Why don't they have seaplanes any more?

Question

It would be cool to travel in a seaplane. Also, if there was a "situation" I would rather come down in water than on the land. It would be safer for people living near airports as well, since the plane would come in over the sea.

Obviously this would only work for people living near the sea or large bodies of water, but that's a lot of people!

Answer 1

There are many small aircraft that are fitted with pontoons (Float Planes).

If the fuselage doubles as a hull it requires substantial strength which translate to weight and poor fuel efficiency. (Sea Plane or Flying Boat) Also having so many critical component hear the water and in the 'splash zone' creates maintenance headaches and corrosion problems.

It was definitely tried That's why old international airports (port?) are located on the coast.

WWII introduced pressurized aircraft flying at higher more comfortable and economical altitudes. Advent of the jet airliner further transformed commercial aviation. Aviation jet engines don't like to operate in close proximity to the water.

So basically, economics and maintenance considerations ruled out large seaplanes. The old Grumman Albatross, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HU-16_Albatross, is probably the largest one in regular use. Some of them in Australia have converted to Turbo-Prop and primarily are corporate owned.

Their are also some PB2M's doing fire bombing duty, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PB2M_Mars. I've logged some time in the PB5M which was unique to say the least.

And by the way, putting 25,000 lbs of airplane down in open sea at 70 to 80 knots is not a walk in the park.

Note: the number of Flying boats built is amazing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_seaplanes_and_flying_boats

Answer 2

Seaplanes in the sense of the flying boat, were essentially a stop-gap measure. The performance of engines in the 1930s era was lagging behind the size and weight of aircraft being built. To overcome the need for lengthy runways (note that London and many other city's airports were large grass fields in the 1930s) the water was seen as an alternative. Flying boats were not just designed to be better able to survive a crash en-route.

Seaplanes (either small flying boats or float planes) survive largely on the holiday novelty trade.

Answer 3

There were never more than a hand-full of large commercial sea planes to begin with.

Large sea planes, like the PanAm Clippers of the 1930's and 40's were extremely expensive to maintain and operate, and as soon as the airport infrastructure grew enough to maintain conventional aircraft, the Clippers were retired in favor of more economical land-based airplanes.

Commercial sea planes live on in Alaska and other locations where the smaller 6-10 passenger aircraft serve as the primary means of transportation to remote villages or back-country recreation sites. They are still very expensive to operate and maintain.

Answer 4

They still have seaplanes, you just probably don't see them around your area. There is actually an airline based in Florida, Chalk Ocean Airways that flys seaplanes.

Answer 5

lots of the above have validity. yet in addition a waft airplane can land on grass very actual. in simple terms visit a small airport and ask. some airports (exceptionally interior the Pacific Northwest) pilots will land their waft planes on the grass next to the R/W, they are then moved to the hanger and wheels placed on and flown in the time of a wintry climate season. then they're going to placed the floats back on and the take-off is aided through a dolly. while they desire to flow back on wheels they only repeat the strategies. I easily have considered emergency landings on land, airborne dirt and dust and fields in Alaska through waft planes with out incident. I easily have considered a SeaBee land kit up on a runway two times without obvious injury different than a scratched keel. and since the others have mentioned, distinctive waft planes have amphibious floats (which often times fee extra effective than the airplane they are on).

Answer 6

The market? The Spruce Goose was the last big one and Pam American Clippers. Their is still a market for the single engine models.

Answer 7

the truth is there r more than ever...just not many big ones..when you get to the 20 passinger and larger they dont pay and dont fly very well. iv see many at Cape cod .MA and fire island NY

Answer 8

they still use them in Florida.. California and Alaska..
i have seen them in these places I'm sure they are used elsewhere as well

Answer 9

They still do, although nothing like the Clippers of yesterday.

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