OnCourseMarineSafety
Member
I’m interested in receiving comments from others about having Kill Switches and Safety Lanyards installed as safety equipment on Airboats.
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Kill Switch and Lanyard
- Thread starter OnCourseMarineSafety
- Start date
Andrew McD
Well-known member
I think there are good and bad sides to it.
Waterthunder told a story about a guys LS not shutting down when he crashed it... That would be a good time to have one.
A big down side I see is what happens if you accidentally pull it out in the canal.... a lot of boats would back wash and have a good chance of sinking....
just 2 examples, personal preference I guess.
Waterthunder told a story about a guys LS not shutting down when he crashed it... That would be a good time to have one.
A big down side I see is what happens if you accidentally pull it out in the canal.... a lot of boats would back wash and have a good chance of sinking....
just 2 examples, personal preference I guess.
SafetyFirst
Well-known member
Department of Interior(DOI) Airboat Safety Policy REQUIRES a kill switch installed on automotove and aircraft powered Airboats. The lanyard MUST be attached to the Operator when underway. We have an exception to this Policy; when operating in rough (open) water and when operating below spillways (dams).
The rationale behind exemption this is that if you are "dislodged" from your seat, and the engine abruptly stops, you will likely take water over the transom and you'll sink!
The rationale behind exemption this is that if you are "dislodged" from your seat, and the engine abruptly stops, you will likely take water over the transom and you'll sink!
Its my personal opinion that depending on mechanisms to save you is dangerous at best. Nothing yet invented can replace your brain. Of course your brain wont do you much good if there is nothing in there. Mechanisms should not be mandated by law but might well be by common sense and understanding. In that line of thought I see nothing wrong at all with having one in place.
I see them on PWC frequently and when ya think of it, I see most surfers today with a leg line tieing the board to the surfer. I guess in the line of thought that it might shut the craft down and prevent a bystander from being harmed it might be a smart idea, IF that is the way it works. Of course we could make it a hard line to the operators leg, maybe they can drag the boat to a stop if they get ejected. Or if they don't want to get drug by the boat, don't operate in a manner where you might get ejected.... Theres room for thought here
I see them on PWC frequently and when ya think of it, I see most surfers today with a leg line tieing the board to the surfer. I guess in the line of thought that it might shut the craft down and prevent a bystander from being harmed it might be a smart idea, IF that is the way it works. Of course we could make it a hard line to the operators leg, maybe they can drag the boat to a stop if they get ejected. Or if they don't want to get drug by the boat, don't operate in a manner where you might get ejected.... Theres room for thought here
Unlike your typical motor boat, an airboat will normally go to idle when you leave
the operaters position, and what few I'v seen running without drivers have turned
in circles at an idle. It seems that if you are in a crash, a kill switch would not
protect you from the prop, which would not stop spinning in the few seconds that
it takes for the crash to happen.
Fall out of an outboard boat, and it leaves you and takes off across the lake like
a missle, an airboat would not do the same. Just my thoughts, for what it's worth.
the operaters position, and what few I'v seen running without drivers have turned
in circles at an idle. It seems that if you are in a crash, a kill switch would not
protect you from the prop, which would not stop spinning in the few seconds that
it takes for the crash to happen.
Fall out of an outboard boat, and it leaves you and takes off across the lake like
a missle, an airboat would not do the same. Just my thoughts, for what it's worth.
My personal preferance is its a good idea to have them. Lets just say your throttle sticks at WOT just pull the lanyard. In most cases you can flip the mag or shut the key off but that one-two seconds looking down for the mag or key switch it could be to late, then just pulling you arm forward and killing the motor. I might be wrong but have seen a boats throttle stick at WOT and it wasnt pretty when it crashed.
Ol Yeller
Well-known member
Got it and use it always. Not only do I want my boat off when I fly out of the seat, I want the fuel pump off as well. I use a kill switch in my kicker boat too. I knew a guy that got maniteed once. Stripes all across his back from his own boat. And I would'nt own an airboat that sinks when power is lost. There's lots of things that can cause an engine to stop suddenly other than a kill switch. Sinking seems an awful steep price to pay.
OnCourseMarineSafety
Member
Thank You all for your comments..... Please keep them going..
snookfinken27
Well-known member
I consider myself a safe driver, always thinking "what if" and also thinking a couple of seconds ahead. With that being said if I am in a predicament where I am going to be ejected from the seat I don't want anything holding me down even though it is only a small rip cord. I had a throttle spring break and it got stuck in WOT. I simply shut off the mags, leaped down to the front of the boat. A little water came over the transom but my quick thinking saved me on anything further.
getitdone
Well-known member
Found this online, i think its for their safety...
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
Occupational Safety and Health Part 241 Safety Operations
Chapter 1 Watercraft Safety 241 FW 1
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
D. Kill Switch. A device designed to shut off an engine if the operator is thrown or moves away from the
controls.
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
Occupational Safety and Health Part 241 Safety Operations
Chapter 1 Watercraft Safety 241 FW 1
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
D. Kill Switch. A device designed to shut off an engine if the operator is thrown or moves away from the
controls.
PeaRiverOpossum
Well-known member
They might have air boats and require them to be used in their boats. Thats the way I took that.Uhairball said:
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OnCourseMarineSafety
Member
uhairball: D.O.I has large number of Airboats in service all over the us and has a very extensive training program. Their program far exceeds the standards of the basic courses i've seen offered in other areas. SafetyFirst is out of town but Im sure he will have some input when he returns.
swamp runner
Well-known member
had a friend crash a boat and the boat wound up on top of him , in about 16" of water , and the boat was idling and slowly crept foreward untill he popped out the back , scaaarrryy . so i think the killswitch should be optional .
SafetyFirst
Well-known member
Department of Interior (DOI) and Airboats: Not sure the total count of Airboats Dpartment wide, but they are used primarly for Law Enforcement and biological studies within the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Bureau of Reclaimation has about 30 Airboat operators just in New Mexico and I'm not sure what they are all used for, and US Geological Survey uses them for alligator and egg collections for research, python collections, fisheries work and even bird surveys. We (USGS)have Airboats from California to Wisconsin and down into Florida. In Wisconsin, we work year round and Airboats have their place getting our employees out on frozen Rivers and Lakes. We use these boats simply because we can't get power boats in the areas we work in. When Katrina hit LA, our USGS National Wetlands Ecological Research Center was likely the FIRST to respond to begin evacuations as their Center is relatively close by and we maintain a "fleet" of Airboats at that Center. USGS teaches the Airboat Operator Certification Course (AOCC); a 3 day training consisting of a partial day of classroom and the rest ON THE WATER conducting AB familiarization, maneuvers and varying degrees of speed with control techniques.
Now...you know the rest of the story.
Now...you know the rest of the story.
swamp runner
Well-known member
post a pic :?:Ol Yeller said:
JAMES
Well-known member
ID SO NO SHOULDENT BE A LAW BUT IF U WANT TO ADD ONE FINE .... IF IT WAS THE LAW TO HAVE IT OK I NO FOR A FACT MOST WOULDENT USE IT .. SO DONT MATTER TO ME HELL CANT BE NO WORSE THEN THE MUFFLER LAW ECTECT WHATS NEXT ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO WEAR THEM BIG ASS ORANGE LIFT VEST SO THE BASS BOATS AND JET SKIS CAN SEE US SINCE THEY ARE RIDING WHERE A FLAG FOR THEM ISENT REQUIRED :shock: