SEAPLANE, SKIPLANE,and FLOAT/SKI EQUIPPED

HELICOPTEROPERATIONSHANDBOOK

2004

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONFEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

Flight Standards Service

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PREFACE

This operational handbook introduces the basic skills necessary for piloting seaplanes, skiplanes, and helicoptersequipped with floats or skis. It is developed by the Flight Standards Service, Airman Testing Standards Branch, incooperation with various aviation educators and industry.

This handbook is primarily intended to assist pilots who already hold private or commercial certificates and who arelearning to fly seaplanes, skiplanes, or helicopters equipped for water or ski operations. It is also beneficial to ratedseaplane pilots who wish to improve their proficiency, pilots preparing for flights using ski equipped aircraft, andflight instructors engaged in the instruction of both student and transitioning pilots. It introduces the future seaplaneor skiplane pilot to the realm of water operations and cold weather operations, and provides information on the per-formance of procedures required for the addition of a sea class rating in airplanes. Information on general pilotingskills, aeronautical knowledge, or flying techniques not directly related to water or cold weather operations arebeyond the scope of this book, but are available in other Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publications.

This handbook conforms to pilot training and certification concepts established by the FAA. There are differentways of teaching, as well as performing specific operating procedures, and many variations in the explanations ofoperating from water, snow, and ice. This handbook is not comprehensive, but provides a basic knowledge thatcan serve as a foundation on which to build further knowledge. The discussion and explanations reflect common-ly used practices and principles. Occasionally the word “must” or similar language is used where the desired actionis deemed critical. The use of such language is not intended to add to, interpret, or relieve a duty imposed by Title14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR).

It is essential for persons using this handbook to also become familiar with and apply the pertinent parts of 14 CFRand the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). The AIM is available online at http://www.faa.gov/atpubs.Performance standards for demonstrating competence required for the seaplane rating are prescribed in the appropri-ate practical test standard.

The current Flight Standards Service airman training and testing material and subject matter knowledge codes for allairman certificates and ratings can be obtained from the Flight Standards Service web site at http://av-info.faa.gov.

The FAA greatly appreciates the valuable assistance provided by many individuals and organizations throughout theaviation community whose expertise contributed to the preparation of this handbook.

This handbook supercedes Chapters 16 and 17 of FAA-H-8083-3, Airplane Flying Handbook, dated 1999. This hand-book is available for download from the Flight Standards Service Web site at http://av-info.faa.gov. This Web sitealso provides information about availability of printed copies.

This handbook is published by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, AirmanTesting Standards Branch, AFS-630, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Comments regarding this hand-book should be sent in e-mail form to AFS630comments@faa.gov.

AC 00-2, Advisory Circular Checklist, transmits the current status of FAA advisory circulars and other flight information and publications. This checklist is available via the Internet athttp://www.faa.gov/aba/html_policies/ac00_2.html.

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Photo credits:

Cover (Lake amphibian): Lanshe AerospaceCover (Skiplane), Tom Evans PhotographyPage 2-1, bottom right: Wipaire, Inc.Page 7-1, left column: Airglas Engineering

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Downwind Arc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14Downwind Takeoffs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14Glassy Water Takeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15Rough Water Takeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16Confined Area Takeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

CHAPTER 5—PerformancePerformance Considerations for Takeoff, Climb, Cruise, and Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Takeoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1Climb and Cruise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Flight Characteristics of Seaplanes withHigh Thrust Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Multiengine Seaplanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

CHAPTER 6—Seaplane Operations –LandingsLanding Area Reconnaissance

and Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1Landing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Normal Landing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3Crosswind Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3Downwind Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5Glassy Water Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5Rough Water Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7Confined Area Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7Go-Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8Emergency Landing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Postflight Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8Anchoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9Mooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9Docking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10Beaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10Ramping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10Salt Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11

CHAPTER 7—Skiplane OperationsSkiplane Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1Construction and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Plain Ski Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1Combination Ski Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

CHAPTER 1—Rules, Regulations, and Aidsfor NavigationPrivileges and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-1Seaplane Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

14 CFR Part 91, Section 91.115, Right-of-Way Rules: Water Operations . . . . . . 1-2

Rules of the Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2Inland and International Waters. . . . . . 1-2

United States Aids for MarineNavigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Seaplane Landing Areas . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2Buoys and Daybeacons . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2Nighttime Buoy Identification. . . . . . . 1-4

CHAPTER 2—Principles of SeaplanesSeaplane Characteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1Seaplane Flight Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

CHAPTER 3—Water Characteristics andSeaplane Base OperationsCharacteristics of Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1Determining Sea Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1Water Effects on Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3Seaplane Base Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

