Best tie downs for a c182

AlphaMike

AlphaMike

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AlphaMike
Hi everyone. I’m a new owner of a Cessna 182. I’m looking for some advice on what type of tie downs everyone likes. I’m a 120 hour pilot and to be honest I’ve never had to tie a plane down. My 182 is in a hanger but I expect now that I have my own plan I’ll be making some longer overnight trips. Thanks for any advice!
 
Most places will have tie downs but for just in case to keep in your plane straps honestly just find some 20' ratchet straps at a hardware store. I bought a set of "tie down straps" from Sportys and they are no better than my cargo straps in my truck and have come up short on length more than once at random airfields that did not have ropes/chains.
 
You'll probably get suggestions from "only rope" to ratchet straps. Just make sure you have something (as you are doing). If you use ratchet straps don't forget to tie them up in a way that if the mechanism slips it still holds. Many times I've had to dig out a lot of dirt and especially ice so have something like a screw driver to be able to get at the embedded tie down ring. Don't forget chocks. You don't need a lot of tension on the tail, put too much before you tie down the wings and the 182 will tip (tail down) pretty quickly. It won't hurt anything but if you've never done it it might give you a nice surprise. Our tie downs always get tangled. So I decided to just tangle them all up first and then put them in a plastic bag :)
 
I just carry three pieces of rope, and "The Claw" for areas where I expect to be on grass/dirt, without airport supplied tie-down rings, like Alaska.
 
Have the claw as well (gift from another pilot!). But they are heavy.
 
I like rope. I've seen the hooks on ratchet straps come out of the tiedown rings when the airplane bounces in the wind. I found Aircraft Spruce to be considerably cheaper than local sources for tiedown rope.
 
Homemade with some lines attached. Very similar to this. stakedowns.JPG Whatever you do don't use the cheap corkscrew stakes. You'll twist them right off trying to get them in hard packed ground - not suitable for airplanes. I've kicked around the idea of using some kind of braided cable instead of chain link for weight savings but I don't use them enough to worry too much about it.
 
I’ve got a 1300lb useful load (P model ) so I’m not too concerned about weight. I would like to have an all inclusive system for tying down at pretty much any airport. I was hoping there was a kit or something that would cover most situations. Thank you so much for all the advice so Far!
 
I have 3 pet stakes and thick nylon rope. Easy and light kit.
 
Dana said:
And totally inadequate to hold a plane in any significant wind.
Click to expand...

It worked fine in several places in Canada and Alaska. I got the very long (1.5 ft) metal ones. In soil, they hold our shade sails at home in 40-50 mph wind. Not sure if anyone compared it to the Claw, but I would not be surprised if they are equal.
 
Avoid anything with simple S-hooks that mount to the plane. If you're using chain, put a link through, pass another one over and then put the s-hook through the first link. If you're using fancier tiedowns get something that either ties (like a rope) or has a positive closure (like a carabiner). I had bad experience with simple hooks, nearly lost the plane I flew to Oshkosh the first year.
 
Climbing carabiners are fantastically strong (22 kN ~5000lb), available in locking versions that can't come open with out a special sequence (screw, push a ball and turn, etc), and super light now - way lighter than the steel S hooks on straps. Just cut off the S hooks and a 'biner will fit. Bring a few short 1' pieces of rope to tie through an airport tie down if the 'biner can't fit for some reason. Just a simple loop of rope with an overhand knot through the chain or ground anchor and the 'biner will clip to it securely.
 
The tie down straps/ropes themselves are an easy solution with many acceptable choices. Creating an anchor in the grass at a fly in requires more creativity. The picture in iflyvfr’s post is a cheap and easy solution.
 
Ropes and a small set of chocks have worked fine for me. As @MBDiagMan said grass anchors will need creativity.
 
I saw a design that is easy to create. Just a piece of aluminum angle with some holes drilled and a u-bolt. Stormforce.

You could probably come up with a way to make them dual purpose for both hard and soft ground. Use the landscape spike nails through the angle iron for hard ground. Use the angle itself pounded deep into soft ground directly. Might need the angle to be a bit longer or changed from and angle to a T extrusion. I did not spend enough brain power working it out, but I plan on making a set this year from left over aluminum angle and spikes that are already in the hangar.
 
I also have the claw, which has been great off pavement.

For fun, I made my own neon green tie downs out of rope, with an orange prusik knot to tighten and loosen it. Rope chic!

The rope is tied at a swivel hook which goes to ground, then goes through another swivel hook (for the wing) and then goes into a prusik tied around the leg near the ground. Slide that part to tighten or loosen.

Used swivels top n bottom. Must faster than ratchet straps, and look cool.
 
I have a Claw and a Stormforce set (looks like soudough's design). I prefer the latter. The Claw actually bent in a strong wind once but didn't release fully. The Claw folks replaced the broken/bent parts.

At my house there are tiedowns sunk in the ramp in front of the hangar, plus we've sunk very long augers in the ground in our yard to provide for three sets of tiedowns for visitors.
 
As others have stated, three lengths of rope is fine (You might google a strong knot, that will still come undone), tie down straps or ratchet straps are great, or, if you are going to really be out & about to grass strips etc., where there are no tie downs, there are lots of toe down anchor styles that you can buy or make. This is the kit I carry
BIG SCREW EZ TIE DOWN from Aircraft Spruce
 
My tie down kit has three parts: 3 ten foot 3/8 rope, I spliced a snap link into the ends of two of them; four 24 inch 1/4 rebar bent in a "U" shape-one for the tail and two for each wing pounded in so they cross; and a small sledge hammer. It all fits in a bag I made from a lower leg of an old pair of jeans. I just sewed up the end that used to be the knee.
I hook the snap links to the wing, drop the rope and pound in the "U's" a little outboard of where it lands and tie them off. Then I tie to the tail and pull it tight and pound in the last one to secure the plane. Then I put in the wheel chocks.

WHEEL CHOCK NOTE: tie a line between the wheel chocks that is long enough to be reached from the pilots seat. Run it on the inside near the plane. If you forget to pull the chocks before you start the engine, lock the brakes, reach out and yank the chocks.
 
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