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<< Lancair Builders' Mail List >>
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Here in Hawaii, EVERY flight is an over water flight. Emergency landings
on water are a mindset to me. I am probably more prepared for a ditching
(equipment and mentally) than for a land emergency, and might even head
for calm inshore lee water rather than a marginal ground landing site in
some situations. As others have already mentioned, properly prepared,
survivability in anything but the worst sea state, night ditching is
highly likely. Being found is the greater problem. Even here, where
water temperature is not the crisis it might be in other places, I carry
a 4-6 person raft, an overboard bag with all sorts of recovery aids in
it, a portable radio, and everyone in the plane WEARS a life jacket. I
use Flight Following on every flight, even the 20 minute hop to Molokai.
On the other hand, I know people on the mainland who will avoid flying
over a small lake. Properly prepared, give me flat water over the forest
any day!
The issue of space is a tough one. There is plenty of room in my Bonanza
for all the stuff described. But we are building a Lancair IV, and it
will have to go on the rear floor. Whatever. Just don't do what I've
seen some do and put the overboard gear in the baggage compartment!
What concerns us more than how to get down is how to get OUT of a
Lancair IV-P. No one seems to have a good solution to emergency egress,
except for one pilot we met who carries a 9mm automatic pistol. Having
initially scoffed at this, I have now reached the conclusion that he
has, in fact, found the only 100% for sure solution. Just keep your
headset on! The briefing instructions to passenger must raise a few
eyebrows...
To the earlier point of flotation, we found that to be a comforting
secondary reason for choosing a Lancair. After working on the wings and
looking at the way it's built, I can't imagine it not floating (although
I wouldn't count on it). That would be a welcome bonus in a ditching.
The Bonanza, on the other hand, typically floats for less than a minute.
I would agree that the parachute is undesirable and unreasonable. If
your "tail falls off", maybe you were just destined to help clean up the
gene pool.
Brian Barbata
LIVP-T 30%
LML website: http://members.olsusa.com/mkaye/maillist.html
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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