Short-Field Landings

[EdFred]

LOL I can't say I ever have. Although I have a couple in mind I have been flying over watching for couple years. I need to walk it first? Last fall it was real dry and the harvest was done. I should have then but I didn't. pool table smooth.
The runway in the picture above is just past the tilled field, 2 driveways to the west.

It was a joke because what stood out first in that picture was the plowed field, and not the strip beyond it.

I would never, by choice, land on a freshly tilled field.

 

[MauleSkinner]

It was a joke because what stood out first in that picture was the plowed field, and not the strip beyond it.

I would never, by choice, land on a freshly tilled field.

Depends what it was tilled with.

 

[Plano Pilot]

In the early 80's I instructed at an airport that had a 1200x16 foot concrete runway with 500 foot grass overruns at each end. When the students could consistently keep the aircraft on the concrete, they were ready for solo. They never had problems with short field landings on the check ride.

 

[Gary Ward]

It was a joke because what stood out first in that picture was the plowed field, and not the strip beyond it.

I would never, by choice, land on a freshly tilled field.

I get it, that is why I started my post with lol.
The fields I have been eye balling are smooth, at least look that way from the air. Famous last words? lol

 

[MauleSkinner]

In the early 80's I instructed at an airport that had a 1200x16 foot concrete runway with 500 foot grass overruns at each end. When the students could consistently keep the aircraft on the concrete, they were ready for solo. They never had problems with short field landings on the check ride.

Where was that?

 

[Plano Pilot]

Where was that?

Back then it was called O'Brien Airpark, now it is called Moonbow. North of Waxahachie, TX, South of Dallas. Back then you could fuel your airplane and put a check in a cigar box in the terminal. Below is a picture of the terminal and the guy that used to farm the land before it was the airport. Hose Rogers also worked for the airport. Owner was Bun O'Brien and he was one of the last professional flight engineers for AA. Bun had 2 PA-11's and a C150 that I instructed in.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Back then it was called O'Brien Airpark, now it is called Moonbow. North of Waxahachie, TX, South of Dallas. Back then you could fuel your airplane and put a check in a cigar box in the terminal. Below is a picture of the terminal and the guy that used to farm the land before it was the airport. Hose Rogers also worked for the airport. Owner was Bun O'Brien and he was one of the last professional flight engineers for AA. Bun had 2 PA-11's and a C150 that I instructed in.

View attachment 115270

Sounded an awful lot like an airport in Missouri that I landed at once.

 

[Silvaire]

Obviously there's more than one way to skin a cat and not all cats are the same.

 

[Tools]

I like seeing the runways at Naval Air Stations. This one is at Norfolk. Gives a good scale of what a "short field" really is.

View attachment 115252

Rolled around onto final there in a md-80… instinctively lined up on the box.

Captain is like, uh, wanna go for the REAL middle of the runway?!!

oh ya…

 

[Gilbert Buettner]

Bought a Cessna 172 equipped with a STOL kit, stall fences, drooped leading edges and wingtips.... this thing would fly at about 35 MPH. We did the deal at a nearby airport, and then I had to take the seller back to his private field east of Kalamazoo. 1,200 feet with tall trees on the approach and his house on the departure end.

I dropped that baby in perfectly and he was impressed. I had to confess that I had nearly four years of "maximum effort" landings in C-130s.