Landing on grass rather than the hard stuff
 

It is a failing of my training I will admit but, to date, I have not landed on grass... a failing that I am keen to resolve. Does anybody vary their technique when landing on grass above and beyond obvious allowances for length of runway?

More than with tarmac you need to be aware of the state of the runway. Not just if it s wet and slippery, but it can also have potholes, be more undulating. I remember many years ago at Ipswich you were told to land left or right of the centre line because of bogs.

Always keep the weight of the nose, both on taxi, take off and landing to avoid prop strikes.

Grass is substantially more slippery when wet than tarmac, so be aware of morning dew, not just rain. So never break harder than you have to. I like to dump flap immediately after touchdown and only apply brakes when there is zero lift left, with a gentle pumping action with the control column pulled well back

Also -

1) taxi at walking pace. There isn't much clearance between the prop and the ground, and as the ground will be rougher than tarmac the aircraft will be more liable to oscillations, so take it carefully.

2) Ensure you phone ahead to get the latest on the state of the runway.

3) Be prepared to clean the underside of the aircraft if it is at all muddy - so best pick a day when your chosen airfield is firm.

Remember to use factors when doing your performance ie short grass.

....and the extra noise can come as a shock.

It's often louder and bumpier than what you may be used to with tarmac/asphalt .

It's a VERY sad refelection on the USA schools that not one of JAA approved ones will allow (or train) their pilots to land on grass.

3b. Don't forget the inside of the wheel spats. If the strip is very muddy, might be a good idea to remove them altogether, but check the POH for reduced cruise speeds. If it's a rental, talk to the owner first.

The other (obvious) thing to watch out for is that grass strips are usually, well, grass in a surrounding of grass. It's much harder to spot the runway, usually. Plus they are normally not ICAO marked with centerline & edge markings, approach lighting and so forth. It might help to view the strip in Google Earth before you set off and if you're not completely sure about the layout of the runway, do an overhead join or a low-level go-around before you land.

You'll also find that occasionally grass strips limit the strip width to less than half the available width by moving the "doghouses" (either black/white checkered or red/white checkered, doghouse-like structures) so that the rest of the strip can recover itself. Or they move the doghouses so as to create a variable, displaced threshold. So pay attention to the exact location of these doghouses (or other markers) so you land at the proper stretch.

Also higher chance of bird and other animals around as grass strips are normally found in rural areas.

Can't really blame the US schools for that. I learned in Florida and to the best of my knowledge there was exactly one grass strip within a reasonable flying distance. This one was a private field, requiring PPR and landing fees. Yes, there was a stipulation that students were not to land on grass (citing insurance reasons) but if there was a good enough reason, this could be waived. I think if I had insisted, I could have done a few dual, and maybe even solo landings and take-offs from grass.

There is at least one, I was taught to use a grass strip, granted not many times but enough, mainly we practised shorts and softs on the hard runway and then went over to the grass strip. (This was CPL training though)

Many good thoughts here...

Add to them that many grass runways are more casually built on the ground that was found. The result can be runways with unexpected hills, and slopes, which can be laterally across the runway.

For grass runways in parts of the world where winter takes hold, expect a season of thaw, where a runway may look inviting, but be unable to support the aircraft. Private runway owners don't always "X" a runway, which is intended to be closed, and a flyover inspection will not tell you the firmness of the ground. Therefore at certail times of the year, the only way is either a first hand (foot) walking inspection, or a report from a person you really trust. My runway has taken as much as six weeks to firm up, once the snow is gone. Also, the condition in one part of the runway, may not be the same as that in other parts, as has been pointed out.

That said, a smooth grass runway is a delight. One of the many benifits is the fact that the aircraft will slide. This make for much nicer crosswind landings, as touching down with a little crab, does not result in chirping and lurching. This makes grass runways very desirable for tailwheel aircraft. One of the taildraggers I fly, I will land on grass unless there is just no choice.

It is my opinion that if you are regularly making full use of the friction of a dry pavement runway for braking, you are probably using too much brakes. Most GA aircraft into thier "comfortable" runways, should require only a minimum of braking. My grass runway is 2000' long, and I rarely use brakes at all. The less I use them, the longer they last!

Aircraft renters are reluctant about grass runways, just because of the "unknowns". Three of the schools in my area have grass runways which they "approve" for students to use.

With the correct permissions, go look for some grass, it's excellent!

