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Eat Your Harts Out Boys!!! Phill While in Miami Wi



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Posted By: Nickens, Dan

Date Posted: Feb 19, 2017

Description: It's great to have landing options, unless all of the options are flawed. The plan was to operate SuRi just offshore of the golf course. In the open ocean. In a little seaplane. Or, when a field was ready, the seaplane could land in the green grass ashore.

The flaw in the offshore plan was obvious. The winds and swells of summertime allowed only limited time for flying off the ocean. A typical morning would start early, lovely, with calm winds and gentle swell. Into the water the SeaRey went followed by a quick flight to test the plane, pilot, and planet. The seaplane was back to its buoy by 0730. The guests generally rise later and after a leisurely breakfast they are ready to play by 0900. That's about the same time as the planet was up and playing in earnest. Steady winds of 15 to 20 knots whipped the waves into a frenzied state. But that was just the beginning. By noon the wind was over 20, often gusting to 30+, and sea was no place to be in a little seaplane. Sometimes the wind and swell would calm a little by sunset, but not always.

Date Taken: January 2017

Place Taken: Pacific Ocean off New Zealand

Owner: Nickens, Dan

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Category: Yacht_Tending_NZ

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Nickens, Dan - Jan 22,2017 Viewers | Reply


	In years past I had use of a narrow gravel road parallel to the beach just behind the dunes. That road was gone, returned to the sand to make way for future beach homes. A new road was built to make it easier for the prospective homeowners. It was a wider, gravel version of the earlier road, now set back against a stand of 100' pines. A portion, about 100' wide, was cut into the equally tall pines. There were several challenges to overcome converting it to a new gravel runway. The first was a very cross wind. Prevailing, strong winds move perpendicular to the coast, and the gravel road. The wall of trees tumbles the wind as it rumbles over or against their line. A second concern was the intimidating sight of the narrow notch in the trees from an airplane approaching at 65 mph with a wingspan of over 30'. That was overcome initially by landing only one way with over-run at 30 mph on the road into the trees. That proved there was some margin and, with a big wind from the other direction, encouraged a bi-directional alternative. One option that never was addressed was traffic. When departing to the north there was a large rise that hid any approaching traffic. An unexpected visit by the helicopter pilot raised that possibility to a too real possibility. So too did a pest control officer showing up from the other direction. So, shorten the takeoff run? Start at the crest of the hill? That was okay solo. Not so much with a passenger. A solution was to post a guard when flying dual and depart from the crest when solo. A better solution would be to have a purpose-built aerodrome.		Attachments: IMG 4091

Nickens, Dan - Jan 24,2017 Viewers | Reply


	There was supposed to be a purpose-built aerodrome. Not really. It was built to be an aerodrome masquerading as goat paddock. Supposedly there was an exemption in the regulations for aerodromes used for agricultural uses. Right. That meant the "designers and developers" of the goat paddock need not worry about airplane operations. I was asked if 1500' would be long enough for SeaRey operations. "Easy." Right. How about 1500' packed between 100' trees on a 200' ridge on one side and 100' trees on the other? How about if it's curved, not straight? How about if it is uneven "to promote drainage"? And sprinklers to purpose drainage calculations? How about if it has a road running across it? All questions that went unasked and unanswered. (And what about the goats? Doesn't anyone worry about them?)		Attachments: Tricky Approaches 4061

Nickens, Dan - Jan 22,2017 Viewers | Reply


	The short answer was, yes, it could be used by a SeaRey. Solo. With no margin. It would work best if the pilot was motivated by an extreme emergency (which he wasn't, at least after the first time).		Attachments: Ground View 4057

Nickens, Dan - Jan 22,2017 Viewers | Reply


	"You don't like the trees on the ridge? No worries. We'll cut 'em down, mate." Uh, well, that's nice. Too bad you didn't cut them off in alignment with the runway. "Yeah, see, that'd be a problem. The tall ones on the ridge are on a lot we've sold. You can make that curve, right mate?"		Attachments: Open Cut 4099

Nickens, Dan - Jan 24,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Then there were the trees on the other side of the paddock. They had to go too, or there would be little margin for error with two people in the SeaRey. Those trees were a bit more of problem. There was supposed to be a buffer from the adjoining properties. "There'll be a buffer, mate. We'll plant some bushes." Great. Soft bushes I hope. Uh, what about the road running across the runway? "Keep a sharp eye out for crossing traffic, mate." That would be easier to do if there weren't a lot of trees shielding the road view. Of course I tried it out. First two attempts I had to abort to spare the golfers on my approach (and the airplane from being pelted with golf balls). The second two attempts were thwarted by the approach of a car....the car containing my first passenger. It crossed once as I was approaching, then again as I came back in for landing. Before the next departure I arranged for two crossing guards. As it turned out that was to be the only departure. The local council received 25 complaints in ten days for helicopter and SeaRey operations. A "squatter" in a "bach" next door captured video of the various SeaRey attempts to use the paddock. Then I read the regulations for myself. There is an exemption for unlicensed aerodromes associated with agricultural aerial spraying operations. "Well, the SeaRey has a bilge pump. Add some fertilizer to water in the bilge, mate, and you're good to spray!" That idea crashed on departure. I'm banished from the goat paddock until the consultants and agents can get it properly licensed. The sea it'll be for a seareying fool.		Attachments: Freeway 4102

