On 19 Nov 2003 17:16:03 -0800, (Jay) wrote:

"It's just one of the risks you take when you play the game with a
single-engine aircraft," he said.

Well said Mr. Swears.

90MPH was the slowest he could get it before he went into the drink?

Just taking a guess, but if he was heading for San Francisco at this
time, his airplane must have been pretty heavily loaded. I've always
been impressed with how high the landing speed of many of the canards
is. This one, at it's max fuel load could easily have been around 80
or so. The guy probably did not want to let it get to the speed where
the canard lost lift and the nose pitched down.

I think even the Grumman F6F Hellcat landed slower than 90.

Corky Scott