Thoughts on single engine ops across Lake Michigan?

Lake Michigan is pretty cold all year 'round. If you have to ask people on a forum for their opinion you are already getting desperate. Just go around.
 
I have an acquaintance that flew across the lake with a newish pilot who at the midpoint looked at his watch and said, "Time to switch tanks!"
To which he calmly stated "Don't. Touch. Anything." haha

I get a kick out of that story.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Do it. Take a raft, life preserver, and waterproof radio.

It is not that scary.
Click to expand...

Not that scary till your engine has a problem....Then upon impact getting a head injury and finding your legs not moving while the cabin fills with water and you can't get yourself out.

It's all good till you have a problem.
 
I crossed lake Michigan twice. Once going to Oshkosh; the other returning. Really wasn't a big deal. If you are nervous go at a higher altitude or not at all.
 
FDX8891 said:
Man, I'm a wuss.

Bet some of you need a wheel-barrow to carry your nuts around.
Click to expand...

Nah. To me, it's just part of the game flying airplanes is inherently dangerous. When things go bad, they usually go real bad. It's just something I have learned to accept as a pilot. Flying out of the LA basin for the last 3 years has taught me that if I am going to have an accident, I honestly would rather it be over a body of water. Sure Lake Michigan is probably real cold. But thats what the proper gear is for. It's probably a lot easier to set an airplane down in a huge body of water vs a bustling city with power lines cars and people everywhere. When you see an airplane accident on the news out here, the airplane is usually pretty mangled, and most likely there are no survivors. At least in a lake, I can try and find a boat to set down next to and hopefully get rescued.

If you think that it'll never happen to you, your setting yourself up for disaster. It may not ever. But when it does you'll be so suprised you may not react properly. I've had a few pucker moments. Nothing serious, but stuff that'll get your attention. I wasn't necessarily expecting it, but I was mentally prepared for it.
 
Nark said:
I have to comment on the underlined statement.
The best advice I was given was something along these lines: "If I make it there, so do my passengers."
Looking out for myself, the pilot, instead of factoring what the passengers think, make decision process easier.
The life of a newborn is no more valuable than the life of a 90 year old War Vet. They both are under my charge as PIC, and it's my responsibility to get them to the destination safely.

So if you aren't comfortable doing the flight with your wife and child aboard, you shouldn't be comfortable without them either.
Click to expand...

Now factor in the fact that it's your newborn...Your statement is all well and good when you look at it from a Commercial / Professionalism standpoint, not from a "protecting your family from unnecessary risks" standpoint.

How do you figure? I'm much more willing to take a calculated risk by myself then with my wife and daughter with me...to each his own I guess.
 
Do the risk's change with whom you have aboard?
Doubtful.

Some nerd could argue based on CG, you'd glide further with them aboard than not, but I digress...

Your job as PIC is to mitigate them, and get from A to B safely. Thats about the gist of it.

I'm pretty arrogant, in that I think my life is pretty valuable. When it comes to being the only qualified person aboard the airplane, well then my market value goes up a fair amount, doesn't it?
So if my decisions are based on whether I make it there, my passengers are guaranteed to get there as well.
 
I fly over water in a single engine aircraft, albeit RW, about 500-700 hours a year. First, it's all about risk mitigation. If you're solo, great weather and plane, consider it. If the weather is less than optimal, you have PAX and an aircraft with issues, go around. . If you're going to do it, put as many things in your favor as you can. Pick a time window for good weather and sea states. Make sure you have an overwater survival kit and serviceable life preservers and rafts on board. All your ELTs, EPRBs, ect are working well. Ensure you can make the trip in positive comms and radar flight following. Review your ditching procedures, review a few videos on the techniques. This way if anything does go wrong, you are prepared for it and not frantic and in a panic. And remember, nobody is bleeding or dying, so don't get yourself hurt trying to make a few bucks. Don't mean to sound preachy, but it's my .02 anyway.
Good luck and have fun.
Bayou06
 
Nice thought process here...
bayou06 said:
I fly over water in a single engine aircraft, albeit RW, about 500-700 hours a year. First, it's all about risk mitigation. If you're solo, great weather and plane, consider it. If the weather is less than optimal, you have PAX and an aircraft with issues, go around. . If you're going to do it, put as many things in your favor as you can. Pick a time window for good weather and sea states. Make sure you have an overwater survival kit and serviceable life preservers and rafts on board. All your ELTs, EPRBs, ect are working well. Ensure you can make the trip in positive comms and radar flight following. Review your ditching procedures, review a few videos on the techniques. This way if anything does go wrong, you are prepared for it and not frantic and in a panic. And remember, nobody is bleeding or dying, so don't get yourself hurt trying to make a few bucks. Don't mean to sound preachy, but it's my .02 anyway.
Good luck and have fun.
Bayou06
Click to expand...
 
Why should you fly an airplane with pax any differently than the way you fly it by yourself?
 
dasleben said:
Why should you fly an airplane with pax any differently than the way you fly it by yourself?
Click to expand...
Occasionally regulations require it (formation flight, functional check).

That and I'm not sure that aerobatics with paying people in back is a good idea. But that's an outlandish case, to be fair.
 
My fellow cohort just had an awesome quote about this:

"Just because you can do it in MS Flight Sim, doesn't mean you do it in real life"
 
I would do it. With loved ones. The airplane doesn't know its over water. Also, if you don't trust the engine over water why would you trust it over land? Are we all Sky God enough to survive a forced landing? Some do, quite a few don't. So I say again if you don't trust your equipment why are you flying it in the first place?
 
BajtheJino said:
I would do it. With loved ones. The airplane doesn't know its over water. Also, if you don't trust the engine over water why would you trust it over land? Are we all Sky God enough to survive a forced landing? Some do, quite a few don't. So I say again if you don't trust your equipment why are you flying it in the first place?
Click to expand...

Going into the water in a fixed gear plane is a lot different from putting it down in a field or on a rural road. Especially when you factor in cold water (heck even "warm" water will get you in enough time), your ability to egress and swim injured and the lag time there can be for help to arrive. It's not just about surviving the forced landing, it's surviving the aftermath, too.

That said, I used to take singles over to the Bahamas not infrequently and have been over some of the Lakes before. As noted by others, it's about risk mitigation and what you're comfortable taking on. Keep in mind, too, that just because you're within power-on glide distance doesn't mean you'll actually make it to shore. A lot of things have to go right if you're at the edge of the range. Also: if you're VFR over-water, keep an eye on where nearby boats and ships are. If you're not going to make it to shore, ditching near someone with a life preserver and a radio may be the difference.
 
BajtheJino said:
I would do it. With loved ones. The airplane doesn't know its over water. Also, if you don't trust the engine over water why would you trust it over land? Are we all Sky God enough to survive a forced landing? Some do, quite a few don't. So I say again if you don't trust your equipment why are you flying it in the first place?
Click to expand...

I heard this exact line of reasoning by a certain fellow about crossing Berners Bay, lol, heh.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top