Seaplane Safety on Smith Mountain Lake

by Jack Phillips, SMLA Water Safety Council

There are at least four seaplanes based at Smith Mountain Lake plus others come from as far away as Maine and Florida. So it’s not unlikely that you’ll encounter one while you’re out enjoying the lake.

What Are Seaplanes?

Seaplanes come in two varieties: floatplanes and flying boats. A floatplane is a land plane with landing gear replaced by floats or pontoons that allow them to float on the water. Some floats are amphibious, meaning they are fitted with retractable wheels that allow them to operate from both land and water.

A Piper Cub floatplane on straight (non-amphibious) floats.

A Cessna 180 float plane on amphibious floats.

A flying boat is a seaplane designed from the outset to land on the water. Its fuselage is shaped like a boat hull. Many have retractable landing gear. Several Lake Buccaneers have been based at SML over the years, and one operates here currently. The Super Petrel, a unique biplane design, also operates at SML.

A Lake Buccaneers flying boat currently operates at SML.

Safety Near Seaplanes on the Water

The minute a seaplane touches down on the water, it ceases to be an aircraft and becomes a vessel. As such it must follow marine right-of-way rules. However, it is considerably more difficult to maneuver a seaplane on water than a boat.

Seaplanes tend to be boat magnets. When a seaplane lands on the lake, boaters are curious and want an up-close look. But for safety’s sake, boaters need to keep their distance.

Here is a short video showing what can happen when boats cross in front of a seaplane taking off.

Seaplanes have restricted visibility from the cockpit, especially to the rear. It is also helpful for boaters to understand that any time its engine is running, the seaplane is moving forward. There are no brakes and no reverse.

When a seaplane begins a waterborne takeoff run, the nose rises much like the bow of a V-Hull boat struggling to get on plane. At that point, the pilot’s forward visibility is partially blocked and, a few seconds later, as the nose rises even higher, becomes totally blocked for about 10 seconds until the airplane gets “on the step” (just as a boat gets “on plane” after a few seconds of running bow-high). Once on the step, the seaplane accelerates to takeoff speed (commonly around 50 mph) allowing it to lift off and start flying.

A takeoff from a standing (floating?) start can cover as much as a half-mile of water. During the early part of the run, before leveling out “on the step”, the pilot cannot see over the nose. Once on the step, visibility is much improved but should a boat or a jet ski suddenly cross in front of the seaplane, aborting the takeoff takes considerable distance. Avoiding an intruding boat or PWC is extremely difficult if not impossible for the pilot.

This video shows a typical seaplane takeoff.

If you see a seaplane operating on the water, enjoy the spectacle. Keep in mind that some caution – and a wide berth – can keep everyone safe.

About the author: Jack Phillips is a seaplane instructor who has logged over 250 seaplane hours