CHAPTER 4—Seaplane Operations –Preflight and TakeoffsPreflight Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1Starting the Engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3Taxiing and Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Idling Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3Plowing Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4Planing or Step Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4Turns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8Porpoising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9Skipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Takeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10Normal Takeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12Crosswind Takeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

Controlled Weathervaning . . . . . . . . . 4-13Using Water Rudders . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

CONTENTS

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Operational Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2Types of Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2Types of Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2Surface Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Preflight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4Taxiing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5Takeoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5Off-Airport Landing Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

Glaciers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6Lakes and Rivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6Tundra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6Landings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7Parking/Postflight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7Emergency Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

Ski Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8Night Emergency Landing. . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

CHAPTER 8—Emergency Open SeaOperationsOperations in Open Seas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1Sea State Evaluation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1Swell System Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

High Reconnaissance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3Low Reconnaissance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3Select Landing Heading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3Select Touchdown Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Landing Parallel to the Swell . . . . . . . 8-4Landing Perpendicular to the Swell . . 8-4Landing with More Than One SwellSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Effect of Chop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5Night Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5

Sea Evaluation at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

Night Emergency Landing. . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6Landing by Parachute Flare. . . . . . . . . 8-6Landing by Markers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

Emergency Landing Under Instrument Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7

Escaping a Submerged Seaplane . . . . . . . . . 8-8Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8Water Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8Flotation Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8Normal and Unusual Exits. . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8

CHAPTER 9—Float and Ski EquippedHelicoptersFloat Equipped Helicopters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

Construction and Maintenance . . . . . . . . 9-1Operational Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2Preflight Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3Starting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3Taxiing and Hovering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3Takeoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4Autorotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6Shutdown and Mooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6Ground Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6

Ski Equipped Helicopters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6Construction and Maintenance

Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7Operational Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7Preflight Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7Starting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7Taxiing and Hovering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7Takeoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8Autorotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8Ground Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1

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AMPHIBIAN—A seaplane withretractable wheel-type landinggear that can be extended to allowlandings to be made on land.

ANCHOR—A heavy hook con-nected to the seaplane by a line orcable, intended to dig into thebottom and keep the seaplanefrom drifting.

AUXILIARY FIN — An addi-tional vertical stabilizer installedon some float planes to offset theincreased surface area of the floatsin front of the center of gravity.

BEACHING—Pulling a seaplaneup onto a suitable shore so that itsweight is supported by relativelydry ground rather than water.

BEAUFORT WIND SCALE—Astandardized scale ranging from0-12 correlating the velocity ofthe wind with predictable surfacefeatures of the water.

BILGE—The lowest pointinside a float, hull, or watertightcompartment.

BILGE PUMP—A pump used toextract water that has leaked into thebilge of a float or flying boat.

BULKHEAD—A structural parti-tion that divides a float or a flyingboat hull into separate compartmentsand provides additional strength.

BUOYANCY—The tendency of abody to float or to rise whensubmerged in a fluid.

BUOYS—Floating objects mooredto the bottom to mark a channel,waterway, or obstruction.

CAN BUOYS— Cylindrical buoysmarking the left side of a channelfor an inbound vessel. They haveodd numbers which increase fromseaward.

CAPSIZE—To overturn.

CAST OFF—To release or untie avessel from its mooring point.

CENTER OF BUOYANCY—Theaverage point of buoyancy in float-ing objects. Weight added above thispoint will cause the floating objectto sit deeper in the water in a levelattitude.

CHINE—The longitudinal seamjoining the sides to the bottom of thefloat. The chines serve a structuralpurpose, transmitting loads from thebottoms to the sides of the floats.They also serve a hydrodynamicpurpose, guiding water away fromthe float, reducing spray, and con-tributing to hydrodynamic lift.

CHOP— A roughened condition ofthe sea surface caused by localwinds. It is characterized by itsirregularity, short distance betweencrests, and whitecaps.

COMBINATION SKI— A type ofaircraft ski that can be used on snowor ice, but that also allows the use ofthe skiplane’s wheels for landing onrunways.

CREST—The top of a wave.

CURRENT — The horizontalmovement of a body of water.

DAYBEACONS — Unlightedbeacons.

DAYMARKS—Conspicuousmarkings or shapes that aid inmaking navigational aids readilyvisible and easy to identifyagainst daylight viewing back-grounds.

DECK—The top of the float,which can serve as a step or walk-way. Bilge pump openings, handhole covers, and mooring cleats aretypically located along the deck.

DISPLACEMENT POSITION—The attitude of theseaplane when its entire weight issupported by the buoyancy of thefloats, as it is when at rest or dur-ing a slow taxi. Also called theidling position.

