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Seaplane Skiplane Flying Menu > Seaplane Operations ? Landings >Landing>Rough
Water Landing
Rough is a very subjective and relative term.
Water conditions that cause no difficulty for small boats can
be too rough for a seaplane. Likewise, water that poses no challenge
to a large seaplane or an experienced pilot may be very dangerous
for a smaller seaplane or a less experienced pilot.
Describing a typical or ideal rough water landing
procedure is impractical because of the many variables that
affect the water’s surface. Wind direction and speed must
be weighed along with the surface conditionsof the water. In
most instances, though, make the approach the same as for any
other water landing. It may be better, however, to level off
just above the water surface and increase the power sufficiently
to maintain a rather flat attitude until conditions appear more
acceptable, and then reduce the power to touch down. If severe
bounces occur, add power and lift off to search for a smoother
landing spot.
In general, make the touchdown at a somewhat
flatterpitch attitude than usual. This prevents the seaplane
from being tossed back into the air at a dangerously low airspeed,
and helps the floats to slice through the tops of the waves
rather than slamming hard against them. Reduce power as the
seaplane settles into the water, and apply back pressure as
it comes off the step to keep the float bows from digging into
a wave face.If a particularly large wave throws the seaplane
into the air before coming off the step, be ready to apply full
power to go around.
Avoid downwind landings on rough water or in
strong winds. Rough water is usually an indication of strong
winds, and vice versa. Although the airspeed for landing is
the same, wind velocity added to the seaplane’s normal
landing speed can result in a much higher groundspeed, imposing
excessive stress on the floats, increasing the nose-down tendency
at touchdown, and prolonging the water run, since more kinetic
energy must be dissipated. As the seaplane slows, the tendency
to weathervane may combine with the motion created by the rough
surface to create an unstable situation. In strong winds, an
upwind landing means a much lower touchdown speed, a shorter
water run, and subsequently much less pounding of the floats
and airframe.
Likewise, crosswind landings on rough water
or in strong winds can leave the seaplane vulnerable to capsizing.
The pitching and rolling produced by the water motion increases
the likelihood of the wind lifting a wing and flipping the seaplane.
There is additional information on rough water
landings in Chapter 8, Emergency Open Sea Operations.
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