Grass Runway Landing Training

Did you ever receive flight training on a grass runway?

  • Yes, during PPL training

    Votes: 86 53.1%

  • Yes, but after PPL

    Votes: 25 15.4%

  • No, never

    Votes: 51 31.5%
  • Total voters
    162
P

poadeleted20

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Based on a post over on the SR-22 crash thread, I'd like to know how many of you ever (or never) got actual training on landing on a grass runway. I'm not talking about doing simulated soft-field landings on pavement, I'm talking about actual taking off and landing on a grass runway.
 
I never did, and I've landed successfully many times on both grass and dirt strips. I don't believe that training is necessary in anyway shape or form on most decent unfinished strips in a trigeared airplane.

TWs? Maybe, I have no experience.
 
I did not Ron. The Flight School / FBO would not allow landing on grass. We did the simulated short/Soft but nothing for real and No grass.
 
Both 1 and 2. Yessir, yessir, often.

I get dual every Spring. This year we went to BUU to use the grass runway before I flew to Gastons.

I still made the worst landing ever at Gastons.

I think that was due to the law about your best landings havign no witnesses and vice-versa.

BTW, it has occurred to me lately that in my world record number of hours pre-PPL I got some terrific training. When I talk to PPLs that don't know the basics on FARs and plane and powerplant, and read things like "it never occurred to me to go around," it made me realize I need to thank Joe for covering it all with me.

When you have new CFIs who were PPLs with the same shortcomings it's no wonder this stuff is glossed over.
 
My first real soft field landing was during commercial training and we were in a 172RG. Landed at Manatee the day after a heavy rain. The runway was still pretty wet and muddy. I learned real fast how that really can slow one down. I thought we would never reach enough speed to get into ground effect.
 
Ron Levy said:
Based on a post over on the SR-22 crash thread, I'd like to know how many of you ever (or never) got actual training on landing on a grass runway.
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No training, first time on grass was plunking it down on Gastons myself.
 
I had to do my emergency landing with my DE at a grass field. But I had landed at two other grass fields during my PPL, one was only 1800'X25' and had a fence at each end.
 
I've already done training on a grass runway for short and soft field take-offs and landings, and I'm sure there will be more of it.
 
FWIW, the FBO here in Salisbury permits grass landings only at one selected local grass airport, and only with one of their instructors aboard, but they do take all PPL students there to try it.
 
Bill Jennings said:
No training, first time on grass was plunking it down on Gastons myself.
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...and that one was a 7, 9, 9!

Actually, I misremembered my poll response. I did get two landings on grass prior to PVT ASEL, in a C172. But I didnt' get really familiar with grass until the five years I operated the Cessna 140. They were MADE for grass.
 
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AdamZ said:
I did not Ron. The Flight School / FBO would not allow landing on grass. We did the simulated short/Soft but nothing for real and No grass.
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Same experience. I'm not sure what the policy is at my current school. I'm sure it's not allowed without an instructor. But, it's on my list of things to dig into as are upset recovery training and aerobatics.
 
Nothing during training. Some of the instructor's did, mine didn't. I've used enough over the year that I don't avoid them. The Mooney does prefer pavement though.
 
IMHO, teaching grass landings is not that important, most grass landings are not soft field landings, even in the rain. A mention of brake effectiveness, visual references and gopher holes pretty much sums it up.

Teaching grass field takeoffs are much more important, and I have the battle-scarred airplane to prove it. But five minutes of ground school could probably cover the salient points here too.
 
Yes, during my PPL training. The FBO allows, per insurance, landings at about 4 grass fields with their rentals. I don't know how many other CFIs from that FBO actually teach landings on grass, but mine insisted on it.
 
Although it was on the 'to-do' list pre-PPL, we never got to do it due to weather and runway closure issues.

After PPL, while starting my tailwheel checkout, we were flying off grass. That was my intro to grass -- in a PA-11.
 
Nope, the Flight School won't allow grass-field landings. The closest I've come was lining up to land at a grass field during a simulated engine out, but we went around.
 
Did a grass field takeoff pre-ASEL, but didn't do my first grass landing until after I had an IR and 12R. Did it on my birthday even. I don't see the issue with landing on grass, provided runways are kept in decent shape like 3M0 and 6Y9, and a couple others I've been to. I don't do anything different on grass, except not quite as heavy braking - a bit easier to lock em up.
 
Learned to fly off of grass. Does that count? I had 65 hours before I did much work at all on hard surfaces.
 
alaskaflyer said:
IMHO, teaching grass landings is not that important, most grass landings are not soft field landings, even in the rain. A mention of brake effectiveness, visual references and gopher holes pretty much sums it up.

