AndyRV7

AndyRV7

Well Known Member
Just looking for some opinions on this topic. I fly out of North Jersey and like to fly the Hudson River corridor (right in my back yard). I won't make the flight in the Winter, or any time the water is below about 55 degrees. I think it is safe to say that if you lose an engine in the corridor, you are ditching.

My problem is I hear other pilots and friends plan these flights regardless of the time of year, and I just don't understand why they don't seem to be concerned. I guess this could be simply another case like choosing to go VFR on top, or making a flight at night.

Just looking for some feedback.

Thanks.
 
Up here in the Seattle area, the water temp is almost always below 55, so if you don't fly over water, you'd never get to some of the better destinations. If you're going to put it down, put it down next to a boat if you can. You can minimize the over-water time and fly high enough to give yourself time to hit shore/ boat/ Washington State Ferry/ etc..
 
Risk acceptance is a personal decision

I don't think we can make these sorts of decisions for each other. We all have our own perception and acceptance of risk.

I'm a private pilot, and fly experimental aircraft.
I've been riding motorcycles daily for over 30 years.
I'm an avid climber. I climbed nearly full time for several years of my life and have climbed hard rock, mountains to 23k' , and some of the most difficult ice climbs in North America.

I believe it's my right to make these choices, even though they are FAR beyond the risks most people would consider reasonable.

Also, my risk acceptance level is changing with time. I've pretty much quit flying at night, don't climb ice anymore, and have toned down the types of riding and climbing I do.

YMMV :)

Guy
 
Water water everywhere, trees and terain too!!

Interesting to read your concern because it brings out the fact that our home regions have characteristics that are somewhat foreign to outsiders. Around my part of the world there wouldn't be any pilots if we worried about cold water, forest and undulating topography. Like Jim said, when flying over water and rough terrain I scan for boats, roads and clearings in the woods. I'm way more concerned about weather, and keeping the rust off my flying skills and proficiency. Here's one for you... thunderstorms are rare up here so I have never learned to consider them when flying and flight planning. Flying around convective activity sounds scary to me, but it?s just another day in the cockpit for most US pilots.
 
Don't Fly It

I have made the flight several times at different times of the year. It is a risk that I and my passengers are willing to take. This is epitome of the type of flight that I took up flying for.

If you don't wish to accept the risk don't take it. If you lose power over the corridor any time of the year your only option is to get wet, no where else to go. I would think that you will only be marginally safer in the summer time. Get above 7,000 and you can fly right over the top, if this is what makes you feel more comfortable.
 
I've flown the corridor at night, in the winter and even at night in the winter. I've even flown an Angel Flight mission at night down the Hudson on the way back from BOS <> ABE (IFR).

I try not to have any irrational fears or overriding comfort with anything flying. It leads to bad decisions. For example I know why I fear icing and have specific strategies to first avoid and then strategize around it. A strategy such as simply don't fly in the winter is certainly valid but not very practical. I'll fly through IMC in the winter but ONLY if I know where the tops (and reasonable bottoms) are--otherwise it is a no go. Simply stating you will not fly over water if the temp is below 55 degree is a totally valid and workable strategy, but others may also have equally valid and workable strategies that does not exclude this activity.
 
a line in the sand........

I too have some 'minimums' like yours. The interesting thing is that they change with experience, training, equipment, or attitude alone ( denial :).
Over water is definitely out of my comfort zone, still, I wear a life vest and would consider ditching over a steep mountainside in many cases.
The water temp is interesting. Somewhere they have stats that say you will survive x minutes at 55 degrees. Hmmmm. only 2 minutes longer at 60 degrees. You can become hypothermic in the tropics if you're in there long enough!

Another question; if the FAR's state you "must fly over a built-up area at sufficient altitude such that you can make an emergency landing without endangering ...."etc. etc. does that not mean that you should be at 17,000'? ??...or is there a 'safe' altitude?
 
flyboy1963 said:
I too have some 'minimums' like yours. The interesting thing is that they change with experience, training, equipment, or attitude alone ( denial :).
Click to expand...

One fact is for sure..........

I know of many airline pilots who become quite use to having redundant sytems over the years. There becomes a point, to where they'll feel quite uncomfortable about criss-crossing mountains in "little single engine aircraft" like they did in the old days, and will now, refuse to do it.

Not having the wisdom, but being just as old...........I do it anyway, for the beauty of it all! :)

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
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