian plane landing with his gear down to someone intentionally trying to waterski a tailwheel plane with tundra tires? because I don't think the amphibian plane was trying to waterski, to me it looked like he was trying to land and unintentionally had his gear down.
Yes, I was being facetious because its apples and oranges as far as I can see, the only similarity being wheels on the plane but two completely different things going on.
I do think it takes a skilled pilot to pull off this maneuver and while the danger factor is increased, it doesn't seam to be beyond reasonable. It has a shock/cool factor to it which makes it impressive/scary as it's outside the norm but it seams like it is being done with repeatedly good results. So I am inclined to think this style of flying is raising the bar as far as skills go and see a useful purpose to it in the bush as mentioned to gain access to short sandbars and bush flying. I can't turn a blind eye tho that Pilots who fly this way are using the equipment in a way they are not intended to be used but I still give them credit for being able to do it safely.

I always liked the joke about how we should take the warning labels off everything and let the Darwin theory control the population. Well, these Pilots seam like they could handle life without warning labels or instructions.

[Cat Driver]

As far as understanding the connection maybe I am a little unsure. Can you help me understand how you can compare an amphibian plane landing with his gear down to someone intentionally trying to waterski a tailwheel plane with tundra tires?

My point is the airplane can go end over end in a heartbeat if water contact is not done at the proper attitude and rate of descent preferably with the brakes on.

That approach and touch down was a normal glassy water landing and the results were not good.

By the way a lot of airplanes are water skied on normal size tires.

And of course any pilot is free to do it if they want to, however in my opinion it is very poor PDM.

[B-rad]

That is a poor comparison. Waterskiing is not the same as landing. Any plane who tries to stop on the water with wheels will end up in the water as the float plane did, he was landing, not trying to waterski.

[Cat Driver]

O.K. B-rad thanks for explaining that to me.

That is what makes this site so valuable for new pilots who come here for advice.

If they read my opinion on water skiing a wheel equippped airplane they might think twice about how safe or dangerous it is.

If they take your opinion on it they may try it remembering that they must do it as a water skiing exercise....not a water landing.

Do you offer water skiing training for those who think it would be a neat skill to practice?

[B-rad]

Oh is waterskiing a new pilot topic? I wasn't really worried that pilots (especially new ones) would turn to AvCanada and see a video of planes waterskiing and take my view of it as an O.K to go give it a try.
But, hey, if they do, then sure, PM me and we can come up with a plan for training.
I don't have a syllabus in place but I imagine it would entail 5 take-offs and landings (solo of course), 25 hrs XC (must include landing at destination other then departure), and a waterski final assessment under a bridge.

[182-SS]

I have to agree with B-Rad, Sorry Cat I usually agree with you, although i do agree on the risk part somewhat.
Two totally different situations landing and skimming unless you are skimming to land like is sometimes done. would I do it? nope, I don't like wheels at all myself, I like my straight floats thank you very much. I don't have a very high risk tolerance while flying but then again there are people who wont fly because of their risk tolerance. there are more than a few pilots who do not like single engine airplanes because of their risk tolerance. then there are some who do not like piston engines due to the same logic.

Just a side note, who else misses the Colonel especially with topics like this???? I do.

[Cat Driver]

O. K. No problem, we all have our own thoughts on these things and we all use our experience in aviation to form our opinions.

If someone wrecked an airplane water skiing and lived through the experience is such an accident covered in your insurance policy.

One issue that comes to mind for me is were you operating it within its type certificate limitations?

[B-rad]

If someone wrecked an airplane water skiing and lived through the experience is such an accident covered in your insurance policy.

I wouldn't expect insurance to cover it but I guess that depends on the insurer to decide.

[BC04]

I cannot imagine an insurer covering an accident that occurred while performing this stunt. If someone knows of one I would like to insure my car, my house and my life with them, that way I can roll around full time with my sh!t off safety.

[Cat Driver]

I cannot imagine an insurer covering an accident that occurred while performing this stunt.