Jeff Arnold - Jan 23,2017 Viewers | Reply


	When I saw your first picture, Dan, I thought ""That looks pretty rough"". Then after reading about the other options, the sea didn't look all that bad. Be careful out there.....

Nickens, Dan - Jan 24,2017 Viewers | Reply


	I'm being really careful, Jeff. I'm no longer shopping at K-Mart.		Attachments: K-Mart Arm

John Dunlop - Feb 02,2017 Viewers | Reply


	You are definitely nuts!

Nickens, Dan - Feb 02,2017 Viewers | Reply


	That's what I've been told, mate, but it's worked for me so far. 😜

Wayne Nagy - Feb 02,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Are you a castellated nut or a lock nut? Inquiring minds want to know! :-)

Don Maxwell - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Maybe he's a certified nut.

Nickens, Dan - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Doesn't castellated imply some kind of royalty? Or is that castlellated nuts? Clearly not me. Now, being a lock for a nut might apply.

Eric Batterman - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	I vote for wingnut

David Geers - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Dan good to see you are enjoying yourself, even if it is in New Zealand. Actually New Zealand next on my bucket list only a 10 hour Searey flight from Norfolk Island.

Nickens, Dan - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	If you haven't read ""Alone over the Tasman Sea"" by Sir Francis Chichester, David, order a copy immediately (""Alone.."" is the 1945 version of ""Seaplane Solo"" first published in 1933). Sir Francis was first to cross the Tasman from east to west, and first to land at Norfolk and Lord Howe islands. It is a phenomenal story, particularly for anyone who flies seaplanes.

Nickens, Dan - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Situational banishment? After legions of complaints I was ordered ashore and told to "lie low." I fled with the SeaRey and took refuge at the Whangarei airport (NZWR). It was a great safe haven of aviation enthusiasts. One who came out to inspect the SeaRey flew rescue helicopters. In a friendly exchange the offer of a ride in the SeaRey was bartered for time in their full scale Sikorsky 76 simulator. It was a very cool for an exile from the sky to get some virtual flight time.		Attachments: Sikorsky S76

