Grumman Albatross on Lake Tahoe
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- An Albatross amphibian demonstrates the landing technique for glassy water. This is the most dangerous type of water for seaplane pilots, as the mirror-like surface destroys depth perception and awareness of height above the surface. The aircraft then does some step-taxiing before taking off again.
I was a crew member on this type of aircraft. SA-12 a and b for over a year. I was the radio operator. I sat right behind the co-pilot seat. Goose bay, Labrador, 1955-56.
RCAF?
Glad you enjoyed the film. It was not easy hand-holding a camera at the open hatch of a 25-ton flying boat doing 50 knots careeering across the lake! V.
I worked for Grumman St. Augustine from 1981-86 and we rebuilt 10 or 11 Albatrosses for Chalks airlines out of Miami, Fl had a great time changing the 4 aluminum wing spars out for titanium spars.
That's spectacular, The combination of excellent music with the epic control and finesse of the pilot is trully extraordinary...This is a true gem here on RUclips, Thank you.
i love this video. i don't know how many times i've watched it.... A LOT. i WANT THAT PLANE TOO !!!!!!
I wish I had a nickle for every time I have watched this video before calling it a day!
That was totally awesome. He was just playing with it! Looks so graceful on the water. Lovely airplane!
That is a BEAUTIFUL AIRCRAFT. I was an RAF aircraft engineer I LOVE old airplanes. My compliments on the SUPERB VIDEO FOOTAGE. I flew thousands of hours and many shooting air to air, refuelling sorties, etc. With just a basic SLR and a zoom lens. I flew myself a little towards the end of my service and now doing my Private pilot licence. I always wanted to fly in a flying boat but sadly the UK has few. Either a Goose or and Albatross - i would be happy.😉I was told by an old Catalina pilot to land on 'glass' they would approach above land to work out their height THEN onto the lake. Sheer elegance and superb pilot!
Splash with Class...............beautiful. Thanks for posting vids of this great bird.
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I was lucky enough to watch an Albatross in action some years ago. In the latter half of 2002, I was a Coast Guardsman on activation at Guantanamo Bay, CU. In the early part of December, a scant few weeks before we all rotated home, an Albatross in civilian livery came in and landed in the Bay---first amphib aircraft landing at GTMO since the mid-70's, I think. Anyway...out steps Jimmy Buffett, and he put on a concert for us at the drive-in! Good times!
That paint scheme is awesome. She glides across the water so gracefully.
Your plane looks at home..Love those round motors.
Wow. I guess thats really what you call a ''flying boat''....
Superb vid.
Absolutely beautiful the videography, the music and of course, the spectacular Grumman Albatross. Thank you for sharing this.
I love to get a chance to fly in a sea plane. I think they are so cool. Your right that violent is not the word to describe any landing. That Albatross is a beautiful looking sea plane.
Even with radial engines, this is still a very functional aircraft, if they were put back into production they would sell.
Blue Sky i would like to see all grumman sea planes produced for GA and commercial use
@@rovethewolf9717 chaulks was using these for commercial use but they had a bad accident and moth balled their whole fleet. I think they are sitting in the aviation boneyard in arizona now. Shame.
I have seen turbine versions from time to time. That is the best powerplant for this superior fuselage. I don't know if those versions are opperational at this time.
@@Jonno2summit the g-73t was the plane that chalks used that crashed, the turbo mallards were more prone to stress cracks in the frame because of the higher horsepower coupled with the older frame designs a lack of maintenance is what caused the chalks crash
@@charliebrown1134 That makes sense. Thank you for your reply.
Somehow, Sigfried's funeral music seems singularly appropriate for this video.
Thanks for posting this video. Watching such a nice twin amphibian stir the waters of one of the world's most beautiful lakes is easy on the eyes, as they say. Even the music added nicely, rather than distracted or ruined, as is the case on so many videos. I hope to practice my glassy water techniques on Tahoe some fine day.
Wise seaplane pilots always perform a water inspection before attempting a landing. The recommended height to perform this is 300 feet above the water, such that one can see through and spot underwater objects without too much reflection. It also allows an inspection of the planned landing surface for buoys, logs - even crocs!
Of course no crocs in Tahoe though, just Tessie to watch out for!
