User manual

Part B Section Appendix A.4
onto the water (controls fully back), or, apply power an go around. Do not lower the nose
until well above the water surface (>100 ft).
The glassy water approach uses a longer run over the water before touchdown but is still
the only way to safely cope with poor depth perception. At any time any approach, if the
pilot feels glassy type conditions do or may exist, the approach must be a glassy water
approach. Even late on finals, if the water suddenly seems "glassy", go around and set up
a glassy water approach.
23 LANDING TECHNIQUE (CROSSWIND)
The sideways forces on the hull when landing crosswind can only be partly reduced
because the wing tip floats mean no effective bank angle can be applied. As stated in Part
2 there is a need to allow for more drift than you believe to be present due to the
movement of the wavelets. Keep the crab approach until just above the water then yaw to
put the nose in line with the aircraft's track with wings level. It is better to have the hull
strike the water with sideways component of force than to dig in a wing tip float. A landing
could be made with floats up and the floats be lowered as soon as the aircraft is on the
step with wings level. However, it is best to avoid crosswind landings if possible
24 LANDING TECHNIQUE (SWELLS AND ROUGH WATER)
Waves in excess of 3 ft have traditionally been regarded as rough water and are more
often than not associated with swells. Either a power assisted approach a semi-stalled
landing may be used. A maximum wave height off 2 ft for water operations is the limit, so
the techniques for rough water are not likely to be used.
The power assisted technique is the best as earlier described, but the throttles should be
closed as soon as the aircraft touches the water. A series of jolts will then rock the aircraft
with each successive wave. The pilot needs a sense of rhythm to work the controls to keep
the attitude correct by checking forward as each wave is hit and checking back between
the waves. As speed drops below 50 knots the controls are steadily brought to the fully
back position. If a bounce occurs, hold off with the controls well back and power off, the
flying speed will decay and the aircraft settle onto the water. Timing the pull back on the
controls is a matter of experience but it is safer to pull back and produce a bounce than to
have the nose too low.
Stall and semi-stalled landings for rough and swell conditions describe techniques for
delivering the aircraft onto the water in a controlled fashion with minimal forward speed.
The Catalina stays nose up during the stall and just descends so the landing is in a safe
attitude. Semi-stalled describes a stall occurring just as the aircraft touches the water. The
throttles are closed and the aircraft held off from about 15 ft AWL reaching the stall at
touchdown. Stalling earlier results in the aircraft dropping into the water and it will stay
there. Failing to reach the stall in time will result in a bounce, in which case hold off with
controls back and a stall will occur. The controls must be firmly held back and gripped
tightly to avoid them being pulled forward as the aircraft hits the water.
In emergency landings in very rough conditions the stall can be entered at 25 ft AWL
which results in a high rate of descent but very low forward speed.
In swells, the landing should be along the primary swell, down the secondary swell and as
into wind as possible. The wind is the minor consideration unless blowing 20 knots or
more. A stall type landing should be initiated at 15-20 ft AWL with the wing kept parallel to
the water over which the aircraft is flying not necessarily parallel to the horizon. Avoid
Stichting Catalina PH-PBY Rev No: 02
01 April, 2006 Page: 11