Water Skiing the Nile

A while back I had a crop dusting contract in Sudan, Africa. This was before all of the trouble started. The Christians were still in control. The country was a party. A poor party but the natives that I met there never let that get in the way of being the happiest people I’ve known anywhere. But I digress.

The pilots we had there on that contract were some of the most experienced fliers I had ever come across. One day PerAne, our chief pilot from Holland asked me.
“Chuck Have you ever water skied? “
“Sure “ I replied. “ When I lived in Florida we used ..”
“I mean with an airplane Chuck” “Huh? “Sure. Fly the airplane onto the surface of the water and let it water ski. It’s easy with a tail dragger. At 100 mph the water surface is just like concrete to the wheels and the aircraft just skims along. You can even let go of the controls and it will remain stable on the surface of the water.”
“We are all going water skiing today. Want to join us Chuck?”
“Sure. Just tell me what to do”

“First pick a day like today. No wind. Early morning is best before the wind comes up and the water gets choppy. Make a real shallow approach to the water at over 100mph. You will feel the water. The water will then make a cohesion with the wheels, which will skim along the top of the water. Oh. Lock your wheels before you do this or the wheel bearings will burn out. And most importantly don’t forget to unlock them before landing back on the strip."

We piled into the company Land Rover and headed for the strip. Preflights done all of us took off and headed for Blue Nile about a mile away. I approached the water, white knuckled, with a shallow descent until I felt the wheels making contact. I could feel the ripples of the river vibrate through the aircraft. Still I maintained my attitude and let the aircraft descend until I actually felt the aircraft decelerate from the drag and then stabilize. I slowly released the controls and the aircraft maintained a straight and stable path down the river. When we came to a bend in the river I applied some rudder and the aircraft followed the bend. I wouldn’t advise applying too much rudder though. Sideways in the river? Not good. I saw the others peel off and go around for another run. I eased back on the stick and she came away easily.

Now a veteran water skier, I joined them for another go. We spent most of that day water skiing the Nile and never got wet. I’m chalking that one up to really different experiences not many others have ever done before, sort of like joining the mile high club or climbing Everest or swimming with a Great White, or, indeed, water skiers who never got wet. Now that has to be an exclusive club.

So I water-skied that day like I’ve never water-skied before. All of us, six planes in all, an assortment of Pawnees, AgCats and a Turbo Thrush, all skiing down the Nile River in formation, under bridges while natives on the bank watched in awe. I was in awe. I let go of the controls and the airplane just stayed there, flying down the river. I half expected to nose dive in the drink, but for the memory of my father explaining why suicide jumpers die when they hit the water reinforced PerAne’s explanation. Perish the thought. Needless to say, the usual bother about engine out procedures became totally superfluous. The usual questions that should be constantly running through ones head when flying: “What if and what’s next are, when water-skiing your airplane, become no brainers.

When I returned to the States I tried it again in an Aronca Cub on San Diego Bay. It was lots of fun and something just a little different with my terrified brother screaming at me from the front seat. I never tried this with a nose wheel aircraft though, and don’t think I will. Oh. If you forget to unlock your wheels before landing you will be the recipient of yet another thrill. Fortunately for me, our strip was gravel.