How to land on a grass airstrip

In article ,
A Lieberman wrote:

No difference, just land normally...

Incorrect advice.....
You want to land as softly and as slowly as possible on a grass strip.
Also want to keep the nosewheel off terra firma as long as possible so it
doesn't run the risk of "digging in" from the weight of the engine and prop
when the nose wheel does touch down.
After touchtown, the yoke should be full aft.

You mean you don't do a normal landing this way?

On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 22:33:32 GMT, john smith wrote:

In article ,
A Lieberman wrote:

No difference, just land normally...

Incorrect advice.....
You want to land as softly and as slowly as possible on a grass strip.
Also want to keep the nosewheel off terra firma as long as possible so it
doesn't run the risk of "digging in" from the weight of the engine and prop
when the nose wheel does touch down.
After touchtown, the yoke should be full aft.

You mean you don't do a normal landing this way?

***I don't need the yoke in full aft position AFTER touchdown on paved
runways.***

You don't want to use brakes at all for grass strips on landing or you will
invite the chances of the nose wheel digging in.

Keeping the yoke full aft after landing to shut down will reduce the
pressure on the nose wheel and shift the weight back on your mains where it
needs to be.

Allen

john smith wrote:

In article ,
A Lieberman wrote:


No difference, just land normally...


Incorrect advice.....
You want to land as softly and as slowly as possible on a grass strip.
Also want to keep the nosewheel off terra firma as long as possible so it
doesn't run the risk of "digging in" from the weight of the engine and prop
when the nose wheel does touch down.
After touchtown, the yoke should be full aft.


You mean you don't do a normal landing this way?

It seems a lot of pilots these days aren't taught this way. It
certainly is the way I was taught. The only real difference between my
soft-field technique and a normal landing is the addition of power after
touchdown in order to hold the nosewheel off and to facilitate taxi. My
approach and landing technique is the same no matter what the runway.

Matt

A Lieberman wrote:

Incorrect advice.....

You want to land as softly and as slowly as possible on a grass strip.


Soft Field Technique Snipped

A Grass strip is not synonymous with "Soft Field".

If its a well prepared, dry, grass or dirt strip its likely NOT very
soft, and the "land normal" advice is pretty much on the money.

The turf and dirt strips are actually a little more forgiving than paved
strips when you are learning crosswinds and playing with tailwheels...

Dave

"A Lieberman" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 18:14:25 +0100, Quilljar wrote:

No difference, just land normally...

Incorrect advice.....

You want to land as softly and as slowly as possible on a grass strip.

Also want to keep the nosewheel off terra firma as long as possible so it
doesn't run the risk of "digging in" from the weight of the engine and
prop
when the nose wheel does touch down.

After touchtown, the yoke should be full aft.

Taxiing on soft fields is also significantly different. You hold the yoke
back full aft and taxi with more power to ease the pressure of the nose
wheel.

Allen

Sounds to me like you have turf runway and soft field mixed up. The two are
definitely not the same. Normal turf is really no different that hard
surface except it is more forgiving and tires last much, much longer.

Now that nose wheel thing I don't know about. I've avoided those dastardly
things for years.

Ben Hallert wrote:

drclive wrote:

Can anybody point out a good bibliography or article that describes the
differences in landing on a grass airstrip for the first time, tips and
advices? Thanks


Rent a CFI?


A CFI to land on a grass strip? If he needs that then he better get his
money back from his original CFI.


Matt

drclive wrote:
Can anybody point out a good bibliography or article that describes the
differences in landing on a grass airstrip for the first time, tips and
advices? Thanks

Ben Hallert wrote:
Rent a CFI?

Matt Whiting wrote:
A CFI to land on a grass strip? If he needs that then he
better get his money back from his original CFI.

Why is it so out of the question for him to get a CFI to go with him if
he's never landed on grass before? Maybe it's common where you are, but
in many places, you're not allowed to practice landing on anything but a
paved runway with rental aircraft while training for your private pilot
license. Most schools/clubs prohibit landing rental aircraft on
unimproved (grass, dirt, etc.) strips, regardless of your ratings. We
all should know how to do a soft-field landing, but if you've never done
it and would feel more comfortable (and are willing to pay for) bringing
a CFI with you, why should that be a problem or a reflection on anyone's
"original CFI"?

unicate wrote:

drclive wrote:

Can anybody point out a good bibliography or article that describes the
differences in landing on a grass airstrip for the first time, tips and
advices? Thanks


Ben Hallert wrote:

Rent a CFI?


Matt Whiting wrote:

A CFI to land on a grass strip? If he needs that then he
better get his money back from his original CFI.


Why is it so out of the question for him to get a CFI to go with him if
he's never landed on grass before? Maybe it's common where you are, but
in many places, you're not allowed to practice landing on anything but a
paved runway with rental aircraft while training for your private pilot
license. Most schools/clubs prohibit landing rental aircraft on
unimproved (grass, dirt, etc.) strips, regardless of your ratings. We
all should know how to do a soft-field landing, but if you've never done
it and would feel more comfortable (and are willing to pay for) bringing
a CFI with you, why should that be a problem or a reflection on anyone's
"original CFI"?

You are the second person who can't distinguish between a grass strip
and a soft field. I guess you both need some remedial instruction. Any
competent private pilot or soloed student even should have no problem
landing on a grass strip. If they do, their instructor should have his
or her license revoked.


Matt

You are the second person who can't distinguish between a grass strip and a soft field.

Yanno, a grass strip should be treated as a soft field unless you know
otherwise. An unfamiliar grass strip can hide problems that an
unfamiliar asphalt strip would not.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Matt Whiting wrote:
You are the second person who can't distinguish between a grass strip
and a soft field. I guess you both need some remedial instruction. Any
competent private pilot or soloed student even should have no problem
landing on a grass strip. If they do, their instructor should have his
or her license revoked.

The point of my post was that the attitude that if someone wants or
needs to take a CFI with them to practice something they were taught but
never actually *did*, like landing on anything other than a paved
surface, even AFTER they have their license, who are you to pass
judgment on them or on their "original" CFI?

The attitude that "remedial instruction" after one is a licensed private
pilot is something to be ashamed of, or a negative reflection on one's
"original" CFI, has no place here, IMO. Must be nice to be so perfect
that you never need, want or ask for the input of a CFI once you have a
license. If you open any of your private pilot reference books or the
FAR/AIM to review something you learned during private pilot
instruction, is that a negative reflection on your "original" CFI, too?
How do you know how long this person got their license, how often they
fly, or what the terrain is like where they are?

And while on the subject of assumptions, I know grass strips are not
*always* soft fields -- my mistake for not being more specific; your
mistake for assuming that all of them ARE. Where I'm from, if you can
get grass to grow on it, it's soft enough for a soft-field landing;
grass doesn't generally grow on anything harder here ... at least, not
the kind of lush green grass you can see from pattern altitude or above.
*Most* dirt strips around here are soft also. Nevertheless, I don't know
of any school or club that allows one to land a rental aircraft on an
unimproved strip, with or without a CFI.