Can an amphibious aircraft take off upwards a river?

Answer 1

I fly a PA18 Super Cub on floats in my spare time and yes...you can take off upstream...BUT I avoid operations in moving water at all costs. Too dangerous if you run into a problem while taxiing.
The combination of high winds and moving water can also spell trouble for float aircraft.
it's a handfull already without dealing with flowing water...

Answer 2

Like jetdoc, helipilot212 and georock1959, and others, have said, yes an airplane can take off upstream. Its a function of prevailing wind strength and direction, as well as the shape of the river channel and obstacles in the river and around it.

I'm a helicopter pilot, and I've filled thousands and thousands of buckets of water from fast moving rivers to fight forest fires. I always point the helicopter into the wind, assuming there are no obstacles upwind. Once the bucket is filled, the current will want to drag you downstream, but the lifting force from a head wind more than compensates for the current. Of course in a calm wind situation, taking off downstream (assuming all other things are equal) is the preferred choice.

Edit: for you non helicopter types, a "Bambi" bucket hangs on the cargo hook of the helicopter, and it can be filled in any source of water more than about 2-3 feet deep, and then dropped on the fire or in tanks close to the fire. I can assure you that a 350 gallon bucket weighing almost 2 tons on the hook of a Bell 205 in a fast moving current has a strong tendency to go downstream! For a helicopter pilot, its actually easier and quicker to fill the bucket facing upstream, but that's getting away from the point of the question.

Answer 3

Of course it can take off upstream, the wind direction and surrounding obstacles are more important criteria than current direction. Once a float plane is "on step" there is very little drag from the water.

Like helipilot212 says though, if you've got a small problem on running water, then you've got a big problem!

Answer 4

If the river is wide enough, and if there is noting in the way, it should be of no problem. However, it has to use more power to life, since it also have to compensate to the speed of the river. Therefor it should be done down the river.
John

Answer 5

All airplanes prefer to take off with their nose pointed into the wind. If the prevailing wind over the river is blowing downstream, then the amphibian pilot would prefer to do his take-off run heading upstream.

Answer 6

Yes but it would depend on the river depth and the strength of the flow, keeping in mind the power of the engines to do so.

Answer 7

Contrary to popular belief. It is more difficult to take off and land on water. But an experienced pilot would make it look easy.

Answer 8

it can but why would it? its so much easier to take off down the river

Answer 9

i don't think so. if the flow is more it will oppose the motion of the aircraft. lesser speed means lesser amount of lift.

Answer 10

Yes. Of course they can if there are no mountains and so forth in the way.