My first grass landing

[Ravang]

I just made my first grass landing, and takeoff today I would have taken pics but I to busy flying the airplane  ;) I even got to control the throttle, and rudder, apart from the grass landing/takeoff I also got to make 3 touch-and-goes on hard runways The airport I did it at had a bit of history to it too, it was built to train the flyer's for the famous "Doolittle Raid" on Tokyo, Japan during WWII Next time I fly I will get some left-seat time, not bad for my 4th flight, and not even taking flight lessons 8-)

[Brett_Henderson]

Congrats... bet it was fun. I'm curious though.. why weren't you in the left for the soft-field and touch-n-goes ?

[Ravang]

Because my friend was in the left, and this was the first time I've flown since May

[Brett_Henderson]

I'm still curious... If your friend is a CFI, why would it matter when you last flew, as far as sitting in the left seat ?

[beaky]

That's terrific- I've been flying for over 10 years and still haven't landed on grass.

I'd love to do that in this Champ I've been flying, but there's no grass runway within 200 miles of here, I think. Lots of unpaved ones, but as my instructor told me about one of them: "Dirt, gravel, sand, dirt, rocks, gravel..."  ;D

[Mobius]

I've been flying for over 10 years and still haven't landed on grass.

I learned to land on the grass.  It makes those first few feel a wee bit smoother.  I still land on the grass every now and then just for giggles.

Congratulations Raven, good to hear the flying is going well. 8-)

[Ravang]

I'm still curious... If your friend is a CFI, why would it matter when you last flew, as far as sitting in the left seat ?

Because he's not a CFI, we just go flying for fun not training

[Brett_Henderson]

So.. you're landing a plane, from the right seat, as not even a solo-student, without a CFI on board ?

[Mobius]

So.. you're landing a plane, from the right seat, as not even a solo-student, without a CFI on board ?

No, regs against it.  If anything happens, it's all on the shoulders of his friend in the left seat (the PIC should I say?)..  I can't say it's the best idea I've ever heard, but if the PIC determines that Raven can do the flying properly, and he feels that the flying can be done in a way that doesn't endanger himself, Raven, anyone else flying, or anyone on the ground, then there shouldn't be too much of a problem.  Personally, I wouldn't let anyone else touch the controls while were within a couple thousand feet of the ground, heck, I barely let anyone touch the controls ever, but, it's not up to me what other people do, it's up to me to avoid them doing it.


And no offense Raven, I'm not questioning your flying abilities, I've never met you or flown with you, so I really can't make the judgement call, it's up to you and your friend, and maybe your parents, and the people the aircraft is rented from, and the insurance company, and quite possibly the FAA, but other than that...

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Sounds fun, I love flying off grass!  And that shocks me, Sean, no grass landings?  I flew a Cardinal off of grass several times before, quite fun!  Certainly helps slow ya down a bit quicker.

[Brett_Henderson]

[quote]No, regs against it.

[beaky]

Another reason to avoid "informal training" in the right seat: if and when you begin formal training, you will be on the left. It will take some time to get used to it, to the point, possibly, that it will undo any advantage you have from these last few flights...and that is time you will be paying for.

[Fozzer]

If you are worried about the cost of wear and tear and the replacement of tyres....

...then landing of grass is good for them... ..!!

The CFI at my local club mostly lands the Cessna 150/152s on the grass strip lying parallel to the Tarmac runway, providing conditions are suitable....
"The tyres like it", he says, with a grin!... ...!

F...G-BPLF... 8-)...!

[RitterKreuz]

grass field landings are fun... none of the flight schools i attended ever allowed us to do them though, so my first one was as a CFI.

I remember we were working on engine outs and the student asked about off airport landings. i told him that he is "used to landing on concrete and asphalt and that an unprepared grassy farm field will be a different texture" if he ever had to land on one. He basically replied "too bad there isnt a way to find out how that would be before hand"

as fate would have it we were passing over a public grass field that sees little use but some ultra lite traffic. I said "well, you see that grass field?" he said yes and i pulled the power to idle and replied "Now is as good a time as any! simulated engine out!"  ;D

couple of minutes later we were rolling down the grass strip which later became a routine training location for engine out procedures.