Can seaplanes land on land?
Twin Otter, Cessna 185, Cessna 180 and Aviat Husky are the most popular seaplanes. Photo: Unsplash
Seaplanes are unique aircraft that offer a thrilling conveyance, allowing travellers to get to remote areas and access locations often inaccessible to our conventional planes or other modes of transport.
- Seaplanes, as the name suggests, are known for their ability to take off and touch down on a waterbody, making them an ideal choice to navigate lakes, rivers, and even oceans.
- These airplanes, as a result, efficiently connect communities and tourists in Canada, the Maldives, the Philipines and the Caribbeans.
However, a common and valid question that arises is whether seaplanes can also land on solid ground.
Can they?
- Seaplanes, also known as floatplanes, are fixed-wing aircraft equipped with floats mounted underneath the fuselage (the body) instead of wheels, serving as a water "landing gear".
- These floats allow them to safely land on bodies of water.
- However, unlike conventional aircraft, they lack conventional landing gears with wheels and tyres, required for taking off and landing on runways and airstrips.
The Besson H-6 of 1921 was a rather pretty little seaplane. It was of unusual design: it was a triplane with the lower wing being the largest and the upper wing the smallest. Although it was advertised as a fast mail plane, there was not much room for mail pic.twitter.com/nb4xOp1PT3
— Marlène Aviation (@AviationMarlene) July 17, 2022
- Attempting to land a seaplane on solid ground without the appropriate landing gear can severely damage its hull and more.
- However, pilots must obtain proper permissions and adhere to safety regulations to land on certain waterbodies as each location could have specific rules and restrictions.
What about emergency landings?
- Since seaplanes are not designed for land-based landings, they can potentially make emergency landings on solid ground, but this should only be done when life-threatening situations demand it.
- Soft surfaces, such as snow, bogs, or dense grass, can offer a better and more viable alternative to water landings, reducing the risk of severe damage to the seaplane's structure.
- Basically, the surfaces that reduce the drag upon landings are opted for in such situations.
Combining the two?
- Amphibious aircraft, as the name suggests, are a subclass of seaplanes designed for both water and land operations.
- These aircraft feature retractable landing gear, allowing them to land on solid ground with wheels and on water with floats.
- One popular example of an amphibious aircraft is the DHC-6 Twin Otter, known for its adaptability to various surfaces.
- The versatile Twin Otter can be easily equipped with floats for water landings, wheels for landings on runways, and even skis for landing on snow and ice.
In 1925, Roald Amundsen and his team created an ice airstrip by shovelling around 600 tons of ice during their North Pole expedition. This effort enabled their Dornier seaplanes to take off from the ice, ensuring their safe return.
Seaplanes vs amphibious planes
It is essential to understand the difference between seaplanes and amphibious aircraft to avoid confusion.
- A true seaplane, or floatplane, can only take off and land on water, as it lacks the necessary landing gear for land-based operations. They have straight floats that restrict them to carry out water landings only.
- On the other hand, an amphibious aircraft can transition between water and land landings, thanks to their retractable landing gear. These are equipped with floats designed to float on the belly of the plane, along with retractable landing gear for land-based operations.
Do we have them in India?
Yes, and, no!
Inside India first #seaplane from Kevadia to Sabarmati riverfront | India Today exclusive with @SwetaSinghAT#ITVideo #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/slHi02rs2X
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 1, 2020
Back in 2020, a SpiceJet subsidiary started operating a seaplane between the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad to Kevadia in Narmada district. However, the service couldn't be sustained because of operational constraints as the Maldives registered aircraft, wet-leased from a Maldivian carrier, had to fly home for periodic maintenance.