Airshow ditching in the UK

[BradG]

Pilot safe and they even dragged the plane out of the water. How British.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=825_1471247417

[Adam the Akrodude]

Great outcome. Tail draggers invariably flip on ditching. I'd never been this advised before but I read on a FB page that one technique is just prior to impact and just above the stall above the water, to kick in rudder or even use aileron to drop one wing, which will then hopefully flip the aeroplane around its axis, but should remain upright - spin like a top. I've often thought when thundering along inbound from Carrum to Moorabbin in the Laser or Pitts, geez it would be sure rotten to have a engine failure now over water. @ 1500', there is little room to bail out - doable, but could be tight (emergency chutes need minimum of 300' to open). Then there is the good chance to drowning in the chute. Beach invariably has people on the sand, so only option is to ditch in shallow water. The canopy can be jettisoned prior to ditching - what then if the canopy hits your head? I always flew with a tool to use to try to smash open the canopy - tied on a lanyard in my pocket. Oh, and these thoughts and reading some stat's on head injuries in light aeroplane crashes (60% of fatalities caused by head trauma) had me shell out for a expensive helmet as well - this on top of the emergency chute. Once met a guy who was later killed in a Pitts engine failure from head trauma - it's the sudden stop that can ruin your day. Imagine all these thoughts on what option to take racing through your head at light speed when that engine goes put, put, silence.....

[Ansett A330]

The things Wally gets up to when he's in the UK ...

[BradG]

What about stalling it Adam? Get it down nice and low, cut the power then just hold it till it drops like a stone? I spose the issue then is possible compression injuries to the back.

[Adam the Akrodude]

What about stalling it Adam? Get it down nice and low, cut the power then just hold it till it drops like a stone? I spose the issue then is possible compression injuries to the back.

It is stalled onto the water. You still have forward motion when stalled - in a Laser or Pitts that's going to be over 50 mph, hence the very rapid pitch over. Guaranteed a tail-dragger will pitch over when stalled onto the water. Apparently the ol' school method from biplane days is to dig one wingtip into the water and the aircraft will swing around that wingtip hopefully stopping a pitch over event - that's the theory anyway.