Backcountry Pilot • Landing on gravel without damage?

Landing on gravel without damage?

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Re: Landing on gravel without damage?

Thanks for the replies everyone. Very informative for someone like me who's only ever done grass and dirt.

PA12_Pilot wrote:Another tip came to mind:

Sometimes it's hard to get a plane moving, especially after the tires have formed a flat spot when it has been sitting overnight in cool or cold weather. If you lay the whip to it to get the plane moving you stand a good chance of picking up rocks and beating up your tail and prop. But if you pump the elevator and rudder while gently bringing up the power you can sometimes get the plane rolling at a much lower power setting.


I've seen folks doing that sometimes. Couldn't you also just push the plane forwards or backwards a couple inches to get it out of the rut or are you talking serious flat spots here?
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Re: Landing on gravel without damage?

A 185 on bushwheels with low tire pressure can be very difficult to move if the plane has fuel and stuff in it. I've tweaked my back and shoulder trying to move planes before. Now I don't bother.
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Re: Landing on gravel without damage?

Repairing tail feathers after a cantalope sized rock went in the bottom and out the top. $50.00 materials
6 hrs. labor at .50 an hour $3.00
Half a roll of duct tape to hold things together so you could get off the mountain $4.00
total $57.00
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Re: Landing on gravel without damage?

courierguy wrote:Repairing tail feathers after a cantalope sized rock went in the bottom and out the top. $50.00 materials
6 hrs. labor at .50 an hour $3.00
Half a roll of duct tape to hold things together so you could get off the mountain $4.00
total $57.00


Gotta love rag-and-tube airplanes!
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Re: Landing on gravel without damage?

Haha - you can spot the Polyfiber tins a mile away. :wink:
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