The glassy water illusion is a hazard for seaplane pilots in which perfectly calm water, with no waves to serve as a visual reference, hinders accurate judgment of the aircraft altitude above the surface during landing. A pilot who overestimates altitude and fails to flare in time may drive the tips of the floats into the water and flip the aircraft, while one who underestimates altitude may flare too high, stall, and pitch down with a similar result; glassy water can also produce an unusually clear view of the lake or sea floor and unusually vivid reflections of clouds or shoreline, which can disorient the pilot further. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Classification
Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Wikipedia: Sensory Illusions in Aviation
Other, Glassy water landings in seaplanes sectionQuote, Other, Glassy water landings in seaplanes section
Calm glassy water poses a hazard to pilots of seaplanes because the absence of waves hinders accurate judgment of the aircraft's altitude above the water surface on landing.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.