Good video, thanks. I live in Florida and the Coast Guards Albotrosses were a common sight in the '70's and early '80's. Nothing like the sound of a pair of CW1820's early in the morning to start your day.I miss them.
WOW.......great video !!!!!! Wish I could of been with you. Got anymore videos of that day?
one of the most beautiful old twin-engine aircraft!, and more beautiful twin hydro-airplane
This is spectacular footage! The first time I ever flew in a "small" plane was a Grumman Mallard. We did two lake landings... absolutely loved it.
BEST RUclips video ever !!!! I try to remember to watch it whenever I get stressed out. Very relaxing. Thanks for posting it. BTY - When going out to NAS Midway Island in the early 70s, I always took some comfort knowing that there was a Grumman Albatross there to come get us if we went down in the drink.
As you say, the amphibian is steered on the water by differential thrust and use of the big air rudder at higher speeds. In relatively calm conditions the careful flicking back and forth from reverse to forward idle allows the aircraft to be manouvred very accurately to pick up buoys and move into confined anchorages.
That was as graceful as a Ballerina!
real nice…..beautiful footage
Just short of awesome video, In the 50s I used to service wigens, gooses and the 4 engine gooses from mc kinnen in sandy oregon
Thanks Keith - glad you liked it. This was my first ever air-to-air video, before the days of camera stabilisation. The hull design of the Albatross was so good that you could land with the starboard hatch and the top half of the port hatch open and you would only get a cupful of water come in!
Approach speed was 61 knots exactly, maintaining 100 foot rate of descent until touchdown. Sometimes it was so smooth that you didn't know that you were down! If you tried to fly it as a boat it became somewhat interesting!
I used to fly the Grumman Widgeon (G44A). Would like to speak with you you. I have a cellphone (801) 809 8354. You can see it on Thomson Widgeon Kezar Lake
During the period of the 60s to the late 70s these great aircraft supplied passengers of the BC coast of over 500 coastline miles with terrific abilities.
Glad that you like the video. The music is Siegfried's Funeral March from Act III, Scene 2 of Gotterdammerung by Richard Wagner.
That is classic with class,,!! congrats !! .
Lovely plane and wonderful music!
Old now but still a beautiful, capable airplane! I still think they have a place these days and I'd love to see an outfit with the paperwork/ownership go into production with an update with PW PT6 turbo-props. I'd also like to see Pratt and Whitney spin off a division dedicated to radial engines (stop yer laughing...) they were great engines and with modern manufacturing and a manufacturers commitment they could still own a place in modern aviation.
As close as it is possible to come to a Zen experience watching a plane.
what a beauty!
The variable pitch propellers can move to a reverse pitch setting, This can be used with a handful of power to arrest landings on water or runway. When maneouvring on the water, it is usually only necessary to leave the engines ticking over and flick them in and out of forward and reverse pich to track up to a bouy.
awesome choice of music, Richard Wagner - Götterdämmerung - Siegfried's Funeral March
awesome aircraft as well.
Хорошее видео). Красивое приводнение, скольжение, взлёт).
It might have been for some birds but that figure more probably equates to the total yearly maintenance costs for a good HU-16. It depends on the hours flown, the water environment it operated in and the number of statutory Checks required in any year.
Whatever the cost, its the best fun you can have with your clothes on!
That is too sexy. What a beautiful backdrop for a gorgeous airplane.
class, its about the 5000 time to ive watch this vid, still feels like the first time. :)
joergn83 5001 times
5004 things
Exhilarating video!
Ten years ago, the going rate was around $600,000. Nowadays, probably 50% more! What one has to do is convert an Experimental category airplane into a Commerical category aircraft, which entails structural changes like adding emergency exits forward of the landing gear.
Besides that, the amphibian in the video is a short-wing Albatross, whereas the G-111 was derived from the long-winger. So it would be impossible to convert, irrespective of the size of your bill-fold!
#HOOAH YEA LOVELY I Love that mate !!! Rescue people in that Love It. Sincerely Jc
I usually hate music over mecanical noisy music, yet you chose an amazing one with perfect synchronization and created thus a true esthetic instant in my life: But, pardon my ignorance, what is this music?
The music is Siegfried's Funeral March from Act 3 of Gotterdammerung by Richard Wagner.
Yes - I have other videos, but not enough hours in the day to edit them! Keep watching, I'll post some more soon.
