Seaplanes and flying boats have floats instead of wheels, so that they can land on water. In the 1930s, flying boats were often larger and more luxurious than ordinary aircraft, as they could be made larger without the expense of creating longer runways at airports around the world. Instead, they took off and landed at sea, taxiing in and out of existing harbours.
In aviation, a water landing is, in the broadest sense, an aircraft landing on a body of water. Some aircraft such as floatplanes land on water as a matter of course. The phrase “water landing” is also used as a euphemism for crash-landing into water an aircraft not designed for the purpose, an event formally termed ditching. In this case, the flight crew knowingly makes a controlled emergency landing on water. Ditching of commercial aircraft is a rare occurrence.
Seaplanes, flying boats, and amphibious aircraft are designed to take off and alight on water. Alighting can be supported by a hull-shaped fuselage and/or pontoons. The availability of a long effective runway was historically important on lifting size restrictions on aircraft, and their freedom from constructed strips remains useful for transportation to lakes and other remote areas. The ability to loiter on water is also important for marine rescue operations and fire-fighting. One disadvantage of water alighting is that it is dangerous in the presence of waves. Furthermore, the necessary equipment compromises the craft’s aerodynamic efficiency and speed.
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