|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Oct 27, 2012
Description:
The mission yesterday morning was relocating the SeaRey to the yacht. The yacht was parked at Marina del Rey. The marina is located on the very edge of the Los Angeles Class B surface area. The Santa Monica Class D airspace borders the north side. It’s tight, busy airspace.
Before splashing in I visited with the harbor master. He said I couldn’t land in the protected channel without getting approval from Parks and Beaches. “Don’t bother asking,” he said. “It will take weeks for them to make a decision. Just land outside the shoreline and you don’t need to ask them.”
There wasn’t much room between the shoreline and the protective breakwaters keeping the Pacific swells at bay. As you know, however, a SeaRey doesn’t need much room. With the airspace barriers I would have to approach from the ocean making a tight turn inland regardless of the wind. And, I’d have to time it to avoid boats. It could be done, but it would be tricky.
Fine. Tricky is what I get paid to do.
Next I visited the Sheriff’s office at the marina. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies are responsible for enforcing the laws of the county and country in the marina. I told them what I planned to do. They were fine with it. They simply asked that the boat call them before I landed. That was fine too.
Date Taken:
Oct 27, 2012
Place Taken:
Santa Monica, CA
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
Sloppy_in_California.jpg - Photo HTML
Full size - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZJA40000h">
Medium - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZJA40000m">
Thumbnail - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZJA40000s">
Category:
425, Yacht Tending
|
|
|
|
|
Click on photo to view the original size. |
| Viewers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Read what others had to say:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Dan Nickens - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
The SuRi's captain called me at the airport when the boat was ready for the SeaRey. The wind was light and variable. I told the Santa Monica tower of my plan. They turned me loose for the approach.<br /><br />Before splashing down, I called SuRi on the radio. The Captain said the Sheriff had been notified, their boat was watching for me in the channel, and I was cleared to land.<br /><br />Perfect. All I had to do was maneuver to avoid LAX, come in low over the rocky barrier blocking the Pacific, and touchdown to a stop before reaching the shoreline.<br /><br />Perfect. It wasn’t hard. The SeaRey was cheerfully idling down the channel well before reaching the shoreline.<br /><br />The Sherriff’s boat was busy helping a disabled boat. The deputy waved as I taxied past.<br /><br />
| | Attachments:
Splashed Down
| | |
|
Robert Charlwood Richardson - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Dan do have a map of whe exactly you touched down. It would be nice <br />to know for future adventurous SeaRey pilots who need to land into a <br />not to receptive harbor master.
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Nov 10,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
Robert Charlwood Richardson - Nov 11,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
I now see how tricky it was for you to get in there. You had to <br />overcome the class B airspace up against LAX, an unfriendly harbor <br />master, and whatever California environmental rules & regs applied. <br />Good thing the wx was perfect and the waters were calm. A true feat of <br />Navigation, airmanship, and seamanship. Thanks.<br />
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
The SuRi wasn’t really ready to load me onboard. I just idled around the harbor while waiting.<br /><br />The first evidence of a problem was the sound of news helicopters circling nearby. Then, the sirens could be heard. Flashing red lights raced along the shoreline.<br /><br />Uh oh. Of course, it could have been something else.<br /><br />Right.<br /><br />
| | Attachments:
Boat Load
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
