floatplane - taking off frozen lake

heres a video i figured some would enjoy

float plane taking off from a semi-frozen lake in alaska

http://media.putfile.com/Seaplane---...-Bethel-Alaska

"Lets Fly" wrote in message
...
heres a video i figured some would enjoy

float plane taking off from a semi-frozen lake in alaska

http://media.putfile.com/Seaplane---...-Bethel-Alaska

Would puncturing a float be a concern when it comes to ice?

Jay Beckman

That guy had more nuts than brains.

A punctured float is always a concern, but slush isn't likely to puncture a
float; it just makes a ton of drag.

My buddy Buzz Fiorini used to fly his C180 floatplane over to Sun Valley and
land on a snow-packed meadow. Did it regularly, for years, with no damage.

May have put ski wax on his floats.

Seth

"Jay Beckman" wrote in message
newsd9lf.11192$Wu.3984@fed1read05...
"Lets Fly" wrote in message
...
heres a video i figured some would enjoy

float plane taking off from a semi-frozen lake in alaska

http://media.putfile.com/Seaplane---...-Bethel-Alaska

Would puncturing a float be a concern when it comes to ice?

Jay Beckman

"Jay Beckman" wrote in message
newsd9lf.11192$Wu.3984@fed1read05...
Would puncturing a float be a concern when it comes to ice?

Not if the ice is flat, solid, and strong enough to support the airplane.

However, broken ice floating just below the surface is a significant risk.
It certainly can tear the skin of a float or the hull of a boat-hull
seaplane, and if the conditions are right, the ice is completely invisible.

The video posted is crappy as all get out (not only is the source analog,
but it looks like the tape's been used a zillion times before). It's hard
to tell if the ice is solid or not...it seems as though the ice during the
backtaxi isn't. But the floats do seem to stay on top during the takeoff.
Seems to me that's probably a matter of luck than good planning though,
since the airplane was clearly not supported by the ice at the beginning of
the video.

Pete

Its not particuarly dangerous, but it isn't very good for the floats.
If you hit a chuck of ice at high speed it may dent the floats.
Possible to puncture. I would be suprised if this guy did not damage
his floats (a dent or two). But given a smooth surface, no ice chunks,
either hard ice or slush or even packed snow, it could be done,
obviously, by witness of the video.

Desperate men do desperate things.

On Mon, 5 Dec 2005 22:50:29 -0800, "Seth Masia"
wrote:

My buddy Buzz Fiorini used to fly his C180 floatplane over to Sun Valley and
land on a snow-packed meadow. Did it regularly, for years, with no damage.

During WWII in a whiteout, a PBY Catalina was flying over the
Greenland ice cap at 10,000-plus feet when the crew realized that
though the engines were developing full revs, the plane wasn't moving
any longer. They'd landed on the snow. They piled out and ran around,
laughing. Then they realized that, no, they weren't going to take off
again.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

The Helio Aircraft Co. at Pittsburg, KS operated straight
float equipped Helio H-295 Couriers from the grass strip
behind the factory. They would land on dry grass but did
spray a little water on the grass in the area of the plane
to let it start to slide. The landing was tricky only
because there was not suspension.

The Helio was unusual and could fly at gross (3,400 pounds)
at 28 mph.


"Cub Driver" usenet AT danford DOT net wrote in message
...
| On Mon, 5 Dec 2005 22:50:29 -0800, "Seth Masia"

| wrote:
|
| My buddy Buzz Fiorini used to fly his C180 floatplane
over to Sun Valley and
| land on a snow-packed meadow. Did it regularly, for
years, with no damage.
|
| During WWII in a whiteout, a PBY Catalina was flying over
the
| Greenland ice cap at 10,000-plus feet when the crew
realized that
| though the engines were developing full revs, the plane
wasn't moving
| any longer. They'd landed on the snow. They piled out and
ran around,
| laughing. Then they realized that, no, they weren't going
to take off
| again.
|
|
| -- all the best, Dan Ford
|
| email: usenet AT danford DOT net
|
| Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
| Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
| the blog: www.danford.net
| In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Dan,

Actually the airplane that came to a stop in the whiteout over
Greenland was a B-17 (My Gal Sal). That began a very long rescue
effort (some months) in which a number of people died getting the crew
out.

What you may be recalling is that the legendary Bernt Balchen (first
person to pilot an aircraft over both poles, Byrd's pilot across the
Atlantic in 1927 and over the South Pole in 1929) landed a PBY, gear
up, on the ice pack a number of times during the rescue (he also
successfully took off). He also landed on a temporary lake that formed
on the ice pack due to melting ice.

All the best,
Rick

Cub Driver wrote:
On Mon, 5 Dec 2005 22:50:29 -0800, "Seth Masia"
wrote:

My buddy Buzz Fiorini used to fly his C180 floatplane over to Sun Valley and
land on a snow-packed meadow. Did it regularly, for years, with no damage.

During WWII in a whiteout, a PBY Catalina was flying over the
Greenland ice cap at 10,000-plus feet when the crew realized that
though the engines were developing full revs, the plane wasn't moving
any longer. They'd landed on the snow. They piled out and ran around,
laughing. Then they realized that, no, they weren't going to take off
again.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

It wasn't the ice, but the TREES that I was commenting at, he almost
ate it. :)