I often wonder just why most instructors with the option prefer to carry out EOLs to a grass surface. The robinson landing gear is designed to deal with downward force by allowing the landing gear to spread, relying on the cross tubes' flex to absorb this energy. The ideal surface, therefore, would be something hard and smooth. Concrete or tarmac is ideal. No chance of digging in and nosing over, and a surface that allows the landing gear to articulate in the way that it's designed. I'd rather pay for a new cross tube than a new tail boom.
And the sparks look amazing at night.
Allegedly.
