Do You Carry a Spare Tire and Tube All the Time?

Do you carry a spare tire and/or tube when you fly?

  • Spare tire

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spare tube

    Votes: 18 15.5%

  • Spare tire and tube

    Votes: 3 2.6%

  • Nope

    Votes: 95 81.9%
  • Total voters
    116
Pilot Steve

Pilot Steve

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
113
Location
Raleigh, NC
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Display name:
Pilot Steve
Last weekend I had my second flat tire at KGSP, Greer, SC. The first time it went flat on the ramp at the FBO. The second time I had just taxied to the end of the 10,000 foot runway and turned for the hold short line and "flub-flub." I know the sound.

So glad it went before takeoff. That would be an unpleasant landing surprise.

After getting the plane towed the 8,000 feet back to the FBO the hunt started for a fix. It turns out the tire was fine and had a lot of tread on it. The tube had a split in one small spot. The hunt started for a replacement tube. No facility at the field carries GA parts.

I will admit that my tires have become a situation where a tire was replaced here with what was on hand and a tube there. I've just decided to replace all my tires and tubes with something I want, but that's a different discussion.

At my home field, one of the flight schools carries a spare tire and tube in all the planes. I'm curious if anyone here does the same thing.

Have you had an away from home flat tire story you can share as well?

UPDATE: My experience led me to design and build the Baggage Organizer for others to carry critical spare items in the airplane so we don't get stranded like this again.
 
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I replace the tires with high quality replacements when they need it. While not impossible for the tire itself to fail, I think the tube would be more likely. Maybe I’ll throw a couple in the wing locker one day?
 
I caught something on a ramp while taxiing out on a Sunday at one of the most un-attended airports you can imagine. Thankfully there was an old geezer A+P there who was only too helpful! There were ways to taxi around me so I did it in place. I would not want to tow it as eventually the tire is going to stop protecting the wheel and then you will damage the rim.
Anyway, the helpful geezer just provided me with a jack and air, maybe some tools - although I try to carry a full complement. Getting the airplane up was as hard as changing the tire/tube as I recall. I think I was delayed an hour; could easily have been much much worse.
 
I used to carry a tailwheel tire & tube, as they’re far less common in the wild.

It got replaced every year or two...I told my mechanic that if somebody needed one to just take mine and order me a new one. Win-win all around.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I caught something on a ramp while taxiing out on a Sunday at one of the most un-attended airports you can imagine.
Click to expand...

I know that feeling. I once had to free a stuck starter by pounding the starter with a jack from a van at the second most unattended airport. LOL.
 
Are you going to carry a jack along with the spare tire and tube? And what are you going to do if you loose the nose wheel sitting on someone else's ramp?
 
Changing the tires on my plane doesn't require a jack. The nose gear can be raised by pulling down on the tail (you can use a tie down rope to hold it). The main you change by having two people lift up under the wing enough to throw a 4x4 or something similar under the gear leg. I've changed a tire parked on the grass next to the Oshkosh flightline.
 
I can see an extra tube, tires usually don’t just fail unexpectedly unless you have a real bad landing. The problem is you could go years before you need it, but it could save you a few days waiting on a shipment.
 
Tires should be replaced when the first sign of cracking, or low tread, or age as tires dry out. Pretty important preventive maintenance. A lot of pilots wait too long to replace fading batteries and old tires.

If a tire is lost due to hard landing, a best practices is to have the aircraft properly inspected for gear and gear attach point fatigue. It's pretty rare FOD on the runway causes a good tire to be lost.
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
I can see an extra tube, tires usually don’t just fail unexpectedly unless you have a real bad landing. The problem is you could go years before you need it, but it could save you a few days waiting on a shipment.
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But if the tube fails while rolling, the tire can be severely damaged by the time you come to a stop.
 
steingar said:
Are you going to carry a jack along with the spare tire and tube? And what are you going to do if you loose the nose wheel sitting on someone else's ramp?
Click to expand...

My experience has been ample ways to remove and replace the tire, just no GA tubes or tires available.
 
flyingron said:
Changing the tires on my plane doesn't require a jack. The nose gear can be raised by pulling down on the tail (you can use a tie down rope to hold it). The main you change by having two people lift up under the wing enough to throw a 4x4 or something similar under the gear leg. I've changed a tire parked on the grass next to the Oshkosh flightline.
Click to expand...

The tail-heavy trick works on the 182 as well for changing the front tire.
 
Only airplane I’ve ever flown with a spare tire is my Beech 18.

Previous owner actually got a complete spare tailwheel with wheel, tire and tube and built a box in the nose baggage for it along with a jack, so if I ever needed to, I could change out the tailwheel on the spot.

The whole thing weighs close to 50 lbs. Not too many airplanes have that kind of useful load to.....

wait for it......

