AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2022 - 83

DOGFIGHT /
Debating the merits/demerits of recreational airplane water skiing
Enjoyable,
recreational,
and
misunderstood
Why airplane water skiing
is as safe as anything else
BY GREG KOONTZ
FOR A LOT of us, flying goes beyond transportation or the desire
to lift our bodies off the ground. I've spent most of my life transporting
people to where they need to go. When I get in one of my
airplanes it is most likely for recreation, flying for the love of it.
Often it is landing off-airport to visit a friend. Sometimes it's
flying aerobatics, which includes low-level airshow practice in
my aerobatic box. And, yes, it can often include a pass down my
pond, skimming the wheels on the water.
So, which is my most reckless and careless activity? Why
would I risk my airplane (and perhaps my well-being) by doing
any of these things?
Since there is no audience at my aerobatic box or my pond
one can't really say I'm showing off (hey, hold my beer, Bubba,
and watch this). Could it be I am just enjoying some fun flying?
At what risk? Sure, I could have an engine failure. I could have
an engine failure anytime. In my pond I'm 20 feet from shore and
in 12 feet of water. The Cub won't fare well in such an incident,
but the reality is, at the speed the airplane will finally flip, I will
probably only get wet.
There are many times while I am out flying just for fun that
an engine failure would be ugly. Therefore, the argument can
be made to never fly if the mission is not absolutely necessary.
What fun is that?
When this subject gets opened online it starts a firestorm of
debate. What I notice is it is an argument between the neverhave-done-its
and the do-it-all-the-timers. I never hear debate
from people who have crashed or have tried it and found it dangerous.
This is because, and I admit it, it is easy.
If you never tried water skiing an airplane, you would perceive
dangers that are just not there. No, you can't accidently
get too deep and flip. As long as you respect the required speed
(like any flying) the water is like concrete. Nonetheless, like anything
that moves fast and can be prone to sudden stops, there is
(Continued on p. 84)
Self-indulgent,
egotistical,
and wrong
Why airplane water skiing
is a bad idea
BY DAVE HIRSCHMAN
THERE'S A WIDE gulf between the image pilots seek to project,
and how our actions are perceived-and airplane water skiing is
a prime example. Pilots who post videos of themselves skimming
across the water's surface with their main tires kicking up rooster
tails seem to think viewers regard their exploits as cool, daring,
and skillful. In fact, however, they're more likely to be seen by
their peers as foolish, self-indulgent, and egotistical. Here's why
those stinging descriptors are deserved:
First, the water ski maneuver itself requires no real talent.
As long as an airplane's ground speed is more than nine times
the square root of its tire pressure, the tires will hydroplane. A
Piper Super Cub, for example, with main tires inflated to 25
pounds per square inch, will hydroplane at 45 knots (the square
root of 25 is five, and nine times five equals 45). How much pilot
skill is required to maintain an airplane's hydroplane speed, or
more, in level flight? Not much, and that's the point.
Pilots recognize a cheap trick when they see one, and those
who engage in such antics deserve pity-not praise.
More importantly, there's a critical issue of pilot judgment.
Those of us who fly single-engine aircraft recognize that,
inevitably, we're beyond gliding range of safe landing areas during
certain phases of flight. When we fly over forests, oceans, or
densely populated urban areas, we accept calculated risks. Why,
then, would pilots intentionally drag their wheels in the water
knowing that a momentary power loss could damage or destroy
their airplane and put passengers and bystanders at risk?
Pilots must also keep in mind that we're not the only ones who
love the outdoors, and we have no special claim to wilderness
areas. Rafters on the Salmon and Colorado rivers, for example,
must win a lottery before embarking on float trips there, and many
must wait years for the opportunity. Shouldn't pilots give them the
courtesy of staying a respectful distance away even if we're not
legally obligated to do so?
(Continued on p. 84)
AOPA PILOT / June 2022
83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2022

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