BC04 the cost of the airplane would be nothing compared to what it may cost you if you were to injure or kill a passenger doing this risky maneuver.

[piperdriver]

I am wondering what the importance is of locking the brakes before performing said maneuver?

[niss]

I am wondering what the importance is of locking the brakes before performing said maneuver?

If I am not mistaken (and I probably am) it allows the tires to be used as skiis and skip across the water. If they were to rotate (and I'm probably wrong about this) it would mean that the forward energy of the aircraft that would otherwise be skipping across the water is now transferred into rotating the wheels, and by doing so slowing it down and bringing it in.

Again probably wrong about that part, but just a guess.

[iflyforpie]

No... that sounds right to me. Much like a windmilling prop vs a stationary one.

[Shiny Side Up]

That's also why they made the bouncing bomb rotate the way it does, to make it skip better.

[Skyhunter]

[googlevid][/googlevid]

So... Devils advocate here.

First, outside of my work... where since it is the companies train set, and they pay me, I fly it how they want it, I am a pretty hi risk tolerant individual. I am a trained aviation accident investigator, and ex military flight safety officer. Would I do this? In a heartbeat, been wanting to for ages. I also drive to0 fast on my motorcycle ( by some standards, not mine), ride horses too hard for most, and take my truck truly off road ( have the dents to prove it.)

Would I expect my insurance to pay for a broken axle off roading? No. So if I had a little homebuilt I could afford to write off, would I give this a go. You bet I would. But I would also fly under a bridge (on a wheel airplane rockie, not even talking about taking off on floats) if I knew it would be considered legal and thought it was within my skill level. I am an acknowledged adrenaline junkie. I would temper that personal risk factor though with the safety of others. ie.. my plane, no pax, and in a place where the chances of injuring a third party were pretty low. I would do it because I thought it would be fun, knowing the risk. You don't have to like that. Don't care. Just like I don't care if you don't like I drive my my motorcycle well over the speed limit. I accept the risk I might get a ticket. and that if something goes to hell in a handbasket it could be bad for me. I am willing to accept that risk.

When I drive the company's aiplane though.... I play by their acceptable level of risk, because it is their airplane, their pax, their insurance, and their bottom line. So I fly it how they want it.

[trampbike]

Just like I don't care if you don't like I drive my my motorcycle well over the speed limit. I accept the risk I might get a ticket.

While I agree with everything else you wrote, I have to say that this makes no sense.
You involve other people around you when doing that, and they most likely are not ok with sharing some of the risk with you.

[B-rad]

I guess thats too bad for them then eh. Part of sharing the world with others is sharing some of that risk of the choices they make. Accidents happen regardless and not all speeding is equal. Someone who is an adrenaline junkie and proficient in many machines and understands risk management is a lot less of a risk then a new driver speeding. There are times when it is safe to speed and there are times when it's not so let's not pretend that just because he likes to ride their motorbike fast that they are dangerous and a threat to others around them.

[niss]

I guess thats too bad for them then eh. Part of sharing the world with others is sharing some of that risk of the choices they make. Accidents happen regardless and not all speeding is equal. Someone who is an adrenaline junkie and proficient in many machines and understands risk management is a lot less of a risk then a new driver speeding. There are times when it is safe to speed and there are times when it's not so let's not pretend that just because he likes to ride their motorbike fast that they are dangerous and a threat to others around them.

They very well could be, and that is why we have laws. We have speed limits that are enforced to help keep everyone on the road safe.

[trampbike]

let's not pretend that just because he likes to ride their motorbike fast that they are dangerous and a threat to others around them.

Most people think they are much better and safer than they are.
When they end up killing someone else, they are the first to be quite surprised (if they are not dead themselves).

Anyway, the part I really had a problem with was this:

I accept the risk I might get a ticket.

You can't deny there's a lot more involved than getting a ticket...

[B-rad]

We have speed limits that are enforced to help keep everyone on the road safe.

Looks like movement is going in the way of increasing speed limits.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/07/03 ... ten-safer/