DOCK—To secure a seaplane to apermanent structure fixed to theshore. As a noun, the platform orstructure to which the seaplane issecured.

DOWNSWELL—Motion in thesame direction the swell is moving.

FETCH—An area where wind isgenerating waves on the water sur-face. Also the distance the waveshave been driven by the windblowing in a constant directionwithout obstruction.

FLOATPLANE — A seaplaneequipped with separate floats tosupport the fuselage well above thewater surface.

FLOATS—The components of afloatplane’s landing gear thatprovide the buoyancy to keep theairplane afloat.

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FLOATS-ON-SKIDS—A type ofhelicopter float design where thefloats sit on top of the fully func-tional skids. During water opera-tions, the floats support the weightof the aircraft, and on hard surfacesthe skids support the weight of theaircraft.

FLYING BOAT—A type of sea-plane in which the crew, passengers,and cargo are carried inside afuselage that is designed tosupport the seaplane on thewater. Also called a hull seaplane.

GLASSY WATER—A calm watersurface with no distinguishablesurface features, with a glassy ormirror like appearance. Glassywater can deceive a pilot’s depthperception.

HEIGHT-TO-LENGTHRATIO—The ratio between theheight of a swell to the lengthbetween two successive crests(swell length).

HYDRODYNAMIC FORCES—Forces relating to the motion offluids and the effects of fluidsacting on solid bodies in motionrelative to them.

HYDRODYNAMIC LIFT—Forseaplanes, the upward force gener-ated by the motion of the hull orfloats through the water. When theseaplane is at rest on the surface, thereis no hydrodynamic lift, but as theseaplane moves faster, hydrodynamiclift begins to support more and moreof the seaplane’s weight.

IDLING POSITION—The atti-tude of the seaplane when its entireweight is supported by thebuoyancy of the floats, as it iswhen at rest or during a slowtaxi. Also called the displacementposition.

KEEL—A strong longitudinalmember at the bottom of a float orhull that helps guide the seaplanethrough the water, and, in the caseof floats, supports the weight of theseaplane on land.

RAMPING—Using a ramp thatextends under the water surface asa means of getting the seaplane outof the water and onto the shore. Theseaplane is typically driven underpower onto the ramp, and slidespartway up the ramp due to inertiaand engine thrust.

SAILING—Using the wind as themain motive force while on thewater.

SEA—Waves generated by theexisting winds in the area. Thesewind waves are typically a chaoticmix of heights, periods, and wave-lengths. Sometimes the term refersto the condition of the surfaceresulting from both wind wavesand swells.

SEA STATE CONDITIONNUMBER—A standard scaleranging from 0-9 that indicates theheight of waves.

SEAPLANE — An airplanedesigned to operate from water.Seaplanes are further divided intoflying boats and floatplanes.

SEAPLANE LANDINGAREA—Any water area designatedfor the landing of seaplanes.

SEAWARD—The direction awayfrom shore.

SECONDARY SWELLS—Thoseswell systems of less height thanthe primary swell.

SISTER KEELSONS—Structuralmembers in the front portion offloats lying parallel to the keel andmidway between the keel andchines, adding structural rigidityand adding to directional stabilitywhen on the water.

SKEG—A robust extension of thekeel behind the step which helpsprevent the seaplane from tippingback onto the rear portion of thefloat.

LEEWARD—Downwind, or thedownwind side of an object.

MOOR—To secure or tie theseaplane to a dock, buoy, orother stationary object on thesurface.

NUN BUOYS—Conical buoysmarking the left side of a channelfor an inbound vessel. They oftenhave even numbers that increase asthe vessel progresses from seaward.

PLAIN SKI—A type of aircraft skithat can only be used on snow or ice,as compared to combination skis,which also allow the use of theskiplane’s wheels for landing onrunways.

PLANING POSITION—The atti-tude of the seaplane when the entireweight of the aircraft is supportedby hydrodynamic and aerodynamiclift, as it is during high-speed taxi orjust prior to takeoff. This positionproduces the least amount of waterdrag. Also called the step position,or “on the step.”

PLOWING POSITION—A nosehigh, powered taxi characterized byhigh water drag and an aftward shiftof the center of buoyancy. Theweight of the seaplane is supportedprimarily by buoyancy, and partiallyby hydrodynamic lift.

POP-OUT FLOATS—Helicopterfloats that are stored deflated on theskids or in compartments along thelower portion of the helicopter, anddeployed in the event of an emer-gency landing on water.Compressed nitrogen or heliuminflates the floats very quickly.