Best Wagner music video ever
Gorgeous
Beauty plane amphibious i loved
Wonderful stuff!
I was a flight engineer on the hu16 1965_67 usaf made a sea rescue by north Vietnam of a navy pilot
Fantastic seamanship!
It can give it's weight to the water, much, sooner than is shown.
If a boat is availible, as was the case, it can be used to disturb the surface of the water, to make lift-off easier.
Does anyone still build anything like this? it looks like to me that lots of private airplane owners would love a Plane that lands on both land and sea but that maybe fly's faster?
Beautiful
Always wondered...do these have an actual water-rudder. I heard that these use differential throttling for low-speed water maneuvering. One must certainly know ones shit to handle one of these beautiful birds. Thanks!
Omg, one day I want to own and fly an albatross
WHAT A BIG LAKE !!!!
Tahoe is huge and very beautiful!
That,s the one thing I never got to do as a Flght.Mech on "Ol Goats" when I served in the mid 70s in the U.S.C.G. @ Coast Guard Airstation Traverse City, Mi.. Did a lot of overdue, pollution, and wildlife patrols.Those big radials smell B E A UTIFULL when they first punch out that first puff of smoke during the engine start checklist !!
They were just having fun.
@WTFLYR It looks very real to me! Are you sure?
That sounds like the same fuel / oil requirements of a DC-3!
@vysehad It's just a metaphor, it means that they are awesome.
The aircraft were carrying out a glassy water landing, which is the safe procedure when the water is calm and featureless. This does indeed take up a lot of water space. The aircraft are basically set up for a 'controlled crash' at around 300 feet, by putting them in a the landing attitude and applying appropriate power to give a 100 foot rate of descent. Speed is maintained at 61 knots precisely.
Most wise pilots use engines to change course not the vertical stabilizer. A B-52 lost it's vertical stabilizer and wasn't aware this had happened. A farmer called the AF and reported that it fell on his property and wanted to know what to do with it. The AF told him he could keep it. It was probably something that could not be used.
"Firm", or even "Rough" might be better adjectives. Other indicators are: headsets falling off or, even worse: false teeth flying out!
I agree that sitting near the hull certainly makes a difference. How about fitting some of this high-impact foam that helicopters use as a seat cushion , to ease the pain?
I was told by an old apmhibian pilot that an albatross's mantainance cost is 25k per 1 hour of flight.
I can honestly say landing in a Lake Buccaneer which are only 4 seaters and tiny compared to an Albatross can feel somewhat "violent"-ish. Lake buccaneers also land on their belly like this but your seat is literally inches away from the surface of the water. The sensation of the hull first tearing through the water and hitting the peaks of small waves feels like driving a go-cart over speed bumps at 140 km/hr and the skidding vibration is almost indescribable.
Perhaps what is almost as impressive as the video, is that it was done before the days of camera stabilisation and taken standing up in the open rear hatch of another Albatross. It was also the first time I had used the camera!!
Few people understand how good we have it now for video. I can effortlessly do today, handheld, with my cell phone, what would have taken some setup and a fair amount of expensive equipment to do 15 years ago. And to top it off my cell phone would be water proof* (ish). Something that would have cost another few thousand+ depending on the camera being used just 10-15 years ago.
Good flying too btw. After watching a bunch of AOPA videos I just kept seeing all the ways the landing could go badly! ;0
Sorry but have good contacts nowadays. You could write to American Warbirds Inc., who were a major HU-16C repair and maintenance company in Carson City, Nevada.
Such a beautiful airplane :)
A pilot among you should answer this...won't it be scary to land on water if you don't know the depth of it..or if something is sticking out from the bottom of the lake?
How do they do it?
Fly over first to check and make sure nothing is on the surface
I don't know who you've been flying with, but "violent" is not a usual word used to describe any landing!!
There are many parameters which decide how a landing feels. On glassy water, it can be so smooth that you don't know you are on the water. This can have interesting effects as you are still flying it as an aircraft when you should be handling it like a boat!
Seaplanes don't have oleos like landplanes so landing on more ruffled water can be harder than an equivalent grass landing.
110 USG (420 Litres) per hour of AvGas + 5 USG of oil(!) per hour. You will have to work out that at current costs in the USA. Either way it is an expensive day out! Multiply costs by two when funding the video, as the camera plane was another Albatross!
