Do floatplanes land on rivers?

Question

I'm sitting here in a coffee shop on the local river and I noticed it was just wide enough to facilitate a landing. There is no chop on the river, but it does move pretty switfly, and there are bridges and whatnot that would quickly come into play. However, there are some pretty slow-moving, unobstructed rivers out there.

Does anyone land floatplanes on rivers for reasons other than emergencies?

Welcome to aviation.SE! You might find this answer interesting — Pondlife, Jul 01 '18 at 01:36
Philosophical question...is putting down on water actually "landing"? I know it's not watering! — Jon P, Jul 01 '18 at 23:16
@Frederico the question was already answered several times I was just adding additional info. Which is what comments are for no? — John K, Jul 02 '18 at 16:11

Pilothead · Answer 1 · 2018-07-01T20:47:36.450

16

Yes, here is a river landing.

and another, even tighter. This might technically be a beaver dam pond in a river.

and another, prettier. I'd back this one up and watch the approach.

edited Jul 01 '18 at 20:47

answered Jul 01 '18 at 00:42

Pilothead

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jwzumwalt · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-01T02:19:56.720

12

Float planes are used world wide on rivers. In Alaska and Canada the primary use is fishing, hunting, sightseeing, lodging, supplies...

Cessna 206 delivering supplies to a fishing camp along the Yukon River (Alaska).

Sightseeing along the Amazon River.

Wind River (Canada) tour map

edited Jul 01 '18 at 02:19

answered Jul 01 '18 at 02:05

jwzumwalt

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score 9 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 01 '18 at 02:00

They absolutely can and do on a regular basis. River currents will play a significant role in takeoff and landing considerations as well as during displacement taxiing, casting off, docking and mooring of the airplane. But it does happen on a regular basis.

Do floatplanes land on rivers?

3 Answers3