PORPOISING—A rhythmic pitch-ing motion caused by an incorrectplaning attitude during takeoff.

PORT—The left side or thedirection to the left of a vessel.

PRIMARY SWELL—The swellsystem having the greatest heightfrom trough to crest.

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SKIDS-ON-FLOATS—A type ofhelicopter float design where therigid portion of the landing gearrests on the floats. The floats sup-port the whole weight of the heli-copter in water or on hard surfaces.

SKIPPING — Successive sharpbounces along the water surfacecaused by excessive speed or animproper planing attitude when theseaplane is on the step.

SPONSONS—Short, winglike pro-jections from the sides of the hullnear the waterline of a flying boat.Their purpose is to stabilize the hullfrom rolling motion when the flyingboat is on the water, and they mayalso provide some aerodynamiclift in flight. Tip floats also aresometimes known as sponsons.

SPRAY RAILS—Metal flangesattached to the inboard forward por-tions of the chines to reduce theamount of water spray thrown intothe propeller.

STARBOARD—The right side orthe direction to the right of a vessel.

STEP—An abrupt break in thelongitudinal lines of the float orhull, which reduces water drag andallows the pilot to vary the pitchattitude when running along thewater’s surface.

STEP POSITION—The attitude ofthe seaplane when the entire weightof the aircraft is supported byhydrodynamic and aerodynamiclift, as it is during high-speed taxi orjust prior to takeoff. This positionproduces the least amount of waterdrag. Also called the planing posi-tion.

SWELL—Waves that continueafter the generating wind has ceasedor changed direction. Swells alsoare generated by ships and boats inthe form of wakes, and sometimes

by underwater disturbances such asvolcanoes or earthquakes. Thewaves have a uniform and orderlyappearance characterized bysmooth, rounded, regularly spacedwave crests.

SWELL DIRECTION — Thedirection from which a swell ismoving. Once set in motion, swellstend to maintain their original direc-tion for as long as they continue indeep water, regardless of winddirection. Swells may be movinginto or across the local wind.

SWELL FACE—The side of theswell toward the observer. The backis the side away from the observer.These terms apply regardless of thedirection of swell movement.

SWELL LENGTH—The horizon-tal distance between successivecrests.

SWELL PERIOD — The timeinterval between the passage of twosuccessive crests at the same spot inthe water, measured in seconds.

SWELL VELOCITY — Thevelocity with which the swelladvances with relation to a fixedreference point, measured in knots.There is little movement of waterin the horizontal direction. Eachwater particle transmits energy toits neighbor, resulting primarily ina vertical motion, similar to themotion observed when shaking outa carpet.

TIDES—The alternate rising andfalling of the surface of the oceanand other bodies of water connectedwith the ocean. They are caused bythe gravitational attraction of thesun and moon occurring unequallyon different parts of the earth. Tidestypically rise and fall twice a day.

TIP FLOATS—Small floats nearthe wingtips of flying boats orfloatplanes with a single main float.The tip floats help stabilize the air-plane on the water and prevent thewingtips from contacting the water.

TRANSOM—As it applies toseaplanes, the rear bulkhead of afloat.

TROUGH—The low area betweentwo wave crests.

UPSWELL—Motion opposite thedirection the swell is moving. If theswell is moving from north tosouth, a seaplane going from southto north is moving upswell.

VESSEL—Anything capable ofbeing used for transportation onwater, including seaplanes.

WATER RUDDERS—Retractable control surfaces on theback of each float that can beextended downward into the waterto provide more directional controlwhen taxiing on the surface. Theyare attached by cables and springsto the air rudder and operated bythe rudder pedals in the cockpit.

WEATHERVANING—The ten-dency of an aircraft to turn until itpoints into the wind.

WINDWARD—Upwind, or theupwind side of an object.

WING FLOATS—Stabilizer floatsfound near the wingtips of flyingboats and single main float float-planes to prevent the wingtips fromcontacting the water. Also called tipfloats.

