Dave Weiman Photo
“Your airplane is loud, and you are disturbing my life,” was one of the few lines of an email I received following a recent flight with a colleague. I knew that we had done nothing wrong during our flight, all the lakes we used were open to seaplanes, we picked a time mid-day, we pulled the prop back after takeoff as soon as practical after water takeoffs, and avoided flying over houses at high power settings. My heart still sank a bit when I read these words. I love flying, I love water, seaplane flying is one of the greatest things I am able to do in life, I certainly don’t want others to think poorly of seaplanes or their pilots!
As we are now well back into the seaplane flying season in the Midwest, I felt it would be a good time to review operational best practices for picking out and evaluating water landing locations. One of the best things about seaplane flying is our ability to get to unique destinations that are typically not accessible via wheeled aircraft. With that privilege of course comes responsibility. First and foremost, we are responsible for the safety of anyone that is around our operation. When we operate at an airport, we must be vigilant, but in that environment, the majority of people around us on a ramp or taxiway are involved in aviation. They know what to expect from us and we know what to expect from them. This is not true operating a seaplane on a public body of water.
Upon our arrival at a body of water we intend to land on, the first order of business is to assess the landing area, pick out an appropriate landing lane, and decide on the type of landing we will do. When looking for a landing lane, in addition to factors such as wind, water depth and obstacles, look for areas that may be noise sensitive and avoid them if safely possible. If you plan on multiple operations in one location, varying the departure and arrival paths is courteous to others in the area.
When landing a seaplane on water, we are typically going to be surrounded by others that are enjoying that same resource that we are, on paddle boards, jet skis, boats and even other aircraft. The majority of those operators most likely do not have experience with seaplane operations. As such they do not know what hazards they pose to us, what hazards we pose to them, and what actions we may be taking during our takeoff, landing and water operations. It is the responsibility of the seaplane operator to maintain situational awareness of all water operations that are taking place and ensure we are operating safely. For those wanting to dig into the FARs, 91.115 addresses right-of-way rules for water operations.
When we arrive at our water destination, there will be some form of docking or beaching. Public docks and beaches are just that, open to the public. Our seaplanes are often a rare sight to see and one of the coolest things on the beach that day. As we approach the dock or the beach, we need to include the onlookers in our plans to safely arrive and secure the plane.
One of the most critical aspects of approaching a dock or a beach is to ensure that the propeller will be stopped before it is in proximity to anything it may be hazardous to. As an ambassador of aviation, if possible, I do like to take some time to answer questions about the airplane and our operations if people are interested!
As we plan our departure, it is equally important to ensure that as we depart, we ensure the safety of those around us and are courteous to others using the facility we have used. This may include briefing people watching you as to hazards during departure including the propeller, empennage movement and propeller blast.
As we plan our takeoff and departure from the area, it is a good time to acknowledge that this is the time our aircraft will be low and at a high-power setting. As we chose our course and manage the engine on departure, safely minimizing our noise footprint is appreciated by those who are in the area as well.
Flying a seaplane brings us closer to the general public than the majority of our operations as pilots. Being safe, courteous and engaging all go a long way to put smiles on people’s faces as they watch a seaplane arrive and depart.
