Grass field and Piper Arrow

Matt and I are good, I trust him and his flying, and I think he is figuring out I know at least a thing or two as well.

It has really been a blast getting to know him since I had no idea there was another airplane junky in the family.

The main reason for my question was that I have heard that especially with the Mooney grass strips can be a problem because of the minimal prop clearance. Some clubs in the area that have had Mooneys restricted them to paved runways because of the clearance issues. (I am not Mooney bashing, I really like the airplane)

I also know from my PAX experiences that a grass strip landing can be pretty rough and though I am not afraid to fly my airplane I do tend to baby it since it is my first love so to speak.

After a few of the comments and reassurances from those that have actually flown in and out of grass strips in an Arrow I am confident it is not an issue. As I said in my OP I was already 99% sure, I just needed the other 1%.

I also like to have fun and I am willing to throw myself out there and open myself up to some abuse in the name of fun. Even if it means being called a Wuss.

I am actually looking forward to my BFR this year (before 3/26) and have every intention to have Matt run me through my paces.

If something on the airplane breaks then something must have been ready to break. I know a couple great mechanics!!!!!

Life is good.

Wake Up Amerika

Pitts Off

Unless you are from here you might not get that :rofl:
 
I don't know if this has been mentioned or not, but you're a wuss. :D

I've been on paved strips that have been rougher than some grass strips.
 
EdFred said:
I don't know if this has been mentioned or not, but you're a wuss. :D

I've been on paved strips that have been rougher than some grass strips.
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Thanks Ed, I was beginning to think you didn't love me anymore!!!
 
We took a great trip in the Turbo Arrow last summer through Idaho, Washington, Oregon and into Canada. It did great on the grass strips.
I will say that the only wrecked airplanes we saw at the remote strips were Cherokees. Both crashed when they landed deep.
 

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Did he have the gear switch in the up position on t/o roll???? :confused:
 
I am thinking that a 40 MPH landing is going to be video material as well.
 
Are you going to make me fly down there and show you how it's done? :p
 
Yeah come on down and show me your Comanche. Me thinks you are on to my plan.
 
Let me get it painted Maize and Blue first.
 
andybean said:
We took a great trip in the Turbo Arrow last summer through Idaho, Washington, Oregon and into Canada. It did great on the grass strips.
I will say that the only wrecked airplanes we saw at the remote strips were Cherokees. Both crashed when they landed deep.
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I only see one Cherokee there. :dunno:

(The other one is a Comanche.)
 
flyingmoose said:
Nobody is going to make him DO anything, Tom! If he chooses not to go, thats ok too. Its not a requirement. sheesh :rolleyes2:

Ok course, if he broke it he would pay for it.

Are you implying that landing in grass alone will break airplanes?
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WoW! where did all that come from? My statement was in reference to this

"but the other day I let it slip to my cousin/cfi that I had never landed on a grass strip. Said cousin/cfi says "HA" (some of you will recognize that) if you have me do your BFR I will throw things out there that you have never done and you will be landing on a grass field."
 
tmyers said:
The main reason for my question was that I have heard that especially with the Mooney grass strips can be a problem because of the minimal prop clearance. Some clubs in the area that have had Mooneys restricted them to paved runways because of the clearance issues. (I am not Mooney bashing, I really like the airplane)
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Look up Ed Guthrie on the Red page, ask him what happened when he took his Mooney into a grass field.

1 gofer hole that wasn't there the day before cost him a engine overhaul and a new prop.
 
I have landed both a straight tailed arrow and a Turbo Arrow IV T tail on grass. As pointed out, a well maintained grass strip is not a problem. Follow your soft field procedures.

And that was way before I lived on a grass strip. We've had everything from Barons and Pilatus P-6's down to Mooneys and Cessna 150's on our runway.
 
Tom-D said:
WoW! where did all that come from? My statement was in reference to this

"but the other day I let it slip to my cousin/cfi that I had never landed on a grass strip. Said cousin/cfi says "HA" (some of you will recognize that) if you have me do your BFR I will throw things out there that you have never done and you will be landing on a grass field."
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I know exactly what it was in reference to.

You said "Ask your cousin, if he breaks the aircraft, is he willing to pay for it."

So that is where my statement came from. "We on the same page now?"

So once again, are you implying that landing on grass is inherently dangerous? It just a question.
 
flyingron said:
I have landed both a straight tailed arrow and a Turbo Arrow IV T tail on grass. As pointed out, a well maintained grass strip is not a problem. Follow your soft field procedures.

And that was way before I lived on a grass strip. We've had everything from Barons and Pilatus P-6's down to Mooneys and Cessna 150's on our runway.
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Too all the people who think grass runways are limited to light, bushplanes with big tundra tires. remember. Back in the early days of aviation an airport was a huge mowed grass field where planes landed in any direction that favored the wind..:yes:.

Take this video..... It is a small GA aircraft, taking off from Cavanaugh Bay Idaho. http://www.airnav.com/airport/66S

It is a grass runway, located at 2500msl, it is 3300 feet long....

Notice the small GA plane is in the air by mid field, so figure it took 1600 feet to break ground and get airborn. Plane is based out of Driggs Idaho and flown by some VERY talented and safe pilots N505JH...

http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee15/jamesp1961/?action=view&current=IMG_1538.mp4


Yup............ it is a small GA Cessna.........:yes: AKA ,Citation Jet.:);)
 
flyingron said:
I have landed both a straight tailed arrow and a Turbo Arrow IV T tail on grass. As pointed out, a well maintained grass strip is not a problem. Follow your soft field procedures.

And that was way before I lived on a grass strip. We've had everything from Barons and Pilatus P-6's down to Mooneys and Cessna 150's on our runway.
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Only if the field is truly a soft field. One of the posters here can tell you what happens when you try and do soft field on a short grass strip that doesn't require it.
 
EdFred said:
Let me get it painted Maize and Blue first.
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Ed, Are these colors close to what you are referring to?

I looked hard at this Arrow before buying 32V. It had just finished a pre-purchase and the A&P discovered damage from a gear up the owner claimed he didn't know about. We passed but I was already trying to figure out how to explain the colors to my OSU friends and family. Nice looking aircraft though.
 

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tmyers said:
Ed, Are these colors close to what you are referring to?

I looked hard at this Arrow before buying 32V. It had just finished a pre-purchase and the A&P discovered damage from a gear up the owner claimed he didn't know about. We passed but I was already trying to figure out how to explain the colors to my OSU friends and family. Nice looking aircraft though.
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Ewww. Who would do that?
 
Please note correct school colors in the avatar to the left. :yes:
 
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I've flown an Arrow IV and Turbo Arrow III into a number of grass strips, and flew my Mooney M20C in and out of many, many more. A well-maintained grass strip is often smoother than the patched up pavement I've seen at some airports.
 
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