To land or not to land...

[blandess]

...on an unknown grass strip. I was wondering how many of you have, or the procedure you use, for landing on a grass strip out in the middle of nowhere. I have read several articles about super cub pilots with tundra tires seeing a small lake and going there fishing. I understand that the RV's probably aren't made for this but I have always wanted to pack up the camping gear and head out and find a remote area, land, and camp out for the night.

Has anyone ever done this and how do you go about making sure its safe enough to land on?

[Geico266]

Are you talking about off field landings or flying into an existing grass strip?

On the strip call ahead and find out who maintains it and get a condition report, when you get there over fly it low and check it out. Watch the weather reports a few days before to see how much rain the area has gotten, use a soft field landing.

[blandess]

Yes I'm talking about off field landings(intentional ones...) . Just as you would fly over, see a small stream by a meadow and say "Oh, I bet there is trout in there..."

Just curious if it's a possibilty

[Ironflight]

If I had a Cub with tundra tires.....MAYBE. But I sure wouldn't' do it with my RV unless I had reports from people I trusted who had done it first. Just too much invested in the airplane(s) to take that particular risk.

Paul

[Lionclaw]

What about landing the TD models on gravel bars? I've heard of C150s doing that...

Maybe without wheel pants?

[David-aviator]

Originally Posted by blandess

Yes I'm talking about off field landings(intentional ones...) . Just as you would fly over, see a small stream by a meadow and say "Oh, I bet there is trout in there..."

Just curious if it's a possibilty

You can do it but there's a great possibility you will never fly it out.

I have an uncle in Alaska with whom I flew with quite a bit in his super cub for fishing and hunting trips in years past. He usually found a way to check out a proposed landing site before going in, sometimes by hiking in and sometimes by hiring a helicopter for a recon mission. Sometimes he took a chain saw and a shovel along. Most of his landing sites, and he created many over the years, were about 400' and one I remember had a dog leg.

The cub is a great airplane for such flying. He had a take off prop that turned up 2400 but it had to be hauled back for over speed by the time you got up to 100 mph. Take off procedure was power up, stick forward to get the tail off, stick back and you were flying about that quick. Some of the guys up there are doing it with a 180 HP, constant speed prop and are in better shape yet. But you still have be very careful as those machines cost well over 100 grand and the insurance is very expensive for off field landings.

I think the bottom line here is the RV is not really suited for that type of flying. You will lose your airplane almost for sure. I remember imagining flying the RV-7A into such a strip one day as we returned to the airplane. It would have been a real dumb idea.

[frankh]

Wrong airplane and you will total your airplane in short order.

I think you have to think of RV's as suitable for wel maintained grass strips..Beyond that and sooner or later you'll get bit..

My 2 cents

Frank

[blandess]

Thanks for all your input. I was about 90% sure it was a bad idea but just wanted to see what everyone else's experience was. I will still scout in the plane and use the good ol' 4x4 to get to the place!

[Garage Guy]

A SuperCub is the right tool for that job: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23P7TZVUhPc

An RV -- low wing, small tires -- not so much.

Another example of why a guy needs two airplanes. Or three .

--Paul

[N941WR]

Bo,

Maybe Mike Ice will add his $.02 to this thread.

He built a -9, not -9A, and had custom gear legs made so he can put on larger wheels and to do just what you suggest.

Of course he does live in AK and this opens up a lot of fields for him.

Oh, he is also going to add mud flaps to keep the stones from kicking up and denting things.