Nickens, Dan - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	My banishment proved to be situational. When the former New Zealand Prime Minister wanted to fly from the golf course to Auckland Harbour local restrictions were temporarily relaxed. After the call came for the Searey to be NZ x-One there was no relaxation for me. There was a flurry of frantic activity. How could I pick him up from the golf course? The gravel road. It was far enough from neighbors that I might get in and out without much notice. How could I secure the road against ground traffic? No worries. The former PM is still followed by an entourage. The road would be blocked. Could I get last minute approval for using the harbour? I knew the harbourmaster was on leave. I contacted the seaplane base operator. Yes, the harbour was available for the ex-PM. Yes, the wind was moderate (10 knots) but there was a cautionary note: the current was changing and there were soon to be significant choppiness. Oh, and boat activity. ""It's always active."" Big waves? That's just an operational consideration, not a regulatory injunction. That I could work with. Even though the harbourmaster was on holiday, I sent an e-mail to provide legal covering for the last-minute operation (""plausible deniability"" for political operatives). What about local support? The SuRi's sister yacht was parked in the harbour. It's part-time substitute captain agreed to take a break from late afternoon wine tasting. He was to meet me in the marina with an inflatable boat to transfer my passenger. I reminded him multiple radio calls were required on marine band. ""No worries, mate."" Those pieces were provisionally setup. Now I had to fuel the airplane and arrive on station to pick up my VIP after his golf game at 1700 hours. The schedule was just within boundaries to permit completion of operations before the seaplane base closed at 2000. With sunset scheduled at 2030 I could even get back with daylight to spare. My first error: in the rush to get to the airport I left my gas credit card at the hotel room. I had already fueled when I discovered it missing. After many apologies I was freed to return to the room, get my card, come back and pay. The next error: Golf knows no schedule. It depends on how fast the greens are (so I'm told) and how many beers are consumed after the balls fall into the last hole. By 1900 I was getting anxious. The flight to the harbour was 45 minutes. My legal margin was evaporating. Finally a shiny new black Land Rover roared over the hill towards the Searey. Instead of stopping, however, it took a sharp left turn and headed for the beach. ""What the bugger?"" A bit later it returned with the driver telling me that the deviation was for a quick look at the beach. The ex-PM was an absolutely delightful passenger. He listened to my briefing, followed my instructions, and generally showed himself to be a fine, unpretentious fellow. Though he had recently resigned after 8 years in office, he was still a member of parliament. He had turned the reins of government over to his deputy, and now could travel in a little airplane without needing armed guards. I briefed him on our unconventional runway and departure. I told him to expect the harbour to be rough. He was totally nonplussed. Cool. Then I got another call: plan to pick up the PM's driver from the harbour and return him to the golf course. What? No. There are no lights on the gravel road and an after sunset arrival was not an option. ""No is not an option."" Fine. I'll fly over to the Whangarei airport and drive him back to the golf course. (Or he could drive me as I expected to be exhausted at that point.) The flight to Auckland was lovely as the sun settled towards the horizon. I texted the local captain to make the marine calls when I was five minutes out. It was strange that I got no reply, but it was his first time supporting seaplane operations so maybe he wasn't completely in sync with protocols. No doubt he was on top of the important ones because I had been so emphatic in discussing them with him. What wasn't lovely at all was the water in the harbour. It was downright ugly. In fact, I broke off my first approach near the marina because the tall, choppy waves looked very much like hull busters. Instead I crossed over to the opposite side. There the waves were merely hull crackers, not busters. I had options. I could land outside the seaplane base boundaries in better water. That's when I spotted the local authorities: a harbourmaster boat took up position in the landing zone to better monitor the PM's arrival. Uh, oh. My alighting was going to be scrutinized for being within proper boundaries. Fine. It was rough on the edges, but I'd seen rougher. So I said. So I lied to myself. It was a massively rough splash down. The little SeaRey was smacked so hard that the glove box flew open and the ELT yelped in alarm. When I saw we weren't sinking I reached across the cockpit, turned off the alarm and closed the box. I apologized. My gentile passenger merely smiled and said, ""That was a bit adventurous."" Indeed. There was more adventure to come. The taxi across tried to turn the seaplane into submarine. Wild waves washed over the canopies as the SeaRey bobbed up and down. Because the canopies weren't water tight, cold water dripped through in a shower. I grabbed a towel to offer some measure of protection to my passenger. It was a relief to arrive in the relative calm of the marina. Even the wind abated a bit to make maneuvering in the tight waterways a bit less stressful. That was a nice surprise because the inflatable was nowhere in sight. I frantically called the captain on the telephone. ""Oh. Okay, mate. I'll be right down."" Seriously? He wasn't long. Good thing as my maneuvering around the other traffic was no fun at all. Why did everyone think they had to get close to look at the spectacle of a seaplane turning circles in the marina? The captain launched his inflatable as another harbourmaster boat appeared. My passenger was discharged uneventfully and then the captain got called over to the harbourmaster. There ensued an somewhat animated discussion as I drifted back towards a collision with moored boats. Eventually the captain went back, picked up the driver and brought him out. By this time the sun was just barely above the horizon. I must have seemed dour to the enthusiastic driver. Instead of joining him in the enjoyment of the coming adventure I was pondering the closing of the seaplane base, the sunset, and the waves to be crossed before departing. I did my best to be somewhat conversational as I maneuvered out of the marina. Out in the harbour I was completely speechless. Not only were the waves as huge and rough as ever, now the wind had gotten fresh enough to make idle taxi impossible. It took power to force the SeaRey to the far side. The power plow caused the engine temperature to climb perilously. In short order I had no choice but to reduce power and let the airplane turn into the wind. The turn was towards the sun, reminding me that the clock was ticking on the seaplane base closure. And, of course, one of the harbourmaster's boat was nearby observing it all. When I could stand it no longer, I powered back up and turned towards the only water I could depart from. This time, however, the temperature climbed fast enough that I had to shut down. Without power, we drifted back through the waves and harbour traffic. While all this drama was going on in my head, the driver was absolutely ecstatic. ""What fun! What adventure! This is gonna be great!"" I could only run for a short while, then shut down. Each time it seemed the progress only took me marginally closer to better water. Then, as the clock clicked ominously towards closing time, I turned into to the wind. ""Damn the waves! Full speed ahead!"" The waves were damnable, but at least the ELT did not go off on departure. It took several minutes for my heart to quit racing. While maneuvering through the complex Auckland airspace I managed a glance at my groundspeed. It was very un-SeaRey like. We were being blown fast. Really fast. Like fast enough to get back to the golf course runway before sunset (or before end of civil twilight). We made it with light to spare. The next day an e-mail arrived from the harbourmaster's office. The attending captain had been fined NZ$200 for not wearing a PFD. I was reminded it was my responsibility to insure that the SeaRey support team comply with all regulations. Several days later I was sitting in a far north airport talking with a commuter airline guy. We were both stranded by rain and fog, talking about aviation emergencies. ""You know, mate, just the other day our flight was diverted to Auckland Harbour to search for a downed airplane. Control said they monitored an ELT going off there. We searched for 20 minutes and didn't find anything. I think the plane must have sank, but there's been no further word."" Word did come back that the former PM had thoroughly enjoyed his adventure. That makes one of us.