Spare!
 
Oh heck yes, tubes only though, you can always borrow the few tools or a jack when needed, or buy from a local auto store, and I’ve yet to get a flat that also required a tire.
 
NordicDave said:
Tires should be replaced when the first sign of cracking, or low tread, or age as tires dry out. Pretty important preventive maintenance. A lot of pilots wait too long to replace fading batteries and old tires.

If a tire is lost due to hard landing, a best practices is to have the aircraft properly inspected for gear and gear attach point fatigue. It's pretty rare FOD on the runway causes a good tire to be lost.
Click to expand...


Hard landing you might want to call a AP
 
James331 said:
Oh heck yes, tubes only though, you can always borrow the few tools or a jack when needed, or buy from a local auto store, and I’ve yet to get a flat that also required a tire.
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I've had to do the local tool purchase at an auto parts store. You can always put together a cheap tool kit. I bought this one from Sporty's and it has saved me so much grief. https://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/pilot-s-tool-kit.html
 
Carrying a spare tire and tube seems like way overkill. Most planes have different sizes for mains and nose/tail so you would need two tires and two tubes.
If I ever get a flat away from home and a new tube is not readily available I would patch it with supplies available from the aviation department of any auto parts store. Put a new tube on when you get home if you are uneasy about the patch.
 
Pilot Steve said:
I've had to do the local tool purchase at an auto parts store. You can always put together a cheap tool kit. I bought this one from Sporty's and it has saved me so much grief. https://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/pilot-s-tool-kit.html
Click to expand...

This tool kit from CruzTools is a fantastic basic emergency set. I added a few items to mine like cotter pins, larger tire ties, a hex wrench for the radio release screw, 2 sets of mechanics latex gloves in a plastic bag, a standard phillips screwdriver. Whole thing rolls up nicely.
 
swingwing said:
So you are in the middle of no where with a flat and a spare tube. How do you break the bead?
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Lie it flat and stomp on it.

The bigger issue can be inflating the tire. But typically the weak link in getting any of that done is almost always going to be the tube.
 
I carry a spare tube in the Cub, and I've fixed a flat with just a small pocket tool, lifting the wing and putting a block under the axle. It's usually not too hard to find a nearby air pump.
 
Yea mine blew on landing and destroyed the tire too. I was very happy she didnt ground loop... thats thanks to a good stiff headwind, VGs so i can land very slow, and an instructor that taught me not to be scared of the brakes, get the darned thing to taxi speed asap... with the useful load in a c140 I'm not going to carry spare tire... larger plane i might consider.
 
No. And I fly into some dodgy Ag strips.
 
If no spare tube and the FBO doesn't have one a garden equipment store can supply one as they use the same size tire but the valve stem is in a slightly different location; however, you can stretch it into position in an emergency.
 
I recently had a fast leak develop in the right main gear tire. The air was escaping around the valve stem, but upon removal of the tube, I discovered a small 0.5cm leak in the sidewall area of the tube. No leak around the actual valve stem attachment point.
So my question is - should I...
1) patch it and reinstall it as my primary tube
2) patch it and put it in the emergency gear box within the plane or
3) consider patching to be abhorent to aviation practices and toss it in the trash?
 
no....I take nothing.

Full disclosure.....A&P I/A here. And I did flat spot a tire that went flat 1 hour away from home. I was showing off to my Cuz....and landed the Six short and made the first turn at MRB....but did so humbly. lol. Called the wife and made some trips from FDK to MRB by car to fix it. I would no way carry a spare tire in a plane. It's just stupid. Most FBO's will have what you need. If you must carry an inner tube....but, even that. :confused:
 
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I got a small vehicle tube patch kit in my flight bag. I have patched hundreds of bicycle tubes, some that have lasted for months to years after patching, so I trust a good patch. But I have never had to use it on the airplane tubes yet.
 
I carry a spare schraeder valve and tool. But I have been thinking about adding a tube to the spares kit. I also carry a replacement starter solenoid
 
UPDATE: My experience led me to design and build the Baggage Organizer for others to carry critical spare items in the airplane so we don't get stranded like this again.
Click to expand...


I’m sure it’s a nice enough product, but frankly, I think I’d save myself $175 and use something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Honey-Can-Do...p/B004ZVN78C/ref=psdc_318295011_t1_B00VIICP4M

Probably lighter, too. And can be folded up when not needed.

There are dozens of similar items of various shapes and sizes.
 
After seeing the thread title and the ballot entries, I was just about to suggest that this thread goes into the "Medical Topics" section.
 
Spare oil, rags, a couple screw drivers and an adjustable wrench only. Oil and rags came in handy that one time i left the oil cap off for a one hour flight. Whoops.
 
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