I want to put a set of skis on my CGS hawk. Tailwheel, highwing, pusher, me and full fuel 715 pounds. I groom a runway with a snowcat and use wheels, but would like to try some skis for some more adventure. My "strip" is at 8000' and we normally have about 4' snow on the ground, my snowshoes are 10"x56" and often I will sink to my knees.
How big of skis do I need?

Other then initial cost, a bit extra weight, and maybe drag in the area, the bigger the better. On my RANS S-7S (1320 lbs GW) I have 2000 Datum wheel skis, as in meant for 2K lb. GW planes. You really need to choose a ski manufacturer to buy from, and ask them the question. Let me know what they say about "the bigger the better" thing.

I fly a C170B (GW 2200#) on airglass 2500 straight skis with good overall results. I don't typically operate at gross weight, I'm careful to drag landing sites I think may be soft, and I avoid possible overflow like the plague.

A few thoughts:

Ski planes, like seaplanes, REALLY like lots of wing, light weight and lots of power.

The snow conditions you describe are going to be a challenge, especially at 8000 feet msl.

I’d go with the skis with the largest bottoms practical for your plane. They’ll also need good UHMW covered bottoms and UHMW skegs.

There are limits to how big skis can be on a plane, but generally, bigger is better.

I’d look for fairly large, light weight straight skis, IF you can live with straight skis. Aero 2000 or even Aero 3000 skis come to mind. Older straight skis are generally heavy.

Finally, at that elevation, you’re likely going to have to groom that strip for any operation. You’ll be asking a lot of that little airplane.

MTV

My intent was straight skis.
I already groom a runway and run with tires, I have taken off with as much as 6" of powder on the groomed surface. If grooming is required, it eliminates the idea of skis, I don't need them for home, only if I want to land in the backcountry.
My takeoff roll in the pasture (8000'), which is un-mowed grass and not real smooth is about 250', in town on asphalt (5900') it is more like 75'. It actually performs pretty well, climbs in winter are around 800 to 900fpm at 8000'.

If your plane works that well at those altitudes, it’s worth a shot. You can groom your home strip several ways, snow machine, snowshoes, or by running the plane over it. Snow will set up making takeoffs really easy till the next snow.

The snow depths and altitudes you describe are going to be a bit of a challenge, but it sounds like you’ve got a very light plane. I’d find some large, but light skis, like Aero 3000s and give it a try. It will be a learning process, but go slow and you’ll figure it out soon enough.

Ski flying can be buckets of fun, almost as fun as float flying.

Get some light skis and give it a shot.

MTV

A friend has a set of 200's he says I can use.

For grooming the home strip, I just use the snowcat, 50' wide of perfect corduroy sets up so hard you can't stomp your boot through it!!!
And, I can practice/test skis right along side it.

Enjoy the adventure! And take big snowshoes along.....

MTV

I groom my ski strip with the airplane, am I doing it wrong? Seriously, all I do is, nothing. I just deal with it as is and let the wind and more snow take care of things.

This topic reminded me to get the winter ski strip cut in. The native grasses get 3' tall over the warm months, cutting them down seems to help make the ski strip useable in less snow, sooner. That's my summer time strip angling across, 2 different layouts, both about 400' long.