Pirep for cutting boards under the tires

Nathan Miller

Nathan Miller

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Oct 5, 2019
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Nathan
How many of you all bring a set of cutting boards to place under your tires to keep from sinking into the mud? Are they worth it? I’ve heard some don’t. Instead, at the end of the week, they pull the plane out of the rut. Once it’s on fresher ground, they load up their camping gear and depart). Yay? Nay?

For those that do bring a set of cutting boards, got any recommendations? I’d hate to buy overbuilt boards and throw money away. Then again, I’d hate to go too thin and have the weight of the plane snap them :)

As usual, I’m sure I’m overthinking things :cool:
 
I switched to cutting boards after the gutter downspout splashpads I'd been using got brittle and broke after a couple freeze/thaw cycles from sitting in the hangar. I think I got the cutting boards at Dollar General and they were dirt cheap. Mine are pretty thin but plenty solid enough for my 172 on the grass at Oshkosh for the week. They pack a lot easier than the downspout splashpads too.
 
I have been using cutting boards I bought at Bed Bath & Beyond for the last 10 or 12 trips to Sun n Fun and Oshkosh. 12 x 8 for the mains and 6.5 x 8.5 for the nose. They are still holding up fine and definitely help keep my Cherokee 6 from sinking in after a week of camping.
 
I bought some 1/2" thick cutting boards. After 4 days they looked like taco shells, although the lance is a bit...portly. There was no shortage of people to help push the airplane. I do think I'll get some thicker ones as I think it would help if (when) it rains.
 
EdFred said:
I'd want something with a bigger footprint than a cutting board. If you can fit it in, 3 pieces of 2' x 2' x 3/4" plywood is what I would do.
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That’s what I’ve got. But with the cherokee, I don’t have the same weight limits as the RV crowd at my airport.
 
I used 12x12 1/2in plywood last year at OSH (C172)
They did the trick, and I'd use again if necessary..but I'd call it the bare minimum.
If you have room/load, or a bigger/heavier plane, I'd go with what @EdFred said.
 
I use plastic downspout splash guards for my 6,000lb Twin Bonanza. Work great at ~$10 each or so.
 
Skyrys62 said:
Do your neighbors ever miss them before you get back? ;)

What brand if you care to share? There are a lot out there that seem flimsy.
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No clue, bought them at Home Depot or Lowes. Just the hard, rigid plastic ones. I think they're green.
 
I do the cutting boards - some cheap set from ‘zon to keep it light and durable enough. Just thick enough to distribute the weight without being a PITA to roll the plane onto them. I reckon plywood is touch heavier and certainly won’t last as long. But these are tiny differences in the scheme of things. I’m lazy enough that the cutting boards win.
 
I use 1 foot squares of 1/8” aluminum diamond plate. Used 1/2” plywood for a couple of years until one cracked. Switched to aluminum and haven’t looked back.
 
I’ve used plywood for years at OSH with good success but I think the lighter option is to use some leftover RaceDeck tiles from doing my hangar floors. They typically have similar ones at HD in 10-packs and I bet they’d work fine too. Lighter than plywood.
 
Depends where you park. The space I've been in for a while is pretty dang hard. However, there are places (like where I parked in the North 40 when I had the skyhawk) where you could indeed sync.

What I tend to use now are these large cutting boards that Sam's Club sells. You can't buy plastic like that cheaper than what they sell it for. I'd cut them in half.
 
I think I’m going to get some 20”x20” diamond plate to use at OSH this year.


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