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  • SKIPPING › GLASSY WATER TAKEOFFS

    GLASSY WATER TAKEOFFS Glassy water makes takeoff more difficult in two ways. The smoothness of the surface has the effect of increasing drag, making acceleration and lift-off more difficult. This can feel as if there is suction between ... water and the floats. A little surface roughness actually helps break the contact between the floats and the water by introducing turbulence and air bubbles between water and the float bottoms. The intermittent contact between floats and water…

  • RULES OF THE SEA › INLAND AND INTERNATIONAL WATERS

    Coast Guard (USCG) regulations, the definition of a vessel includes virtually anything capable of being used for transportation on water, including seaplanes on the water. Therefore, any time a seaplane is operating on the water, whether under power ... Printing Office. These rules apply to all public or private vessels navigating upon the high seas and certain inland waters. INLAND AND INTERNATIONAL WATERS Inland waters are divided visually from international waters by buoys in areas with frequent ocean traffic…

  • LANDING › GLASSY WATER LANDING

    GLASSY WATER LANDING Flat, calm, glassy water certainly looks inviting and may give the pilot a false sense of safety. By its nature, glassy water indicates no wind, so there are no concerns about which direction to land, no crosswind ... consider, no weathervaning, and obviously no rough water. Unfortunately, both the visual and the physical characteristics of glassy water hold potential hazards for complacent pilots. Consequently, this surface condition is frequently more dangerous than it appears for a landing seaplane…

  • Chapter 7: Aircraft Systems › Fixed-Pitch Propeller

    Small aircraft are equipped with either one of two types of propellers: fixed-pitch or adjustable-pitch. Figure 7-6. Changes in propeller blade angle from hub to tip. Fixed-Pitch Propeller A propeller with fixed blade angles ... fixed-pitch propeller. The pitch of this propeller is set by the manufacturer and cannot be changed. Since a fixed-pitch propeller achieves the best efficiency only at a given combination of airspeed and rpm, the pitch setting is ideal…

  • SKIPPING › ROUGH WATER TAKEOFFS

    Using the proper procedure during rough water operation lessens the abuse of the floats, as well as the entire seaplane. During rough water takeoffs, open the throttle to takeoff power just as the floats begin rising on a wave. This ... prevents the float bows from digging into the water and helps keep the spray away from the propeller. Apply a little more back elevator pressure than on a smooth water takeoff. This raises the nose to a higher angle…

  • LANDING › ROUGH WATER LANDING

    pilot can be certain that the landing configuration and 150 f.p.m. descent will be established well above the water’s surface, starting the final glide nearer the surface shortens the descent time and overall landing length. This technique usually produces ... long, shallow glide consumes considerable landing distance. Be certain there is sufficient room for the glide, touchdown, and water run. ROUGH WATER LANDING Rough is a very subjective and relative term. Water conditions that cause no difficulty for small boats…