A question for those in the BCP community that play in the snow with big wheels.

How much snow depth are you comfortable landing in, 6/8/10 " when there isn't already a "beat'n path" to use ? For the sake of the conversation please include the wheel size being commented on.

Ha! Never really comfortable landing in the snow with wheels. Depends on the snow . 3inches of super light pow on ice . Ok . 3inches of super slop snow with a nice crust on it ......hmmm. Your going to get a bunch of different answers . .Skis work great for keeping your airplane right side up after a snow landing . I would recommend a pair. Wheels in the snow are fine right up to the point that they are not .

Agreed. Just buy skies. I salvaged a Siai Marchetti SM-1019 (turbine bird dog) from a snow covered runway. He and the airstrip owner conferred by phone before the attempt. The airstrip owner thought the aircraft tires were bigger than they actually were from the description provided by the pilot. Would a pilot exaggerate? . The pilot perceived the airstrip owners description as though the snow was shallower and not as crusty as it actually was. Ended up tearing the prop off when the gear reduction case broke, and the airplane stopped resting upside down.

I got my first experience this winter on TrickAir wheel penetration skis. Quite satisfied with the equilibrium between all the compromises that these skis provide. Easy install/removal by the pilot without jacking the airplane. Pilot sign out after configuration changes, no AME, A&P or IA required after initial install. Satisfactory performance in the conditions encountered (so far). No hydraulic plumbing required. No awkward hand pump in the passenger foot well.

Corona Virus caused cancellation of my adventure into deeper powder this year.

I've landed 31 inch Bushwheels on a snow covered lake, with upwards of 18 inches of snow. That snow was super light, fluffy, interior Alaska -30 F type snow. And, we'd been out there earlier in the day in a Helicopter. I would NEVER land in unknown snow conditions on tires.

And, frankly, I think smaller tires are probably better in most snow conditions than larger tires, unless there is a crust.

My advice: Don't even think about it, unless you have some way to verify depth and consistency of snow beforehand.

There are several reasons some smart person designed the first set of aircraft skis...... .

MTV

mtv wrote:My advice: Don't even think about it, unless you have some way to verify depth and consistency of snow beforehand.

I think this says it all.

Just for the record I have a set of skis, they work very well but an acquaintance operates regularly on 31's in up to about 8" of snow so it just got me thinking.

This runway (below) was littered with “Softball” size rocks (by vandals I believe) which I saw after Spring time melt. Scared the the $&#@ out of me.

The snow stake read about 8” which meant that my 31” wheels may have been used (Opinion from others).

Snow has a notorious way of making everything looks so so nice. But, it may be a guise to disaster. My opinion: having had a brief and sketchy time operating on snow is:

Use skis even if you f them up a bit



Also, snow melting makes ruts that get rather deep!

I rebuilt some super cub wings 2 winters ago after he got off his packed snow strip. About 6" of crusty snow and 31s. He doesn't recommend it.

Don't ask this guy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycv2GDm2DOo&t=658s

I'll join those who say "it depends." A LOT.

The only thing worse then landing and flipping on snow while on tires, would be doing so when you have a perfectly fine sets of skis hanging on the hangar wall! Every year, after I de-ski, I see a high up area that tempts me into a snow landing with the 29" Airstreaks, (just yesterday, several times) and I am proud to say that so far I have resisted, it would just be too embarrassing. If I didn't have the skis, I'd be more tempted, but having skis.....it is easier to resist the lure. It's the same reasoning that makes me not try and get airborne when mountain biking or snowboarding (when I do, it's accidental), I have an airplane for that. Landing snow, I'll stick with the skis.

All depends on a hundred factors. As Clint Eastwood once said " Are you feeling lucky punk." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbBZf4VWuZM