What knot for the ground end of the rope?

JCranford said:
Only one mention of ratchet straps. Why?
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I wouldn't do ratchet straps. Too easy to crank em down too much. I use the friction straps though. Way easier and quicker, especially when you gotta get it tied down before the gust front hits.
 
Knots strength loss pdf at bottom

Dynamic tensile strength comparison
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you have to hand over your pilot card if you EVER use this:
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eman1200 said:
because he didn't ask about ratchet straps, he asked about which knot for the rope he has.
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Someone needs to develop a Bonanza knot so Bonanza can be the answer to every question on this board.
 
JCranford said:
Only one mention of ratchet straps. Why?
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Because this thread is about tying knots in ropes. Maybe someone wants to start a new thread: "Tying Down Your Plane: Ropes vs Ratchet Straps"
 
A chain is fine if the thing the chain is tied to has some give as is often the case (The chains are often tied to steel cable running across the ramp).
Both airports I was based at in Colorado used chains like that without problem. Gatlinburg TN had them too the last time I was there.
 
EdFred said:
Someone needs to develop a Bonanza knot so Bonanza can be the answer to every question on this board.
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Bonanza, schmonanaza. It's the Cirrus that comes with its own tie-down ropes. They're stored in kind of a weird place, though.
 
iamtheari said:
Bonanza, schmonanaza. It's the Cirrus that comes with its own tie-down ropes. They're stored in kind of a weird place, though.
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The Cirrus knot breaks if used on grass though.
 
birdus said:
How easy is it to make the line taut using a bowline?
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With the inverted one? Easy, as the working end runs down the standing end instead of the other way around. The loop is on the standing end that the working end runs through, allowing you to just yank hard and that locks just enough to hold the tension while you complete the knot.

I'll have to look later to see if that knot is actually the same as one of the other knots mentioned here. I'm not sure of its real name.
 
Ghery said:
Warum nicht? I've been to some airports where that is what is already in place. And given the winds, chains seem reasonable.
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Chains make perfect sense since they can lay out in the sun for years and not rot away. If you use ropes or straps you’d have to constantly be inspecting them, they can't endure UV rays for long. Poly rope of course is much better but still not as good as galvanized chain. Many people seem to have no idea how to properly use chains though. Park the plane a bit forward of the spot, hook the wing chains on, push it back until they are taught then pull the tail down a bit and hook the aft chain letting the weight of the nose keep it taught. You’ll have no trouble with them.

There was a guy at our airport with an old prewar Aeronca Chief who decided he didn’t like the chains so used his own ropes. The plane sat out there in the blistering sun day after day for about a year and a half then a big wind came along and it ended up a ball of twisted metal and fabric at the east end of the field. All of the planes that were chained down remained where they were supposed to.
 
Just make sure your knot of choice doesn't in any conceivable way resemble a noose.
 
Blatham489 said:
Just make sure your knot of choice doesn't in any conceivable way resemble a noose.
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I'm not sure if that's hilarious or a critical point which could mean the difference between life and death.
 
I double line with 1/2 inch rope. I start with a bowline in the wing ring, loop through the ground ring,then loop through the bowline loop. When I pull the tag end the double loops act as a block and tackle to multiply the pull force, then tie it off with a double half hitch and a quick release added to the end. I do both wings first then the tail and pull the airplane backwards to tighten all ropes. I then dial in full nose down trim so the wing doesn't lift in the wind. With 3 double 1/2 inch lines I figure I have about 6000 lbs of rope strength, or about 4200 lbs of hold down strength on a 45 degree angle on my low wing. That should keep her planted in a 80 mph breeze. Good rope is cheap compared to my bird.
 
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Get a plane with higher wing loading and quit worrying about knots.
 
The bitter end of a rope is "Whipped" no knot.

I cheat, I place a piece of heat shrink over the end and shrink it on.

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want to get fancy? back splice it.
 
For some reason I didn’t retain much from knot class. I use whatever feels right.
 
I was Army & Navy, still not great with knots. Are we supposed to retain everything we are taught?
 
eman1200 said:
because he didn't ask about ratchet straps, he asked about which knot for the rope he has.
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EdFred said:
Someone needs to develop a Bonanza knot so Bonanza can be the answer to every question on this board.
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Riiiiight, cuz theres never thread creep 5 posts in on this board...

OK, to answer the OP...

BONANZA!!!

And for the real answer: I cant answer you cuz I use a hook and a ratchet strap
 
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