Grass field First flight

Thoughts on building at home and using the adjoining 3000’ grass strip for first flight, then relocating to the hard surface nearby to finish phase 1, or just finish it all at the grass strip.

Building at home will happen anyway, but thinking about not having to relocate the whole project for assembly when I have plenty of grass right here.

If the strip, terrain, and surroundings are suitable, I'd finish the project at home and make the first flight from the grass strip. I'd evaluate future plans after the first flight.

What plane? If a taildrager, I would keep it right there on the grass. Not only is grass easier to land on but your plane would be at your home making it easy to work on.

A couple things

Your at Summit Point? I have flown my -4 in there a couple times, depending on which strip your on..I believe I was on the east/west strip where Jim Thill was based. I havent landed on the other one. I recall a slight "wave" but nothing detrimental, and good approaches from both directions. Winchester isn't far if you have a "situation" and need to abort to somewhere bigger. the grass will be more forgiving , but make sure its cut low..if you havent started building yet, you have plenty of time to dwell on it all, and certainly, you can find an RVer in the area to fly in-out with and solidify your decision. Others have done the same, and departed grass, making first landing somewhere bigger for phase 1. No real answer till you make the first flight and determine the comfort level.

yeap

I just did a first flight of a new RV7 that the owner based on a 2000' grass strip. I thought it prudent to depart the strip and fly the short distance to a nearby 5000 tarmac strip, orbit there for an hour to assist the engine break in process and do the first landing at the long tarmac strip incase of anything untoward happening. That way we had lots of room to play with, a control tower and full emergency services available nearby.

All went as planned, the aircraft behaved normally so we de-cowled, inspected everything and departed the long runway and landed back at the short grass strip. Great first and second flight. Its all about risk assessment and stacking the odds in your favour. i felt a lot happier landing a new untested aircraft at a longer runway. Now the owner is in and out of the grass strip with no issues.

Best of luck.

Grass Strip

I am fortunate enough to have bought some land years ago with a friend and turned 2800 feet of it into a runway of grass (SC76). I helped build his Onex and first flight was here. I built a Sonex nosedragger and flew it first and always from here. Sold it after 4 years and bought an RV-9A and have flown it more than 100 hours from here. Love the grass except when I have to mow it. Just learn what Van says and remember the nosewheel is just to hold up that end of the airplane when parked.
Ed

I'd say it somewhat depends upon your skill level with the airplane, and perhaps how busy the airspace is at the grass strip. You have to be ready for an engine failure at any point in your flight and be able to get it down on that strip. What I'm thinking about is if you just happen to be in a position such that you cannot get back to the start of the strip but have to land in the middle.

I recently planned and executed a first test flight after replacing:

The left fuel tank
The fuel selector
The 3 fuel lines leading out from the selector.
New Prop

I've had lots of hours in the plane.

Even so, I planned my first test flight (working with the tower beforehand) to circle Beverly airport - 2, 5000 foot runways - at a specified altitude while I tested the fuel system and prop.

If the engine quit I didn't know which part of the circle I'd be on and I wanted extra long runways going in multiple directions.

Just a thought

Thanks guys for the good info. It all aligns with some of the thoughts I’ve had, and added a few I hadn’t. Bill E please check your PM.