Blog 2009

Success has many fathers

Just to get this straight: There has nobody been working for the last three years to get the GSD going. I brought up the idea of the GSD as a tool to enhance seaplane flying in Central Europe two years ago, when I did my German seaplane rating. For those of you hanging in since then, you will remember our first attempt of a German Seaplane Day with the Aero. But the ongong restriction of not even being allowed to apply for water landings did not seem suitable for an event that should promote water flying. So I finally quit the cooperation and found another promising partner in Rostock at the Hanse Sail organizers. After we had already been working together for some months they could not see the potential of the GSD and were asking money to be host of the GSD. Not even then I gave up but still kept looking for another partner for the first German Seaplane Day. And Norbert Klippel luckily now saw the potential for his organisation at river Mosel. And with him, starting February 2009, we finally developed and realized the first GSD. Funny enough there is already a long line of persons, each one individually claiming the GSD as his....

Last Updated on Monday, 16 August 2010 20:35

Christmas Wishes from UK and Berlin

We thank you all for your nice and charming holiday greetings. Two of them we would like to present: one from our British friends Cpt. John and Liz Russel we would like to present to all: With the best wishes for 2010 they sent a picture "showing a rather large obstacle in the climbout and proof that we really have a SEAPLANE!! And the second one from Berlin:

Last Updated on Monday, 16 August 2010 20:35

2010

While our efforts for 2010 to enhance seaplane flying in Germany are still in the make our Swiss friends can present already a calender for Fly-ins in 2010. Please have a look at SPA 2010.

Last Updated on Monday, 16 August 2010 20:36

Resumé of the first GSD

The first German Seaplane Day has successfully taken place! All participants were full of praise for the organisation and also for host Norbert Klippel. Erlebnishotel Weisser Baer did not only provide a romantic and charming stay for our participants but also supplied the weights for our ten buoys that we had put into the river in front of the Hotel ponton on Thursday. Due to weather related issues the Friday flights had been switched to a bus tour to the splash locations. On Saturday the flights took place and on Sunday we did some more splash and go's just for the fun of it without any pressure to be at a specific place at a specific time for media and visitors. The participants enjoyed this. There will be a second German Seaplane Day. Yes! (Just to answer some questions I got.) But as far as the main goal of the German Seaplane Day is concerned there needs to be more attraction that visitors can see and attend and more respect to the needs of the press. So, we will have another German Seaplane Day, but I need some time to evaluate what will be the best place and partners for that. We are working on a cooperation with some partners from the industry right now. So if you want to be also part of the next successful event and want to present your seaplane related product in a convenient and delightful setting, please contact me. Also, if you are a press member and need some time in advance to prepare for your coverage of the next event, please contact me now and I will keep you informed. Please see some first videos and pictures. The webpage is going to be updated in the time to follow. Please stop by every once and then. Thank you for patience! We are glad you are interested in Seaplane Flying and in the progress of the German Seaplane Day.

Last Updated on Monday, 16 August 2010 20:36

Sunday morning update

Past the rainy Friday we had a lovely day yesterday. We did the splash ins and landings more or less like planned. We had two groups of formation flying: the first one with the more experienced pilots: Swiss Beaver and Swiss Cub, the Brits and Sakhr with his Spirit of Saint Tropez (Cessna 185). The second formation was lead by Dr. Schalls Lake, that he had ferried from Canada in July, and followed by the pilots of the two German UL's. Both formations were accompanied by Norbert Klippels D-EGOR (PA-18) and did several splash ins. There was a lot of media present. Two TV teams (SWR and a Hungarian one) and some Print colleagues asked the pilots as many questions as possible and after the last landing at river Mosel close to the Hotel Weisser Baer each airplane did its docking to its buoy, which was fun too, especially the cooperation with boat that was supposed to help in this. We will put more detailed information and pictures online, once I get back to my office later this week and can catch some breath. After the big and enchanting fireworks last night this morning it is foggy - someone has removed the river Mosel that was there yesterday in front of my window but this only means the forecast calling for a hot and sunny September day later on will be correct and we can do some more flying before everybody gets home to his home country. So far the German Seaplane Day has not only been a "First" that took place despite all odds - it has been a safe, quite special and interesting seaplane event and we will see in the next months how, when and where we will make the next one.

Last Updated on Monday, 16 August 2010 20:36

Friday night

A bus tour to the landing places for tomorrow and spontaneous seaplane seminars were a substitute for the flights today. And the evening concluded with the prrivate dinner for organisatiors and participants. And again as seaplane pilots we expect the unexpected and just deal with it.

Update

It is raining. the Swiss (actually we have four swiss planes here) safely landed, two German seaplanes, the Brits and the Lake Renegade from Canada are all here. France (Sakhr Naal) was already close to Hahn and had to turn back to Egelsbach (EDFE) due to weather. We are seaplane pilots and although we prefer water from underneath this cannot stop us from having a great time. See you in Trier!

Last night before the GSD

It was windy today here in Trier. And we did have some rain late evening. This afternoon we put the bojes for the Saturday flight into the water and we just had a really nice dinner with the crews, that are already here. And we had set up all the technical environment for the Seminars on Saturday.

