I have no knowledge of this eventPilot_DAR wrote:
Always helpful when criticising a pilot.
Yes, I criticize this pilot. Based entirely upon
what I can see in the video
This pilot was either highly careless, or simply abusive to the aircraft. I would expect that for the rather “special” nature of this aircraft, not just anyone is flying it, so that pilot should be suitably skilled. That pilot did what I train flying boat pilots to not do. He got the nose really low in the water, principally by landing much faster than needed for a decent step landing (the normal way to land a flying boat).
A characteristic unique to flying boats on the water, is that the pilot controls the characteristics of the aircraft for pitch and yaw on the step, by how he lands it. The flying boat on the water. The characteristics of tricycles compared to taildraggers are reasonably understood. But that configuration is by design of the aircraft, and fixed by that design. The main wheels will be close to the C of G, and thus define the location of the support of the weight of the aircraft on the water – where it balances. The yaw characteristics are greatly affected by where the aircraft is supported by the surface – support ahead of C of G (taildraggers), a groundloop is more possible with poor yaw control.
On the other hand, the location along the length of the fuselage where the weight of a flying boat is supported is defined to a large extent by how the pilot brings it into contact with the water. Nose high, it’s like a tricycle (C of G ahead of point of support), nose low, it’s like a taildragger, and maybe worse C of G behind, maybe way behind the point of support. And add to that a bow wave trying to slow the aircraft – like jumping on the brakes of a taildragger – more nose low and tendency to yaw quickly.
So this pilot puts the plane down very nose low, and the support point of the water is well forward – you can see that on the video. Like a taildragger, this will then require very precise yaw control be applied. This pilot did not assure that precise yaw control, and indeed, it appears to me that he applied a boot-full of left rudder. Hot dog flying for an audience – the “watch this” syndrome. Now, a pilot might do this to turn the aircraft on the step, but this is done judiciously, and with the nose more high, to get the C of G and point of water support more close to each other.
I now use this video first and foremost as a training tool when I instruct on flying boats – as a do not do! So, I criticize this pilot, who abused a rare aircraft. If it was a touch and go, it was faster than needed. If he hit something, yes it could damage the hull as seen, but that damage should not result in the loss of control of the aircraft. The aircraft was not being flown with due caution.
As for the beaver floatplane crash video, this was a case study in do not do during my most recent aviation underwater egress training. The trainer stated that he was well familiar with the details, as he knew the owner of the aircraft. The story presented to me is as follows:
Movie producer wants thee shot. Canadian bush pilot says “no, cannot be safely flown”. Producer hires American aerobatic movie pilot to fly the Beaver instead. Owner says “okay, if you insure it double”. The production company insures the plane lots, and movie pilot jumps in, declining checkout or training. Totally unsuitable conditions, to be flown only with immense caution. Movie pilot does not have the experience to apply any caution for the conditions.
A too fast touchdown, and unequal water drag and thus pitch and yaw reactions results in the outcome witnessed. No one hurt (amazingly), airplane badly damaged, owner collects lots of insurance, and rebuilds the plane as a beauty. And we are reminded to discourage low skill or poor discipline pilots to fly onto the water, and use lots of caution if they must – which takes us back to the beginning point.
Flying boats are incredibly capable aircraft on the water, at speed, much more so than floatplanes. Unfortunately, careless pilots exploit this too much and have accidents. Then the planes get a bad reputation, and insurance goes up. My flying boat training client of last week was quoted about a 10% hull value for his recently purchased Lake Amphibian. He instead hired me to train him in it. He is not the first pilot I have trained in their flying boat, for whom hull insurance was inaccessible.
