How to keep a seaplane corrosion free | DHC-6 Twin Otter | Maldives

The Maldives is famous for luxury resorts, and the seaplanes. More than 80 Twin Otters with floats are transporting tourists between the main airport in Male and the resorts spread along the coral reefs.
While a flight in a Twin Otter is one of the highlights for the tourists, the salt water represents a challenge for those maintaining the aircraft. Most metals corrode, and salt makes it much worse. So how do they protect the seaplanes from the salt water?
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[@rexmyers991]

EXCELLENT video. It answered many question I had about the airline’s long term maintenance and corrosion treatment programs. Thank you.

[@theflyingfool]

That was very interesting Magnar, thank you! I'm always a bit amazed by how those tiny engines deliver so much power.

[@DanielDiazQuintero]

I've been in Maldives six times for diving but never flown in one of this, I hope someday do it 😀

[@josephcameron530]

It is really great to see the care that all of the seaplanes receive.

[@SuperFullin]

Amazing video! Very interesring. Thanks for sharing! Kudos to Capt Nordal. Cheers from Brazil.

[@SuperFullin]

Love the PT6 walk around. Such iconic turboprop with its feature reverse flow scheme. The VW Beetle of turboprops.

[@mojah1]

Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@darrylday30]

I’ve always wondered what their maintenance set up would look like. I’ve spent many happy hours working on seaplanes but never on salt water scheduled operations. They look well equipped and organized. it certainly takes a big crew to take care of so many aircraft in such challenging conditions.

[@ScaleMeDown]

Your best video yet 🙂

[@sylviaelse5086]

I notice that one of the crew wanders around on the float with neither a tether, nor a life jacket. Perhaps being a strong swimmer is a job requirement.

[@FlywithMagnar]

I asked a seaplane pilot, and here is the answer: Wearing a life jacket is cumbersome because it reduces your mobility. To become a seaplane pilot in Maldvives, you undergo a full day of training in the sea. You swim a lot, and you learn techniques to resque others, and to deal with panicking passengers in the water.

[@sylviaelse5086]

@@FlywithMagnar Thanks.

[@TRPGpilot]

A very good insight. Thanks for doing videos like this.

[@allancopland1768]

Very intereSting. I got to see first hand what seawater does to Twin Otters when I was shown around Loganair's hangar at Glasgow airport last year. They use Twotters on wheels but of course serve the beach airfield on the island of Barra. The seawater is very destructive to the landing gears and brake systems in particular.

[@andrewkazungu6542]

Affirm,.just continue

[@jerryweirdspeed8943]

Once again amazing insight. What ever happened to the "build and never touch" attitude? Answer: It never existed in aircraft. It's also about sustainability. Reduce, reuse, recycle does exist, can be done and is economically more viable than not applying it. Even more in airliners but you see how it's done here.

[@san701]

Hi very informative video. Can we get more details on firewall and firewall seals and also there installation

[@mxr572]

a Canadian built plane can last a long time if maintained.

[@allancopland1768]

One of our local airline's Twotters was built in 1980. Used to be LN-BEZ and is now G-BVVK. They are good old birds.

[@vijithwickramasinghe9511]

Pls update nepal ATR 72 Crash.with your experience.

[@bijaysitaula7006]

There are three so this aircraft can land in Runway.

[@sharg0]

I'm surprised they haven't switched to composites for the floats.

[@allancopland1768]

Aviation is a very consevative business where everything requires certification. The paperwork costs as much as the Aluminiun. To change it costs more. If it ain't broke.... and composites bring their own brand of problems.

[@pumarolz]

So true , thought of the same thing

[@allancopland1768]

I'm not. Aerocet make composite floats for light aircraft such as the Kodiak but floats are quite expensive items and aluminium ones, usually Wipaire, are far easier to repair than composite ones. Aloominum is cheap. It's also a limited market. There's also the fact that the aviation industry is very conservative and changes cost money, lots of money, for certification.

[@ahmednasrulla4766]

Composites are really expensive. And not the best for impact resistance. We have pretty choppy water that can even dent the aluminium ones. Composites also has a nasty habit of absorbing moisture once the outer layer is degraded

[@scavenom2008]

A baby PT6 at only 670 shp.

[@FlywithMagnar]

It can run in all conditions and with all kinds of fuel. The best there is.

[@scavenom2008]

@@FlywithMagnar pt6 are very good engines but the engines originally designed by garret too now part of honeywell can be a mighty little engine with upwards of 1500shp which is incredible only problem is they are more temperamental and have magnesium gearbox cases so that's a big no no for this environment.

[@FlywithMagnar]

I don't think Garrett was involved with the PT6. At the same time PWC developed the PT6, Garrett developed the TPE331 turboprop.

[@scavenom2008]

@@FlywithMagnar you are correct they were not but somehow the way I wrote my comment made it appear that way. I always been curious as to how you guys operate under IFR conditions and bad weather. Is traffic to boats prohibited in the landing zones to prevent collisions? Perhaps that in itself could make an interest video as well.

[@FlywithMagnar]

The seaplanes fly VFR day. They have the opportunity to fly instrument approaches to Male Airport and then circle to land at the seaport. The seaport is closed for boats.

[@CUSTODIAN70]

It's a beautiful plane and it's engine is bullet proof and simple in maintenance.What a great combination (DEHAVILLANT-PW) this aircraft is.Great video,Cpt,safe skies and happy landings.

[@scavenom2008]

And the engine was developed by P&W Canada....not bad. Too bad politicians sold out, to cripple the Canadian aviation industry and luckily they didn't accomplish that goal entirely.