Arrived in Trier

Dear Seaplane Friends, we just arrived in Trier. Great Britain (John and Liz Russel) and Dr. Schall from Canada have arrived. France (pilot Sakhr Naal) is already in EDFE, close to Frankfurt. One day before the official start of the event. Looking forward to seeing you soon! We also got a charming mail from Jon Brown, owner of Brown's Seaplane Base. They just came back from fishing in Alaska, which is easy to understand considering they have their business in the Florida heat eight days a week for almost the whole year. And Jon wishes us a great time: "It looks like it's going to be a great event and a lot of fun. I know that you have put alot of effort into it and I'm sure it will be a great success." Thank you Jon!

Clipper Aviation Accident in Hamburg

Please see videos, pictures and text in German at focus.de, ntv and ndr Nobody should be accused before the results of the final investigation have been published. But several things happened at this accident that require a public notice right away. Seaplane Flying is safe. Dot. As long as the operator and pilot comply with legal requirements, the pilot is well trained and current. All participants and partners of the German Seaplane Day have organisations behind them that have proven over the years their safe oparation. Clipper Aviation has never been a participant of the GSD. Seaplane flying is on top of General Aviation as far as complexity and fun are concerned. Using a landing check list: which gear is appropriate for the current type of landing is one of the basics in seaplane flying. Wheels out on a waterlanding with floats will result in a flip over. Dot. Bad enough. But that does not have to be fatal. Any responsible pilot will brief his passengers before takeoff how to get out in an emergency. It is common sense and the law that require that. Also good airmanship implies that a pilot has the overall picture. Meaning he is reponsible for the plane and his (paying) passengers who have put their lives in his hands. He will never put himself in the first place. So there are a lot of things that happened in Hamburg that are not comprehensible at the current time.

Last Updated on Monday, 16 August 2010 20:23

Second Seaplane Crash in Hamburg

Please see video, pictures, and text in German as a background for this post at <a href="http://http://www.focus.de/panorama/videos/hamburg-wasserflugzeug-stuerzt-in-die-elbe_vid_12359.html">focus.de</a> (video), <a href="http://http://www.n-tv.de/panorama/Wasserflugzeug-verunglueckt-article472072.html">ntv</a> and <a href="http://http://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/wasserflugzeug104.html">ndr</a>. Our thoughts are with the families of the passengers. No one should blame anybody before the results of the official investigations have been published. Nevertheless there are some things that have to be made public. Seaplane flying is safe! Dot. It is on the upper end of General Aviation as far as complexity and responsibility of the pilot are concerned. There are thousands of safe seaplane trips commercially and private every day, worldwide. Unnoticed from the public. It is the black sheep that get all the media and such build up the opinion in the general public. That exactly is what the German Seaplane Day wants to reverse. We want to put the focus on safe operation and organisations and show how this is being done. All organisations and partners behind the German Seaplane Day have proven over the years without any accidents that seaplane flying is safe. As long as the pilots are skilled, current and know what they are doing, the maintenance of the planes is undertaken carefully and the organisations fulfill all legal requirements. Again I do not want to blame anybody before official accident research has been finished. But I cannot understand at all how any pilot can get off a plane when his passengers are still strapped in and do not seem to know how to open their safety belts. There is something that is called "attitude" in flying. There is no exact German expression for this. It includes more than knowledge and skills. It includes also the way a pilot acts towards flying, the plane and the passengers. It includes responsibility, having the overall picture and acting not just for the own personal good. Thoughts as far as safe operation is concerned: To check what landing gear is appropriate for the current kind of landing is one of the basics when seaplane flying. Especially with the resonsibility of (paying) passengers on bord who give their lives with trust into the pilots hands. Wheels out on a water landing will cause a flip over on a plane with floats. Dot. Bad enough, but that does not have to be fatal. A good briefing of the passengers of how to unstrap their harness is required before takeoff. To my knowledge there were even visitors who jumped into the water and tried to rescue the trapped persons. None of them seemed to know how to open the safety belts. Only the pilot got out. There is a lot that went wrong at this accident. There is a lot that did not HAVE to go wrong at this accident. Despite all odds that might have taken place. We will now have to do even more to prove what seaplane flying is about. We will have to put the focus on safe operations and to bann unsafe operations from our community at all. And to get this knowledge to the general public.

Time Schedule

The participating crews and planes webpage got updated and also you will find detailed time schedules for pilots and visitors online now.

Participants please register

Dear fellow seaplane pilots, if you want to participate at the GSD with your own seaplane please note that you must be registered with your organisation.

Since we have to file all aircraft registrations, type etc to the authorities please note that registration closes at July 15. Everything thereafter is additional work for us and the authorities whose cooperation we need. Please be considerate to keep the work load to a minimum. Thank you for your cooperation!

Last Updated on Sunday, 05 September 2010 20:58

Sun 'n Fun

The Splash in! at Sun 'n Fun in April was not only great fun to attend, also we met many interesting seaplane pilots from all over the world who offered to promote the idea of the first German Seaplane Day at their home base. A big thank you to everybody who helps and assists at an instant. We are looking forward to your attendance of the event.