PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - SEP over water - do you? And if so how far will you go?
Old 15th Mar 2016, 20:21
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mary meagher
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
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G-WAVY?????

That famous water landing in the motor glider...on the way back from the Isles of Scilly, engine failed, so they turned back toward Scilly, but couldn't quite glide far enough, so arrived in the water, after giving a Mayday on the radio. They then climbed out onto the wings. The motor glider floated very nicely.
THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET WET! A rescue boat took them on board, and then tied a line round the prop to tow the Grob back to the beach, but when they took up the strain, the aircraft dived for the bottom! They cut the rope, and it surfaced again, so they tied the line to the tail of the aircraft, and in that configuration it towed back nicely to the beach.

The German manufacturer was pleased to hear about the aircraft's seaworthy behavior, but was unhappy that the engine failed to keep running. Nonetheless it was washed and greased and lovingly restored, and I believe is still flying today.
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