I use a set of non-racheting tiedown straps. Didn't trust the open hooks, so I tied a big loop in the long end of the straps to use for attaching at the ground end, and out a set of small shackles (clevises) at the other end to attach to the tiedown eyes on the airplane.

Sierra Victor wrote:So how tight is too tight?

I go tight enough that rocking the plane wont develop and slack. Slack is what will wreck things. It really doesn't take much, once one wing is good and you do the other side, its only a couple of clicks past hand tight.
Most small ratchet straps, except the really cheap ones, have a break strength of 1600lbs. (From my experience). 1600lbs per wing is 3200lbs. A 60mph wind with 0 angle of attack is gonna have a very hard time lifting a 206 with enough force to break those straps.

CGU-1/B's are easy to come by and are rated to 5,000 lbs.

Having not had much ownership experience, I have no opinion either way but as one who deals with CGU/1-B's daily I can add one thing. If you do choose to use cargo straps of the ratchet variety make sure that the strap gets at least one full wrap around the barrel of the mechanism otherwise it's essentially decoration. May seem like common sense but......

CamTom- are you in class with Finch?

SD

How about a couple harbor freight cable comealongs and a chain saw. Then you could multitask. Build a tripod and change gear legs or a motor swap or get unstuck in theswamp ! Just thinking now that I know the ratchet tie downs I use were not right.

SD, good point on the straps and yeah I am.

I know a flight school which uses the normal (not the ratchet ones) tie-down straps for the last 20 years on their fleet of C152 and C172's. They never had a problem using them and never had a strap come off in gusty conditions. The force on the tie-downs is less then expected in my opinion. How do I know? Cause I have seen a C172 rock and try to fly in gusting 50-70kt winds when a microburst hit the airport, only tied down to three 5 gallon concrete buckets and they did not move. Most tie-down straps exceed this load by a multitude. The same day I have also seen a C152 flip on its back because the tail was not tied down, the wind came from behind and the aircraft basically flipped around the wing tie downs as they did not let go, just dragging the concrete buckets when it was flipping on its back.

What Flyingpile said. Your plane can only lift its gross weight at the stall speed at nearly the stall angle of attack. 99.9999% of the time, your plane is not in that situation. And it has the empty weight plus fuel at minimum on the ground. The forces won't exceed the useful load divided by two (at least) if your plane is unlucky enough to see those conditions.

If that happens, I'd worry more about how you are tied into the ground.

flyingpile wrote:Also, just because your plane weighs 3600lb at gross and flys at 60mph, doesn't mean it is going to be pulling on those straps at 3600lb in a 60mph wind. It only means the straps will start to be pulled on at 60mph (assuming the wind is straight on the nose and what not). Remember, it has to lift the plane too.

I use the cambuckle straps but it is in a hangar most the time so sun rot is not an issue. Besides, it is just a $20 plane anyway...

True - nonetheless, the advice typically banded around by EAA, FAA, etc is that each individual rope / strap should be rated to the MTOW of the plane. I follow that advice, just to be safe.

I like ropes, a knot is faster and easier than a ratchet, and doesn't damage the plane so badly if the rope gets loose and beats in the wind.

I use tie-down straps in the airplane (I bought them from Sporty's 10 years ago) which have cam buckles, and then I tie the bitter ends to keep them from flapping. The hooks at both ends are safety hooks, so they won't come loose easily. I carry nylon ropes which I can add if the wind gets really strong, which I tie with a hurricane knot. I like the straps, because they're quick to attach and easy to adjust, and just as easy to remove when it's time to go.

I agree that it's important to take out the slack, no matter what is used to tie down the airplane. When I was at Laramie, we used chains at the tie-downs, and we pulled them tight, so that there was no movement. I still use them when I visit there. But one day a fellow came in with a really pristine 170, recently restored, creme and tan colored, and he left a lot of slack in the chains. It was a rare day without much wind. As he walked into the FBO, I made a suggestion that he might want to snug up the chains, because the forecast was for some strong winds overnight. I was frankly shocked at his angry response--more 4 letter words in one sentence than I'd heard in ages.

The next morning, I had a 7 o'clock student, so I got there early. That poor little 170 was still at the tie-down, with a bent left strut and a bent left wing. I guess it started rocking pretty hard, and finally things let go. Really sad--and all because the owner knew so much about tying down with chains.

Cary