An orange boat with flashing blue lights came racing up the channel headed right for the SeaRey. I gunned the engine to get out its way, coming to a stop out of the main channel.<br /><br />The boat pulled alongside. “Don’t move!” came the command.<br /><br />“Don’t run over me,” I answered.<br /><br />“Are you okay?”<br /><br />“I suppose that depends on who you ask. I say I’m okay.”<br /><br />“This is no joke. Are you okay?”<br /><br />“I’m fine, as long as you don’t crash into me.”<br /><br />“There were multiple 911 calls of a plane crash in the channel.”<br /><br />“I didn’t see that happen.”<br /><br />“Well, you’re the only plane I see here. The Coast Guard, life guards, and fire department have all mobilized because of the crash reports. It could have all been avoided if this had been coordinated in advance.”<br /><br />“It was coordinated. The Sheriff and Harbor Master were notified.”<br /><br />“No one told us. Stand by.”<br /><br />I was waiting by the SuRi, so floating by or standing by was fine with me.<br /><br />It took a few minutes, but the boat captain called back. “Well, the Sheriff confirms your story.”<br /><br />“I knew I didn’t imagine it.”<br /><br />“Okay. Well, it would be nice if they had told us.”<br /><br />“Yeah, that would have been a lot less exciting.”<br /><br />“Anyway, that’s a cool seaplane. Are you putting it on that yacht?”<br /><br />“That’s the plan.”<br /><br />“Okay. Cool. Have a nice day.”<br /><br />
| | Attachments:
Life Guarding
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Well, I was having a pretty nice day in spite of the interrogations. It turned darker, however. Once I got on the boat, an ambulance showed up. I found out later that one of the fire trucks had hit a young lady exercising in the parking lot. She survived with leg and head injuries.<br /><br />The insults and injuries didn’t end there. Last night I read a news report of the incident. Here’s what was reported:<br /><br />Seaplane Stable After False Alarm in Marina <br />Emergency crews are on the scene.<br /><br />A resident called police reporting a private seaplane that appeared to be sinking after it landed in Marina del Rey at approximately 11:15 a.m. in the channel between Bora Bora Way and Fisherman's Village.<br /><br />However, when emergency crews arrived on the scene, the plane was not sinking, but firefighters said it had just experienced a 'sloppy landing.' <br />
| | Attachments:
SeaRey Recovery
| | |
|
Don Maxwell - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Hey, Sloppy Dan, I still don't understand how SuRi's SeaRey gets to fly around with no discernible registration number. Can we ordinary mortals afford that privilege? (Or is it just hidden in this photo by the horizontal stab?)
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Nov 10,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
It's not hidden, Don, and it is a 'contrasting color' (as in light gray on white...you can see trace evidence of it if you zoom in on the photo). All I will say is that the inspector signed off on it and I like it!
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
A “sloppy landing”? Are you kidding me? I thought it was a great landing. Boy, are these guys tough. It is nice to know, however, that the seaplane is stable after such a sloppy landing.<br /><br />Today I'm leaving for Australia. It just seems prudent to get out of town.<br /><br />
| | Attachments:
SeaRey Packing
| | |
|
Dave Edward - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Is this an 'inauspicious beginning ' to another Nickens epic adventure ? We are all <br />looking forward to the continuation of your adventures. Have a great time Dan !
| | |
|
Robert Charlwood Richardson - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Hopefully this SeaRey will lst longer than the last one that head out into the greater Pacific
| | |
|
Jim Moline - Oct 27,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Welcome down under Dan,<br />Hope to meet you with Rob this coming week.<br />Jim<br />
| | |
|
Frank A. Carr - Oct 28,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
I guess there's no place to anchor in Australia given the absence of a Bow Eye. Have a <br />great trip Dan and we look forward to hearing and seeing about it!
| | |
|
Dan Nickens - Nov 10,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
A bow eye? Bow eyes are ugly and likely bad luck. Real salty sea sailors use a harness, Frank!
| | |
|
Tom Binsfeld - Oct 28,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Sloppy landings? We don't judge that harshly up here in northern <br />California! 
| | |
|
Jim Putney - Oct 29,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
I'm interested in seeing how you were able to pack the wings for travel, If I buy a Searey that has to be trucked woud like more info please Jim Putney Arlington Texas. Thanks Oct 27.2012
| | |
|
Don Maxwell - Nov 03,2012
Viewers
| Reply
|
| |
Jim, it's easy to take the wings off any SeaRey. If you take the prop off, too, you can fit the entire airplane inside a large U-Haul truck, with the wings hung from straps along the sides or stood on the trailing edge. For relatively short trips, a roll-back wrecker is ideal for transporting the fuselage (with the prop on). You can carry the wings, too, if the driver will go slowly. Other wise, rent a truck for them. There's also an optional wing-folding kit, but only a few SeaReys have it installed.
| | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
