Float Plane Landing on LKN

[BillK2632]

Took my boat out for the first time this year on Saturday -- enjoying a unseasonably warm March day. Apparently so was this guy -- it's fairly common to see float plans on LKN, but not usually this close. I don't know what type of plane this is, but appears pretty old -- love the sound of those big old engines. I got a little pucker there on his final approach coming right at me.

 

[Creekwood]

There is a guy with a float plane docked right beside our marina. Our harbour is pretty small and has lots of boat traffic. It’s pretty crazy watching him try to find openings to land or take off. And when he’s landing, the boaters are not looking up to give him space. Our marina is the left side of the south basin in this snip. The float plane dock is right above it. Maybe 100 yards from the marina.

 

[Skybolt]

You puckered, what about the other guy when that sea plane was right on top of him. Man that was too close, and looked like he was practicing touch and goes on the water. Pretty cool to watch that stuff.

But that plane looks like an "Albatross" they were made by Grumman ~1950 and had many versions of that plane. My friends father worked that line at Grumman when I was a kid. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[Creekwood]

I think that may be a water bomber used for fighting forest fires. They have a scoop at the bottom that fills an interior water tank when they skim over the surface and don’t have to land to fill. Must be quite a skill. Is it possible that was part of a training run for a pilot?

 

[wyrman]

They have float planes at a place we go to on Lake Chelan. It's fun to watch them take off and land, all that power.
When landing, they have lights across the wings that are real bright, there's no mistaking they're coming in.
Of course it's during the day, but the lights are very effective.

 

[FootballFan]

We have flown on a float plane a few times from Miami airport down to a resort in the Keys. Always loved it - was a fantastic experience every time.

I hope I get this correct - it sticks out in my mind. Once the plane is on the water then the rules of "stand on" versus "give way" apply to the plane just like it does to boats. I guess initially I figured the plane would have the "right of way" - well because it was a plane. But not necessarily. Have seen the pilot pull out of landing or take off runs at the last minute because a boat came out of the mangroves near by.

 

[northshore]

Reminds me of the immortal words of Al Czervik aboard Seafood.

"I almost got head from Amelia Earhart!"

 

[JHornsby3]

I think that may be a water bomber used for fighting forest fires. They have a scoop at the bottom that fills an interior water tank when they skim over the surface and don’t have to land to fill. Must be quite a skill. Is it possible that was part of a training run for a pilot?

No that is an Albatross. Very cool ol planes. Scoppers are very different.

CL-215
AT-805

 

[Skybolt]

No that is an Albatross. Very cool ol planes. Scoppers are very different.

CL-215
AT-805View attachment 140996 View attachment 140997

Exactly - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_HU-16_Albatross

There are a few different variations on these planes. Very cool to watch land in the water. They never seem to slow down when they land.

 

[PlayDate]

 

[JHornsby3]

Exactly - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_HU-16_Albatross

There are a few different variations on these planes. Very cool to watch land in the water. They never seem to slow down when they land.

Tankers do slow a bit. But can't stop with the fill gates open. There is a couple videos of Fireboss planes that have and they sink fast. I have photos of an Albatross that had an engine failure and landed in Caldwell, Idaho. Very impressive bird. Same with the PBY. But the Fireboss(AT-805) and the variants are just as impressive. Had a friend that had a single seat and offered me a seat in his newer two seater. He passed shortly after buying the two seater, so never got that ride. His single seat plane carried his for his final ride by another friend. He said it was a Solomon ride from Texas to Arkansas. They put his ashes in the tank and spread them at high altitude over his home state.

 

[Steve S]

Yeah and Rae Dawn Chong could start one up and fly one as a student pilot in "Commando".....

 

[Timeflys]

Grumman made a series of amphibians….Widgeon (smallest),Goose, Mallard and Albatross (largest). The Albatross was widely used by the USCG, USN and by a certain entertainer from Key West, who immortalized a song “Jamaica Mistaka”
I believe the aircraft in the video was a Goose.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_G-21_Goose

 

[jmcdboater]

Grumman made a series of amphibians….Widgeon (smallest),Goose, Mallard and Albatross (largest). The Albatross was widely used by the USCG, USN and by a certain entertainer from Key West, who immortalized a song “Jamaica Mistaka”
I believe the aircraft in the video was a Goose.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_G-21_Goose

Yep, read his book many years ago and was thinking of him to post here as I read down thru the entries…..good catch, @Timeflys.

 

[BillK2632]

I did talk to the guy in the other boat (he was changing his shorts also). He lives nearby and does not know the pilot, but said he sees the plane "docked" at a house nearby.

 

[PlayDate]

Those radial engines sound great but they are a maintenance nightmare.

 

[JHornsby3]

Those radial engines sound great but they are a maintenance nightmare.

And that is why most contractors and the USFS have gone to the "Next Gen" tankers. Neptune Aviation retired the fleet of P2V's and moved to the BAe 146-200 for tankers. The P2V had 2+ hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time. And most of those R-3350-32 and J34 westinghouse jets needed parts milled inhouse to keep in the air. The BAe 146 runs about 15 minutes per 2 hours of flight time. But there was something about the sound of two turnin and two burnin as they came in for a drop.