Teaching grass field takeoffs are much more important, and I have the battle-scarred airplane to prove it. But five minutes of ground school could probably cover the salient points here too.
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Interesting you said that. I've never landed on grass (prohibited by the flight school) but while practicing for my PPL checkride with my instructor, we landed on the hard surface of Rockingham, NC (KRCZ), but took off on the 3,000 x 500 grass runway. It was a good exercise in protecting the nosegear, understanding ground effect, and Vx (the trees were looming large as I was trying to gain some altitude - I know you are probably laughing at my problem with a 3,000ft runway, but it was a really high DA day:eek:).

I regret not having actual practice on grass, Ron. That one takeoff helped me so much more than procedure memorization in demonstrating a fake soft-field takeoff with my DPE.
 
My first few hours were off of a grass strip in a taildragger, although I'm not sure you remember everything about the actual grass part during that stage. The idea of just flying an airplane is still new.

Thankfully we have a flat grassy area to the left of one of our runways at stillwater. Tower pretty much says you can take off but at your own risk. You tend to find a few more holes than places like gastons. We're pretty much advised to only do it in the lighter airplanes like 152s and with an instructor. If you miss, are low and a little off the "center" its possible to hit the tetrahedron!

Sandy Creek airpark, panama city, FL. Great little grass strip!
 

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I asked for it and made 3 take-off & landings on a grass runway during primary training.

BTW - Does this count?
RYtakeoff.jpg
 
My original flight school prohibited operating into and out of grass strips, and I presumed (at that point) that there was something inherently dangerous about it.

Subsequently, while doing my checkout time in the club F33A, the instructor was shocked to hear that I had never operated off of grass, and immediately vectored me to land at a small-ish strip we were near (Diamond J, TS85, 2400').
 
We did a couple of patterns at the grass ag strip next to the Cedar Lake VOR.

I think the folks who really have it right, though, is the school at Aeroflex Andover in NJ. The students there start their primary training in taildraggers on grass fields, and never get exposed to trigear a/c until after they solo.
 
Out of three CFIs, I only got to do wet grass and sand during private training because I requested them.
 
Actual instruction with the instructor on grass? Not really for the most part. I grew up on a grass runway in the family plane. My instructor knew I was flying out of a private grass strip so we did a round of 50+ essay questions in addition to him knowing and talking with the other family pilots I flew with out of that runway. He gave me orders to keep observing as well as being actively involved in the takeoff and landings there with the pilots I was with even if I wasn't flying. IIRC his words were "Do as they are doing because they are doing it like it should be done. Learn their judgement process." (There was also some frightening comment about pinning me to the wall like a solo shirt if I changed anything on how it was being done without his, and their, express permission)

Renting has always forbidden anything that's not concrete or asphault so I quit asking to land on grass even with an instructor. It kind of takes the fun out of it a bit. (Just another reason to own)

Curiously pavement gave me trouble early on. The numbers were easier to calculate and demonstrate however it just didn't feel right so I kept screwing up the landings.
 
Went in to a grass strip once on an early lesson before I joined the club I belong to now. Don't know if that other FBO had a policy, it was the CFI's decision. Club rules require paved runways, so I haven't been to a grass strip since. :(
 
Almost every FBO around SoCal prohibits the use of non-paved runways. But considering the rarity of non-paved fields in places I'd want to visit its a non issue during normal ops. Secondly, around here unpaved fields are more likely to be hard dirt as opposed to grass (in the Mojave desert and such).

The closest I've been to grass is taxing on the dirt parking area at Catalina (AVX).
 
AdamZ said:
I did not Ron. The Flight School / FBO would not allow landing on grass. We did the simulated short/Soft but nothing for real and No grass.
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Ditto. Was easy enough to do after I purchased though.
 
18 didnt get the joy of grass before PVT. how sad. My latest student was nearly solo'd before the wind was out of the north one day and we had to land on the pavement. There's a fair argument that most of the fun in aviation is on a grass field, just look at the fly ins hosted on this forum!
 
I did not, but I made sure that my students did.

Bob Gardner
 
I just went off and did it when I had my old 150. no big deal. I won't land grass in the Free Bird, don't want to get grass stains on the spats.
 
About a third of my pre-ppl landings were on grass. My instructor said it was easier on the tires(I hope that wasn't a comment on the quality of my paved strip landings!)
Like Alaskaflyer said, landing on grass does not really equate with soft field landing. I got my first real soft field training after my ppl. A friend practicing for his CFI went up with me and we did T/O and Landings on the grass in 3-4 inches of snow. Crosswind landings always seem easier to me on grass.

Barb
 
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