User manual

Section Appendix A.5 Part B
flying boats often beach with the heels of the floats or hull on the beach secured by hull
and wingtip lines. This makes departure straight forward.
04 MOORING TO A BUOY
Approaching a buoy requires very accurate taxiing and can really only be achieved from
downwind, taxiing directly upwind to the buoy. When power is cut the aircraft will turn into
wind about its C.of.B not about the nose so only by being correctly oriented into wind will
the bow stay at the buoy while a line is secured.
The crew member at the bow station needs to capture the buoy and either take the line
attached to it or thread a line through the loop and payout line if the aircraft is drifting. The
aircraft can then be brought up to the buoy and formally secured.
05 ANCHORING
Usually, anchoring is considered a temporary situation and mooring or docking is
considered more reliable. In choppy or rough conditions approaching a dock, buoy or
beach may be considered unsafe and anchoring becomes the only way to secure the
aircraft.
The anchor should be dropped (not thrown) from the bow station and line paid out that is
about 6-8 times the water depth. This keeps the anchor line at a shallow enough angle to
allow it to dig in. The length of chain usually fitted to anchors increases this security of
angle. The free end of the line should always be secured to the aircraft to prevent loss of
the anchor.
Originally the anchor line was fastened via a pendant clamp and steel cable to the keel of
the aircraft but this arrangement is no longer fitted. The bow cleat is not strong enough to
take the load of the anchored aircraft in rough conditions so PBY must be considered
unsafe to leave at anchor. Further anchors can be used from the port blister or tied to float
fittings.
The crew must be sure the anchor is not dragging before leaving the flight station and
there should always be someone on board who can start the engines and taxi the aircraft if
the anchor drags later.
06 INTERACTIONS WITH BOATS
Moving boats should not be approached. Seaplane operations often attract a boating
audience. It is safest to assume that the boatie knows nothing about seaplane operations
and the Catalina crew should anticipate foolish and close approaches by boats. Small
boats have been known to approach under Catalina wings while the engines are still
running. The Catalina crew must be prepared to cut engines at any time.
If there is a need to operate with small boats it is generally best to have the boat approach
the aircraft but most boaties are clumsy in their docking abilities with flying boat size
vessels and may easily cause damage to tail plane, hull, wing struts etc. Have the boat
stop well away from the aircraft and give clear concise instructions to the boat operator. A
slow steady approach on a convergent angle to the blister area is probably best.
Rev No: 02 Stichting Catalina PH-PBY
Page: 2 01 April, 2006