I think you completely misread my posts and the intention.

Landing gear down is important on land and gear up on water
is even more important.

The Lake with the wheels down has a large scoop effect on
the nose compartment. On the airplane that was seen, the
water blew out the nose compartment bulkhead. A rapid dive
was the result. Perhaps Lake has strengthened the bulkhead.

On a floatplane with conventional floats, a level or nose
low landing or rough water can [will] dig in and cause the
airplane to flip and sink until the floats are at the
surface and the cabin is under about 6 to 10 feet. With
amphibian floats and a proper nose high landing, being
flipped upside down is still a possibility and no worse than
with conventional floats.

It seems that even a sport pilot with just a few hours could
be taught to raise and lower the gear. I think as much as
safety, the FAA position on LSA is based on retractable
landplanes exceeding the speed limit, something no
floatplane will do.

I hold an ATP but presently no medical. I could fly a LSA,
it does seem that there may be more restrictions than are
necessary. I think a 61.31 endorsement should handle these
types of issues, just as sport pilots can get an endorsement
for different airspace classification, something a student
pilot can handle at 15-20 hours and night flight is allowed
student pilots but not sport pilots.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Peter Duniho" wrote in
message ...
| "Jim Macklin" wrote
in message
| news:2u8yg.84360$ZW3.50960@dukeread04...
| When I learned to fly a seaplane, the instructor, a very
| experienced seaplane pilot recounted his personal
witnessed
| landing of a Lake with the wheels down. He is dead now
of
| old age, so I guess you can just take my word that it
isn't
| a good idea or you can buy a Lake and try it for
yourself.
|
| I am unclear as to your point. I wrote in my post that
gear-down landings
| are hazardous. You replied in a way that implied
disagreement. Now you are
| claiming that "it isn't a good idea", which is exactly
what I've been saying
| all along.
|
| Do you, or do you not, agree with me that gear-down
landings on the water
| are hazardous?
|
| As far as buying a Lake and trying it myself, I own a Lake
and would never
| intentionally land it gear down, for the very reasons I've
stated repeatedly
| in this thread. If you'd been paying any attention, you'd
realize that.
|
| Pete
|
|