amphibious planes

[pepper_airborne]

Hey guys, a friend of mine is cruising in Alaska as a maritime officer on a ship for the Holland America line. Right now he is in the glacier bay area, and this is what he wrote for those of you that know dutch:

Dan is er nog een bijzonder verschijnsel, wat echter weinig met natuur te maken heeft: piloten in combinatie met watervliegtuigen. Het makkelijkste vervoersmiddel hier in Alaska is het watervliegtuig. Je ziet ze overal, alleen omdat het er zoveel zijn denken ze waarschijnlijk nogal simpel. Ze zetten hier elke zoveel minuten hun leven op het spel door gewoon recht op een schip af te varen en ineens op te trekken. Of ze vliegen weg op plaatsen waar het eigenlijk niet kan.

Rough translation what it comes down to:

Then there are pilots with waterplanes, the easiest method of transportation here in Alaska, you can see them everwhere and because they are with so many they probably think they own the water. Every few minutes they risk there lives by sailing straight towards a ship and then pulling up, or departing from places that really arent used for that.

-------------------------------

So i decided to google around for the rules concerning waterplanes/amphibious vehicles. But couldnt find anything usefull(lots of docs with all sorts of rules). So do any of you know what is and isnt allowed? Because playing chicken with a cruiseship doesnt seems like a thing the FAA enjoys hearing about. Should they give way to cruiseships or do they have the right of way? Any specific requirements for takeoff and landing sites?

[BFMF]

I would assume that since a cruise ship is much bigger, slower, and less maneuverable, that it would probably have the right of way by default, and that an aircraft must yield to it...

[Hagar]

According to this Andrew is correct. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cHKevTrbjCEC&pg=PA311&lpg=PA311&dq=seaplane+%22right+of+way%22&source=bl&ots=D-4EjebAAS&sig=ONw0t-OB2nNwy3ywhRNtY1KRKPk&hl=en&ei=TeKFSqS3BsGQjAe9uOyiCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=seaplane%20%22right%20of%20way%22&f=false

[pepper_airborne]

Makes sense, he said he would ask the captain about this.

Im afraid i cant see the book Hagar, it says i have reached a viewing limit?

[OrderMaster]

Every once in a while I can contribute, See

[url]http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/
seaplane_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-23-2.pdf[/url]

for US regulations concerning ROW
OrderMaster

[pepper_airborne]

Thanks! very interesting read!

[OrderMaster]

Your welcome, many more FAA pubs available at that site.

OrderMaster

[Capt.Propwash]

Makes sense, he said he would ask the captain about this.

Im afraid i cant see the book Hagar, it says i have reached a viewing limit?

click it again, but this time.... scroll up. lol







found this on:: http://valenheavy.com/content/view/45/58/
(in the "general" section)


Aircraft and boats are sometimes equipped with nav lights. Generally, on the left (port) side will be a red light, and on the right (starboard) side will be a green, blue, or white light. Treat this like a stoplight. If the nav light closest to you is RED, then YIELD. If the light closest to you is NOT RED, you have the right of way


~~something tells me, that this particular site is about Flight Simulator cause it says something about SIM Creators.



I did just find this page though, coming from an actual Flight School, i would lean more toward these guys knowing the regulations...... http://www.waterwings.com/NL8_9-03.htm

[BFMF]

I should know this, but its been so long since i've been current that I've forgotten a lot of this information. It wouldn't hurt to pull my PPL manual or FAR/AIM out to see what the regs are here in the states

[Capt.Propwash]

Right of Way
The question of who has the right of way on the water comes up very often in training. An airplane on the water has the same right-of-way as any power boat. Logic (and the Marine Police Regulations) dictates that the less manueverable craft should have the right-of-way.


therefore, the cruise ship would have right of way.   ... how fast can Disney Cruise Line, or Norwegeian Cruise Line, or Alaskan Cruise Line turn on a dime to miss a "taxiing" Cessna Amphibian??? not too well.



Then again, i think it might be up to the captains to decide.  planes can get out of the way somewhat faster... but if the "runway" will take the plane in the path of the crusie ship, hold off and let it pass.  

[-Crossfire-]

In Canada, seaplane pilots must give way to ALL boats, unless in the process of taking off or landing.