Steve Kessinger - Feb 04,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Dan, after reading one of your stories I always envy you. That one was the first time I did not. Normalization of deviation, VIP pressure, etc. Be careful, mate. (Where DO you put your wheelbarrow when you're flying a SeaRey??)

Nickens, Dan - Feb 04,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Thank you for your perception, Steve. This will not become normal. I've taken steps to arrange passenger pickup in Auckland Harbour from a more protected area. No more smack downs in the main harbor! But, there is another Norm Deviation that isn't so bad.....it's a book about flying seaplanes around the South Pacific (""A Deviation from the Norm, A Pilot's Story"" by Norm Sansom). Norm came by to look over the SeaRey last year. He allowed as how he just might like to fly one. I'm hoping he will get that chance.

John Dunlop - Feb 03,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Nuts! Wonderful!

Nickens, Dan - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Video of SeaRey departing Rwy 13 at Tara Iti International.		Attachments: Departing 13

Nickens, Dan - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Video of SeaRey arriving Rwy 13 at Tara Iti International.		Attachments: Approach and Landing Rwy 13

Dennis Scearce - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	That's crazy!!

Nickens, Dan - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Ah, now Dennis, there's plenty of margin for SeaReys if you look carefully. I don't think I'd want to do it in a C172.

Nickens, Dan - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Cockpit view of SeaRey arriving Rwy 13 at Tara Iti International		Attachments: Cockpit View Arrival Rwy 13 NZTA

Don Maxwell - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Well done, Dan! Throttling up when you turned onto short final surprised me--until I saw how neatly you cleared the hump and landed on the upgrade. Was that your first try at it, or did you make a few practice runs first?

Nickens, Dan - Feb 19,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Aw, Don, can't you cut a guy some slack? This was Lawrence's fifth landing at NZTA with guests. His first two were checkout flights with me earlier in the day. He got a workout of more than six hours in one day while auditioning for NZ SeaRey pilot. The videos were shot of his last takeoff and landing. True, he could have done better. The wind was light, less than 10 knots off the port wing. With a little bit better energy management he could have coasted down final without the power crutch. Also, I wasn't pleased with him running out so far into the forest until he told me he was saving brake wear. (That's acceptable, right? Who wants to change brakes?) Overall he was impressive and I'm told he is even better with gyrocopters. (Don't you just hate kids with natural skills?)

Don Maxwell - Feb 19,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Sorry, Dan! But actually, I meant it as a compliment--and also had no idea that you weren't the pilot. The cockpit video (especially at full screen on my big Mac) is especially interesting. That perspective makes the landing look considerably more sensible than the two from the ground. The road isn't flat or wide, but it's a lot longer than I thought at first. That doesn't make it look much easier, though.

Nickens, Dan - Feb 19,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Just joking with you, Don. The usable road is almost 1700' long. With the cool NZ summertime temperatures, we're not dealing with a high density altitude from the sea level strip. According to Google I need to renumber the runway.		Attachments: NZTArwy15

Paul Sanchez - Feb 19,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Not that I'm a doubting Paul, but if you had only given a textual description of what occurred in those 3 videos I would have said, ""No way!"" That was impressive and entertaining to say the least but I had to look at the departure a few times. It appears the mains were off the ""asphalt beach"" in 11 sec's but then right into about a 20° left turn. Nothing a SeaRey and/or a pilot like yourself can't handle but the tree line in front of you left you with ""no out"". The pucker factor, while watching, was high! Not good for the ticker this early in the morning. I'm gonna have to start watching your videos during happy hour! Keep 'em coming.

Nickens, Dan - Feb 19,2017 Viewers | Reply


	The way out, Paul, is to just suck it up and put her down on the road ahead through the trees. The Searey is easily off in 1/3 the available straightaway (not including sharp curves). As a practical matter, since the wind is almost always perpendicular to the road, I depart on Rwy 33 with plenty of room to drop down on the beach if things go badly. But, Lawrence preferred it his way, opting to be looking at sand instead of the trees.

Russ Garner - Feb 21,2017 Viewers | Reply


	I don't know Dan, little to much confidence and you start rolling the dice.

Dennis Scearce - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Impressive flying.

Dave Edward - Feb 18,2017 Viewers | Reply


	Fantastic flying Dan.You would have loved flying the ' Carnasie ' approach into JFK. Take a look at about the 2 minute mark for the sequence flashing lead-in lights. It was ......maybe still is.....seat of the pants flying. Just like what you are doing.....you lucky bugger. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAvsue88nj8

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