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Flat tires

texdog

Well Known Member
I?ve landed with a flat on my RV6A, no problem. Stop the airplane on the runway, don?t taxi, shut down the airport until you can get a dolly and move it. I had a friend that was worried about blocking the runway, and I understand his reasoning, but he trashed the tire and his wheel pant on the main gear. What would you do?
 
I?ve landed with a flat on my RV6A, no problem. Stop the airplane on the runway, don?t taxi, shut down the airport until you can get a dolly and move it. I had a friend that was worried about blocking the runway, and I understand his reasoning, but he trashed the tire and his wheel pant on the main gear. What would you do?

If it's an uncontrolled airport, I'd most likely vacate the runway.

If it's a controlled airport, I'd be more inclined to stop on the runway and be towed off.
 
26 degrees in Fredericksburg this morning, lots of time for 12 pilots to talk about flat tires on the runway. 90 % said stop on the runway and get help. Even the airplanes without wheel pants didn?t want to taxi. Discussion about landing over the broke airplane or landing on a taxiway. Interesting to have a plan for what you would do.
 
Landed with a flat tire with Mike Seager at Astoria. We kept the power up to make it off the runway at least. Once you stop you won't get started again. Repaired it on the taxiway and flew back to Vernonia.
 
RVs don?t move well with flat tires

Here’s what happened to me. I did my preflight and didn’t notice the right tire air pressure was low (weather temperature had recently experienced a significant drop and the firm sidewalls on these smaller tires give very poor visual cues). Passenger and I climbed in, did my checklist, started engine and taxied to departure end of runway (slight drag on one side of aircraft but neither of us noticed it too much if any at the time), did my normal engine run up and finish the Before Takeoff checklist.

Called my departure (non-controlled airport) and began the takeoff role. RV then pulled strongly to the right and I initiated an immediate abort. Shutdown on the runway because the RV didn’t want to taxi any where near straight (tire now totally deflated). Discovered flat right main tire and went for a couple of dolly's, tow lawn tractor, and ropes to secure main wheels to the dollys.

Being a non-towered airport I couldn’t post anything for incoming traffic but expedited the tow process as quickly as I could. The only traffic that came in while I was removing my RV just landed a few hundred yards beyond where we were working since there was plenty of runway available. Only departure did an intersection takeoff.

I took several things away from this experience. First, check tire pressures at least every three months and especially after the transition from early fall to winter temperatures. Second, I don’t ever want to experience landing with a flat tire because of poor tire maintenance. It is my belief once any weight is experienced on a flat tire at higher speeds an RV is going to immediately pull heavily to the flat tire side and staying on a hard service runway will be very problematic. Moving (taxiing) an RV with a truly flat tire is extremely difficult and will most likely damage the wheel skirt and tire rim. Third, don’t solely rely on visual cues to tell you that a tire needs air. You will regret it!
 
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RV4

My experience was with landing an RV4 tailwheel with a flat tire. Non-towered airport on a Sunday morning. After 2 hour flight, near perfect tail-low wheel landing until the plane started leaning to the right. Landed straight and powered off the runway. The wheel pant made a surprisingly good skid and I was able to taxi about 100 yards before stopping.
 
Flats

This has happened to me twice. At the Petit Jean fly-in I was able to get off the runway onto grass where lots of RV's came to my aid and had me flying again in less than an hour with no damage to wheel pant or wheel or even the tire. Since then, I've carried a spare main inner tube.

At MKL in Jackson TN I had a flat on the main runway at dusk with another small plane in the pattern. My 6A would not move. The controller kept the tower open past the 7pm closing time while a lineman got a dolly and tug out to rescue me. Once again I got by with no damage. I bought a gift card to a nice restaurant for the controller and gave a nice tip to that lineman. They saved my bacon.

After that I request the short runway at BTR, my home base, in Baton Rouge if the circumstances allow. And, I am more careful about tire pressure. I hate the thought of shutting down a big runway or causing someone to divert. If I can keep it rolling onto a taxiway or grass I'll do it. John
 
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I carry a spare tube, tools, and air supply. Tires go flat, you can depend on it. Nose wheel RVs are not a problem to clear the runway.
Once landing about an hour from home I felt a flat nose wheel, added power and proceeded to fly home and deal with problem there.
 
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Green Slime

I?ve landed with a flat on my RV6A, no problem. Stop the airplane on the runway, don?t taxi, shut down the airport until you can get a dolly and move it. I had a friend that was worried about blocking the runway, and I understand his reasoning, but he trashed the tire and his wheel pant on the main gear. What would you do?

Safely stop the airplane on the prepared surface, then determine whether you can taxi. If on grass, good luck. I just helped clear an RV7 from an access road taxiway using a combination of portable air bottle and Fix A Flat..see below.
Additionally, I've been "Sliming" my inner tubes for over 20 years. My reasoning came after my first trip to the ID backcountry and the remote nature and lack of support "bush" (not quite AK) operations. I have never had a flat anywhere, since.

I carry a can of Fix A Flat on trips now, don't leave home without it.

V/R
Smokey

PS: Back in the day my F16 Squadron was deployed to Turkey for UN Iraqi No Fly Zone patrols. During a recovery (45 aircraft) he blew a tire on landing and closed the runway. The rest of us airborne had to think quickly and figure out fuel, divert etc. Eventually we joined on an airborne KC135R and ended up landing on the emergency alternate runway, the parallel taxiway!
Have a plan.
 
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