# When Maritime Meets Aviation: The Safety of Seaplanes on the Water
## 3 Results
### Analysis of the Survey Responses  
To supplement the quantitative analysis of the previous section, a mixed-methods approach based on qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, and a questionnaire is analyzed in this section. This study recruited 80 recreational seaplane pilots with varying degrees of experience (in terms of both years and hours flown). The participants ranged from under 20 to over 70 years of age, with the majority being above 50. A possible explanation for this could be that the population of seaplane pilots is decreasing, while at the same time they are currently likely to be working and, thus, unable to attend the interviews or focus groups. Moreover, their experience in flying seaplanes is not directly proportional to their age and has a better distribution: 32% of the participants had over 30 years of experience flying seaplanes, indicating a highly experienced group. Other categories of seaplane flying  
Figure 12: Three-way associations between 9 parameters for on-water occurrences of private recreational seaplanes. experience included the following: 20% of participants with 6-10 years, 18% with under 2 years, 12% with 21-30 years, and smaller groups with 2-5 years (9%) and 11-20 years of experience (9%). This reflects a broad range of experience levels among the participants. However, sampling bias should be noted, since there was a notable concentration of experienced pilots. The data collection methods included online questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups, conducted both in person (22 participants) and online (29 participants). This study also engaged representatives from Canadian seaplane associations and Transport Canada to ensure diverse stakeholder representation. Ethical considerations excluded minors and vulnerable populations to prioritize participant safety and consent. These qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis [19; 20]. This method was employed to identify safety concerns by refining and analyzing codes and themes (patterns) within the data, with the themes redefined to be consistent for all three methods of data collection used. By identifying and analyzing these themes, the concerns and experiences of seaplane pilots can be better understood, and specific recurring issues can be addressed [21]. Before the start of the scenarios, the participants in the questionnaire were asked about personal safety concerns. The notable responses include concern over too many aircraft crashing and people killed, amphibious safety (including landing gear configuration on landing), and concerns about pilot attitudes in general. The key safety concerns identified through thematic analysis are summarized in Table 6.  
Pilots emphasized the importance of real-world experience, citing it as a critical complement to theoretical knowledge in preparing them for unexpected situations. However, concerns were raised about overreliance on advanced systems like the G1000 avionics system, which was perceived to erode fundamental flying skills. Participants highlighted the need for training programs to strike a balance between teaching traditional piloting techniques and incorporating modern technologies, as excessive dependence on technology could lead to problems if it fails. The interplay of these themes points to a decline in basic flying skills, with a call to adapt training methods to address this challenge effectively. Regarding the hazards imposed by boats and jet skis, seaplane pilots expressed significant concerns about their unpredictable movements, with jet skis and boats towing tubes often changing direction erratically, creating dangerous situations during take-off and land