As of July 21, aircraft float maker Wipaire has swapped out their old Amphibian Gear Advisory advisory system for a newer model. The company’s Laser Gear Advisory system, now standard on Wipline float purchases, uses lasers to detect the type of landing surface beneath the plane.
The system’s laser becomes active at around 400 feet above the ground. The gear advisory display in the cockpit will then indicate the type of surface detected (land or water). If what it senses below doesn’t match up with the position of the landing gear (i.e. wheels down and water below), a “Check Gear” warning is issued around 50 feet AGL. Wipaire warns that false surface identification can occur if the water is choppy, shallow, or debris-filled. The company also says that its worth considering that such a warning might indicate that conditions aren’t safe for landing even if the pilot can verify that they are over water.
For many aircraft models already on Wipline floats, the Laser Gear Advisory system can be retrofit onto the plane. Cost for the retrofit kit is $4,995. Wipaire estimates that installation of the kit will run $1,300-$1,500 depending on the aircraft model.
Learn more at Wipaire.
