PA.IV.J.S8
SkillContact the water in a proper pitch attitude, and slow to idle taxi speed.
From the FAA library
- LANDING › GLASSY WATER LANDING
lowest possible safe altitude so that a reliable height reference is maintained to within a few feet of the water surface. When adequate visual references are not available, make glassy water landings by establishing a stable descent in the landing ... attitude at a rate that will provide a positive, but not excessive, contact with the water. Recognize the need for this type of landing in ample time to set up the proper final approach. Always perform glassy water landings with…
- 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…
- LANDING › NORMAL LANDING
more positive control of the rate of sink and the touchdown spot. To touch down at the slowest possible speed, extend the flaps fully. Use flaps, throttle, and pitch to control the glidepath and establish a stabilized approach ... airspeed. The techniques for glidepath control are similar to those used in a landplane. As the seaplane approaches the water’s surface, smoothly raise the nose to the appropriate pitch attitude for touchdown. As the floats contact the water…
- LANDING › CROSSWIND LANDING
Directional control can be more difficult on water because the surface is more yielding, there is less surface friction than on land, and seaplanes lack brakes. These factors increase the seaplane’s tendency to weathervane into the wind. One technique ... sometimes used to compensate for crosswinds during water operations is the same as that used on land; that is, by lowering the upwind wing while holding a straight course with rudder. This creates a slip into the wind to offset…