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AAids for marine navigation 1-2Altimeter setting 6-7Amphibians 2-1, 6-2Anchoring 6-9Autorotation 9-2, 9-6, 9-8Auxiliary fin 2-4, 5-2

BBeaching 6-8, 6-10Bilge pump 4-2Bilge pump openings 2-2, 4-2Bulkheads, float 2-2Buoyancy 2-2, 4-3Buoys 1-2, 1-3, 1-4

CCenter of buoyancy 4-4, 4-6, Center of gravity 4-1, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 7-7Centrifugal force (in turns) 4-6, 4-7, 4-14Certificate, limitations 1-1Chine 2-2Clamp-on ski 7-1Coast Guard rules 1-2Combination ski 7-1, 7-2Confined area operations 4-16, 6-7Corrosion 4-1, 4-3Crosswind 4-12, 4-13, 6-3, 7-5Current 3-2, 4-8, 4-9, 6-5

DDaybeacons and daymarks 1-2, 1-3, 1-4Deck 2-2Density altitude 4-11, 4-12, 5-1, 6-8, 9-5Displacement 2-2, 4-3Displacement position 4-3

Displacementof float 2-2position or attitude 4-3, 4-10taxi 4-3

Docking 6-8, 6-10Downwind takeoff 4-14

EEscaping a submerged seaplane 8-8

FFetch 3-2, 8-1Float construction 2-2, 2-3, 9-1Float, weight-bearing capability 2-2, 9-1Floatplane defined 2-1Flying boat

definition 2-1handling 4-9, 5-3

GGlaciers 7-6Glassy water 3-3, 4-15, 6-5, 9-4Go-around 6-2, 6-8

HHovering 9-3, 9-7Hull 2-1, 5-3Hump (water drag) 4-9, 4-10, 4-11Hydrodynamic lift 2-2, 4-4, 4-10

IIce (in floats) 4-3Ice types 7-2Idling 4-3, 4-8Inland waters 1-2International waters 1-2

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KKeel 2-2

LLandings

confined area 6-7crosswind 6-3downwind 6-5, 8-4emergency 6-8, 7-8frozen lakes and rivers 7-6glaciers 7-6glassy water 6-5helicopter 9-4, 9-8night landing 6-8, 7-8, 8-5, 8-6normal 6-3open sea 8-1rough water 6-7, 8-1, 9-5skiplane 7-6, 7-7tundra 7-6

Launching 4-3Lighting conditions 7-6Limitations of sea rating 1-1

MMarine aids for navigation 1-2Mooring 6-8, 6-9, 9-6

NNight operations 6-8, 8-5, 8-6Noise 3-4, 4-12, 6-2Normal takeoff 4-12

OOn the step 4-4, 6-2

PParking 7-7Passenger briefing 4-3Penetration ski 7-2Plain ski 7-1Planing position 4-4

Plow turn 4-6, 4-7Plowing position 4-4Pop-out floats 9-1Porpoising 4-9, 5-3Preflight inspection

seaplane 4-1skiplane 7-3float equipped helicopter 9-3ski equipped helicopter 9-7

Privileges and Limitations 1-1

RRamping 6-8, 6-10Regulations 1-1Retractable ski 7-1Right-of-way rules 1-2Roll-on ski 7-1Rough water 4-16, 6-7, 8-1, 9-5Rules of the Sea 1-2Runup 4-12Runup (skiplane) 7-4

SSailing 4-8, 4-9Seaplane defined 2-1Seaplane landing areas

beacons 1-2chart symbols 1-2reconnaissance 6-1restrictions 3-4unplanned 5-2

Sister keelsons 2-2Skeg 2-2, 2-4Ski types 7-1Skids-on-floats 9-1, 9-6Skipping 4-10Snow types 7-2Sponson 2-1Spray damage 4-1Spray rail 2-2, 4-2Starting

seaplane 4-3skiplane 7-4helicopter 9-3, 9-7

Step 2-3, 4-4Step position 4-4Step taxi 4-5, 6-3Step turns 4-7Survival equipment 7-3, 7-4, 7-8Swell 3-2, 4-9, 6-2, 6-7, 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, 8-4, 8-5

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TTakeoffs

normal 4-12crosswind 4-12downwind 4-14helicopter 9-4, 9-7glassy water 4-15rough water 4-16, 8-1confined area 4-16skiplane 7-5

Taxiingseaplane 4-3skiplane 7-5float equipped helicopter 9-3ski equipped helicopter 9-7

Tides 3-3Tip floats 2-1Transom 4-2Turns 4-5, 4-6, 4-7

Types of ice 7-2Types of snow 7-2

WWarmup (skiplane) 7-4Water current 3-2, 4-8, 4-9, 6-5Water rudders 2-4, 4-2, 4-5, 4-12, 4-14, Water, characteristics 3-1, 8-1Watertight compartments 2-3, 4-2Waves 3-1, 6-3, Weathervaning 3-4, 4-5, 4-6, 4-13, 6-3Weight and balance 4-1, 5-1Wheel replacement ski 7-1Wing floats 2-1

YYaw instability 2-4, 4-6, 5-2, 9-2

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