Question about a strange floatplane experience

[pelmet]

Has any one seen this before.

I was getting a checkout in a small airplane at an airport that has a seaplane base attached to it. There are a lot of floatplanes out of the water at the airport. As I was in the runup bay near the water, all of a sudden I see a de Havilland Beaver pushed by a tow vehicle backwards on a dolly toward the ramp that goes down into the water. Its engine was running and there was no one in the aircraft. The instructor said something about the engine being warmed up for departure.

It just seemed quite strange to me but perhaps it is normal practice.

[I_Heart_Seaplanes]

The Beaver was put on the ramp with the engine was running with no one in the cockpit? Not normal, at least I have never seen that, and would not dream of doing it. Seems like a great way to end up swimming after the plane one day.

It is normal to warm up the engine on the drive to the ramp, but with someone in the cockpit. Also, you shut down before you start down the ramp so that you are not pulling the beaching gear down the hill.

[Meatservo]

I don't think that was normal. Probably the guy driving the dolly was the pilot and he was trying to do two things at once. I can't think of anything too terrible about it but if I was his boss I'd probably tell him to cut it out. Maybe he was in a hurry.

[cgzro]

Dont regs say something like somebody competent at controls or tied down?.
I suppose being attached by tow bar is "tied down" in a sense but at some point you have to detach and thats i suspect where it gets more risky.

[pelmet]

Maybe there was a pilot at the ramp area. I didn't see what happened over there.

[crazyaviator]

Not abnormal done that at times in Orillia

[I_Heart_Seaplanes]

Not abnormal done that at times in Orillia

Placed on the ramp with the engine running and nobody inside? Twice I've had the plane slide down the ramp when I lower the cradle.

[pilotboy99]

The original post said that the aircraft in question was heading toward the ramp with the engine running, not being pushed down the ramp.
I would not regard this as a strange experience at all - I do it quite often. My hangar is on the opposite side of the airfield as the float ramp, so I often warm up the engine during the drive over and shut it down at the top of the ramp.

[DonutHole]

Not abnormal done that at times in Orillia

Placed on the ramp with the engine running and nobody inside? Twice I've had the plane slide down the ramp when I lower the cradle.

Who would even put the aircraft down on the ramp?

I wouldn't even do that with the engine pickled.


Don't ever put the aircraft down on an uneven surface.

Day one minute five of rampie education.

You owe me 10 dollars.

[I_Heart_Seaplanes]

I re-read your post 3 times and I'm still not sure what you are saying.

Who would even put the aircraft down on the ramp?

How else do you get the plane in the water?

I wouldn't even do that with the engine pickled.

Pickled?

You owe me 10 dollars.

Cheque is in the mail.


To be clear, I have not and will never put the plane on the ramp with the engine running, because I have twice had the plane has slid down the ramp when I was launching it.

[awitzke]

I've seen float planes warmed up on the beaching gear before without anyone in the plane. It's off the ground, it's not going anywhere. Is it legal? Grey area... but I'd never consider putting the aircraft into the water with no one in the plane.

[180]

If it's the guys own plane on his home ramp, he probably knows exactly where his is setting it down on the ramp. I've driven hundreds of Beavers, Otters, Caravans off of ramps and into lakes and oceans, and never have I had the plane just "slip" into the water, quite the opposite in fact, it takes a solid burst of power to get the machine "sliding". Unless of course you launch it too deep, but like I started with, if it's the guys own plane on his home ramp...

Also, up north, it was common practice in the early morning to have half a dozen Beavers idling away, one in front of the other, while floats got pumped, coffee got slurped, lies got told, etc.

[DonutHole]

How else do you get the plane in the water?

I guess I've always just put the plane in the water...

[TeePeeCreeper]

How else do you get the plane in the water?

I guess I've always just put the plane in the water...

With someone such as myself giving you the "thumbs up"!

To the OP, perhaps the PIC was setting up the the aft sling seat and you didn't see them?
Call it bad airmanship or coffee gathering time but I have let my machine warm up plenty of times on the ramp (out of water). With that said, I'm in the left seat when Mx "launches" me into the water. Heck, I'd expect my "guy" (or gal) to not cast me adrift if he or she didn't see me at the controls before doing so!

All the best,
TPC

[Rowdy]

machines are left tied to the dock (four ropes) warming up most mornings throughout the north and even some places in the south. Many warmed up while being moved on the beaching gear as others have said.

Sitting unattended off the beaching gear down the ramp? Never seen it happen myself..

Why are we discussing this again? Pelmet is known for being a bit of an alarmist..

[Redneck_pilot86]

Dont regs say something like somebody competent at controls or tied down?.
I suppose being attached by tow bar is "tied down" in a sense but at some point you have to detach and thats i suspect where it gets more risky.

Secured from movement, not tied down. I think a floatplane on a dolly is effectively secured from movement.

[anofly]

Be very careful if you leave airplanes with running engines ,without anyone on board.

[RG500]

Regardless if it's practiced by others, it's a question of airmanship.
In the event of an engine fire, how do you explain this technique to the Accident investigator and insurance agent?

[cessnafloatflyer]

No need to call insurance if the plane drives itself away. You're not going to be covered. Underway without a licensed PIC. No chance. Or any PIC~

[Redneck_pilot86]

Engineers run up aircraft all the time with no pilots licence, the aircraft is still insured.

[CoastFloater]

Precidence has been set in court that the pilot in command does not need to be strapped in to the seat of the aircraft while it is running. He may not be advised to do whatever he is doing outside the seat, but he or she is still the pilot in command.

That being said, the OP was not detailing anything particularly abnormal. Judge the PIC all you want, these practices do take place and a Beaver idling at 3-400rpm is not producing much static thrust and if the PIC knows the ramp and placement of the aircraft aren't going to be an issue, no big deal. Maybe the battery was low due to inactivity and he/she wasn't going to have enough juice to start 'er up again without a flight to get the battery level up again? Maybe this is normal procedure?