On Tue, 02 Sep 2003 12:39:16 -0500, Wallace Berry
wrote:

Wheel down is the safe way to land on water. I believe that "wheeling it
on", in other words, not a minimum energy landing is the way to go.
Locking the wheel brake (for gliders which have wheel brakes actuated by
other than the dive brake handle) might be a good idea. Bush pilots land
wheeled airplanes on water frequently. They lock the wheel brakes and
hydroplane on the surface right up to sandbars. What one bush pilot told
me was that in a Super Cub, as long as you were at 30 mph or above, the
plane would just ride along on the surface as if you were on pavement.
Even to the point that a hard touchdown would result in a bounce. I
wouldn't have believed him but he showed me videos of him and his
buddies landing on lakes. He also said that it was important to pick a
sandbar that was long enough to get back to 30 mph before you hit the
water. So, for water landings, it would be wheel down, brakes locked if
possible, land just like wheeling a 2-33 on at the local field.

Hope I don't ever have to try it out.


Now that is impressive! A whole new meaning to aquaplaning!
I'm not about to try this in the BD4.

Mike Borgelt