Awesome
Does Jimmy Buffett still have one?Such a useful aircraft
+Graham Handy No, he took a perfectly serviceable aircraft and cut it up to transport to a theme park and be fitted on top of a restaurant! Various Albatross owners wanted to buy the engines and propellers, amongst other things, but his lawyers wouldn't let him in case a failure of any part sold would end up with him being sued!! A wreck could have been repainted and the interior copied for a quarter of the selling price of the aircraft, but when you already have millions of bucks, I guess it is easy come, easy go!
That is old school cool
Is a water landing in a seaplane more violent compared to a usual aircraft landing?
Wagner's Prelude to the Rheingold would be more appropriate nto this great aquatic content. 😁😁😁
What would it cost to convert this plane to G-111 specs??
I wonder just how many people owe their lives to being picked out of the water by the Grumman family of small flying boats. I imagine the figure is higher than we realise. What type was the video shot from.
How much is the operating cost per hour on the Albatross?
That was super cool . Right after I get 27million dollars I'm gettin two.
Was the chase plane also an Albatross?
Wow!
Lovely video thank you. I'm wondering though since I fly that thing in Microsoft Flight Simulator, does it really need such a long approach and so much lake or was that just for the video?
They did all that just for the video and because Lake Tahoe is huge and affords any amphibious aircraft the ability to just glide across the water for many miles just for the fun (and beautiful video footage) of doing so!
amazing amazing amazingggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
Affirmative!
Vert nice🎉
Can you tell me how to get the maintenance manual of GEUMMAN HU.16C?
can't seem to recall the model number of that engine. Rather hear the round engines. THAT IS MUSIC TO A PILOT.
شي عجيب
I'm a little confused by your "back and forth from reverse to forward idle" comment. She has 2 radial engines, no? There must be some mechanism I don't know about, I thought only turbines had beta valves and thus beta range?
Variable pitch props.
"This is the most dangerous type of water for seaplane pilots, as the mirror-like surface destroys depth perception and awareness of height above the surface."
I disagree with you. Descent to such a surface should be careful, but then the thrust of the engines must be controlled. In this mode, the aircraft has excess lift, you need to remove the wing flaps and very smoothly reduce the revs. At the moment of contact with the water surface, observe the horizontal position of the fuselage. the amphibian itself will switch to a displacement swimming mode.
With respect, having flown seaplanes for 25 years and tutored pilots on water flying, I have never read or heard of the procedure you describe!
All textbooks I have seen describe flying the aircraft onto the water in a stable state at a minimal rate. (Usually 100-150 foot per minute rate of descent.) The engine(s) thrust is set to achieve this at the beginning of the approach. On arriving in ground effect (presumably your point where there is "excess lift") the aircraft's pitch is very slightly adjusted to maintain the desired rate of descent. Retracting the flaps on many aircraft produce attitude changes, as do power reductions, especially with aircraft like Lake amphibians with their high thrust lines. Destabilising the approach at this very late stage by changing thrust or aircraft configuration is not recommended and is unnecessary.
@@vysehad I am not a pilot, I am a psychologist who in my youth was fond of glider models. I can advise on nonsense piloting. But I would design from a boat to an ekranoplan and then an airplane. Such a device should switch from mode to mode automatically when decreasing (or increasing) the thrust of the propellers. This is a direct requirement for the ergonomics and safety of the apparatus. I don't know how Google will translate it, but we have 4 types of techniques. The boat, airboat, ekranoplan and airplane and the apparatus should be transferred with minimal piloting.
@@vysehad
In my opinion, ruclips.net/video/71ReB_J-0yY/видео.html Designed more programmatically.
@vysehad
Sick means good. Showing your age there, Vysehad;)
Woulda been much nicer without the music. Those engines would have been good to hear.
I flew a similar design, the Grumman Widgeon. Trust me, the only engine noise you would have heard was the PBY-Catalina engines of the airplane that was used as the camera ship.
Does anybody know what the musical artists name and song title is?
Playing music is silly, we want to hear the sound of those engines
vf84tcat1 nah it works well without the roar of the engines
I would usually agree with you, but it depends on what music is being played. Here I find personally that this combination is working wonderfully!