If there are whitecaps or foam on top of the waves, the foam appears to move into the wind. This illusion is caused by the motion of the waves, which move more quickly than the foam. As the waves pass under the foam, the foam appears to move in the opposite direc- tion. The shape of shorelines and hills influences wind direction, and may cause significant variations from one area to another. Do not assume that because the wind is from a certain direction on this side of the lake that it is from the same direction on the other side.  lines increases the possibility of encountering sub- mer ged objects and debris. Besides being safe, it is also very important for sea- plane pilots to make a conscious effort to avoid inflict- ing unnecessary noise on other people in the area. Being considerate of others can often mean the differ- ence between a warm welcome and the banning of future seaplane activity in a particular location. The actions of one pilot can result in the closing of a desir- able landing spot to all pilots. People with houses along the shore of a lake usually include the quiet as one of the reasons they chose to live there. Sometimes high terrain around a lake or the local topography of a shore- line can reflect and amplify sound, so that a seaplane sounds louder than it would otherwise. A good practice is to cross populated shorelines no lower than 1,000 feet AGL whenever feasible. To the extent possible consistent with safety, avoid overflying houses during the landing approach. If making a go-around, turn back over the water for the climbout, and reduce power slightly after attaining a safe altitude and airspeed. A reduction of 200 r.p.m. makes a significant difference in the amount of sound that reaches the ground. Except for glassy water, it is usually best to plan to land on the smoothest water available. When a swell system is superimposed on a second swell system, some of the waves may reinforce each other, resulting in higher waves, while other waves cancel each other out, leav- ing smoother areas. Often it is possible to avoid the larger waves and land on the smooth areas. In seaplanes equipped with retractable landing gear (amphibians), it is extremely important to make certain that the wheels are retracted when landing on water. Wherever possible, make a visual check of the wheels themselves, in addition to checking the landing gear position indicators. A wheels-down landing on water is almost certain to capsize the seaplane, and is far more serious than landing the seaplane on land with the wheels up. Many experienced seaplane pilots make a point of saying out loud to themselves before every water landing, “This is a  water landing, so the wheels should be  up .” Then they confirm that each wheel is up using externally mounted mirrors and other visual indi- cators. Likewise, they verbally confirm that the wheels are down before every landing on land. The water rud- ders are also retracted for landings. In water landings, the major objectives are to touch down at the lowest speed possible, in the correct pitch attitude, without side drift, and with full control throughout the approach, landing, and transition to taxiing. When planning the landing approach, be aware that the seaplane has a higher sink rate than its landplane coun- terpart at the same airspeed and power setting. With some practice, it becomes easy to land accurately on a predetermined spot . Landing near unfamiliar shore- The correct pitch attitude at touchdown in a landplane varies between wide limits. For example, wheel land- ings in an airplane with conventional-gear, require a nearly flat pitch attitude, with virtually zero angle of attack, while a full-stall landing on a short field might call for a nose-high attitude. The touchdown attitude for a seaplane typically is very close to the attitude for taxiing on the step. The nose may be a few degrees higher. The objective is to touch down on the steps, Figure 6-2.The touchdown attitude for most seaplanes is almost the same as for taxiing on the step. 6-2 L ANDING Ch 06.qxd 8/25/04 10:45 AM Page 6-2