If I had never waterskiied my airplanes, I would have missed out on some of the most fun I've ever had.

I gave up waterskiing when I sold my boat...Maybe I'll try driving to Catalina....

Well, in the past I saw Piper Cubs with skis/wheels, starting from the ground (beach) on the wheels, accelerating on the skis on the wather and then did perfect take off - and later perfect landning. THAT is wathersking....

I have seen ag cats and thushes ski to clean the belly many times.

soaringhiggy wrote:I have seen ag cats and thushes ski to clean the belly many times.

I know of at least one fatality doing that, and at least one fatality of flying a Thrush 550 into a thunderstorm for a "free airplane wash"

We can just lay in bed all the time hoping we don't get hurt, or we can enjoy life to it's fullest. People die flying too, should we not do that either? I know it's not for everyone, but damn it's fun.

Now Bull Riders, those guys are nuts and need to be locked up....

Definitely a cool picture isn't it.

Coyote Ugly wrote:We can just lay in bed all the time hoping we don't get hurt, or we can enjoy life to it's fullest. People die flying too, should we not do that either? I know it's not for everyone, but damn it's fun.

No, but everything about flying is some form of risk assessment, do the benefits outweigh to risks? If the answer for you is yes, then have at.

Yes, the guy that I flagged for that did it dug a wing when turning out and lost the bird, he was a dumb ass.

What river is that. Owyhee canyon?

Man! I could feel a certain part of my anatomy shrink up inside me looking at that picture!

a64, speaking of washing the bugs off, I flew through those center pivot irrigation rigs a time or so.

...you want to make SURE they are not near any livestock confinment operations though. Those pump more then water.

well I wouldn't do it but it sure is neat to see someone like Lonnie or someone who can do it right. It's probably not as difficult as it seems but all it takes is one mistake I guess and I don't relish losing my plane or my life for that matter. By the way do they do that with the brakes on or off? May sound like a stupid question but I don't know.

Never set your brakes while flying or you know how you will eventually land We had to set the brakes on the helicopter to do slope landings, well we also used to do roll on landings. Brakes - check was on the before landing checklist, but there were a lot of flat spotted and busted tires. Usually the tire would bust before the pilot had even figured out anything was wrong.
A friend in Tennessee put his Maule over on it's face by accidently landing with the brakes on. I don't think there is enough time to save it, even if you are quick.

I Know but are they holding brakes on when they hydroplane?? Or are the wheels freely able to rotate....

no brakes needed

Jason

thanks Jason, Not that I'm gonna try it. I did once here in san diego but the damn surfers kept gettin in the way. Also tough to time the hydroplaning between the waves.....

BRAKES on a water landing with tires ?!?

I have attended several Mt. Flying seminars where the question has come up regarding ditching in a lake near the shore.

All the class instructors have stated, "hold the brakes on until it sinks"
Seems that with stock / smaller tires, the water will "wrap around" and suck down the tires rather than slide / "ski" on top for a bit.

I have heard, second hand, from a 185 driver who did use the brakes to "slide" / ski along near the shore, sank a bit, but all got out ok, including the dog.

Emperical evidence will do for me, even if it is second hand.

Anyone recall that video of five or six T-6's water skiing in formation on a reservoir in South Africa? I would think those were stock-size tires, and probably not too big, since I believe they are retractable gear (not entirely familiar with T-6's (unfortunately), so not certain of this last point.)

soaringhiggy wrote:What river is that. Owyhee canyon?

Yea, the north fork of the Owyhee, I guess you call it, east quite a ways from the 45 ranch.

My experience on the brake thing, is on 8.00 x 4s, 26" Goodyears, and 31" Bushwheels, the only ones I've tried it on, the wheels just barely turn. Brakes or no brakes, it just doesn't make any difference. I used to land the 8.00 x 4's at about 75-90 mph, and they started feeling a little soft when I slowed down to about 65, but the first time that I landed 26" Goodyears at about 85, they really suctioned down kinda hard and the tail came up quite a ways, before I bounced off. They landed a lot smoother and skimmed good at about 60- 65. Bushwheels work perfect at 55-65 and will start bouncing if you get a little to slow. The guy that kinda told me how to get started, suggested trying it first on a day that the water had little ripples on it. It makes it a lot easier for depth perception, and on my 800 x 4s felt just like landing on a gravel road. I wouldn't like to land small tires, 600 x 6s, etc. on the water myself, but if I did, I'd be doing about 90. All of these speeds are ground speeds, not airspeed. Personally too, I would never ever try skimming a tricycle gear on water. That's my two bits... but I'm Old and Senile, take it for what it's worth....