Pilot DAR

Aim to land somewhere near the numbers. Grass strips tend to be 800m or less, so avoid touching down two thirds up the runway. I know it sounds obvious, but it's amazing how many pilots used to mile-long runways don't realise they've less room to play with. But don't aim for the numbers at the expense of the nosewheel. I've witnessed more than my fair share of 'carrier' landings that ended in embarrassed pilot and shock-loaded engine. Keep that nosewheel up!

If you do end up floating two thirds down the runway before touching, don't be embarrassed about going round and trying again. Better that than an expensive trip into a ploughed field or through a thick hedge.

Cheers, jez

Another small problem is that at this time of year it seems to be easier to pick up carb icing during taxi on wet grass. Always worth an extra burst of carb heat before you take off, as I know to my cost.

The handling of the aircraft is type specific and comes with practice but here are a few top tips:

Virtually all grass strips are undulating to some degree which increases the likelihood of the aircraft bouncing. Handling the aeroplane in a way that would yield a greaser of a landing on tarmac, may still result in bounces on grass - if you still have some speed and lift on, a fairly small bump can launch you back into the air. (Taildraggers are more prone to bouncing than others). If you do bounce, hold the attitude and let it settle back on. If you pitch forward to try to 'encourage' it back onto the ground you may break the nosewheel off!

If the bounces are BIG or their amplitude is increasing go around. If you don't you are likely to end up hitting the ground hard either by flying the nosewheel onto the ground or by running out of airspeed and stalling too far above the runway.

All the time you're flaring or bouncing, you don't have weight on the wheels and your not slowing down effectively. If you're using a short strip you need to land in the right place and get the brakes on. If you don't and the end hedge is looking critical go around and get it right next time as I recently had to on a bumpy 350m strip in a bounce-happy taildragger.

As mentioned be aware of takeoff performance issues on grass. One trap is that you may well be able to land at a strip that you cannot safely take off from.

Take care taxying from grass onto concrete and vice versa. There is normally a lip that can lead to prop strikes. Take it slowly and at 45 deg or perpendicular in twins. If a grass runway has white concrete markings embedded into it you may want to land so as not to run over them at speed. You don't have to land on the centreline.

At farm strips or small airfields you should probably inspect the runway before use. It is not unknown for holes to be dug, animals to be present, agricultural machinery to be left about, long grass or waterlogging.

Two notable grass strips I've used recently are Fishburn which is perched on the top of a convex hill with significant slope either side of the brow (you can only see a fraction of the runway when you're on it, so you want to be very sure that there isn't a tractor cutting grass over the brow) and Stoke which has a billiard table surface but is fairly short, curved and with big obstructions adjacent to the runway.

Lots of good advice so far. I'd add that it's actually easier to land on grass, all other things being equal. The surface has a texture which allows height during the flare to be more easily judged, and as someone else pointed out, if you are not quite aligned with the runway at the point of touchdown, the wheels will slide a tad sideways and no-one will know, whereas on tarmac there will be a telltale chirp of tortured rubber, and a lurch as the aeroplane is dragged straight by the tyres!

SSD

Molehills
 

I fly from a grass strip in a taildragger.
No 1 problem in the winter is molehills,they could spoil your day ,so if possible get an on site airstrip condition opinion before leaving.
As mentioned if the strip is alongside grass it can be difficult to see but normally you will be alonside cropped land,mostly brown-green in winter.
Good luck.
Lister:)

I was fortunate enough to get my license on a grass strip. All the above remarks are good, especially being ultra cautious at time of thaw when my training operator would move a few planes to paved airports:ok:

A C-152 nosed over on our gliding field in such conditions:ouch:

I prefer firm grass to pavement.

As said, be prepared for more noise and bumps. Gravel and recently planted crop fields can be very noisy.

thanks for the advice - it is comforting to know that you take the time to help a new boy.

Looks like as with most things prior planning helps to stop P*** poor performance.. I look forward to the chance to put it into action ..

Currently I think Popham may get the honour of my first arrival of this type.

And that will introduce a few extra things to think about depending on which runway you have to use. I would suggest that you try somewhere a bit simpler for your first grass landing e.g. Old Sarum.

Hmm--them things, apart from their aerodynamic function, also stop rocks being thrown towards the fuselage/wings. That's how I punched a nice fist-sized hole right through the aileron in a Jodel last autumn (here's a pic of the offending "runway")

Compton Abbas in the summer is such a friendly welcoming place it is so worth making the effort to find it! It can be tricky to find from the north east, but once you know where it is, it gets easier. Try and pick a day when the BBQ is fired up!

Or try Rochester, for a slightly amusing approach over the River Medway then the town! And then taking off over the motorway!! It is a great place for t&gs!

Of course if you are lucky, sometimes they open runway 21 R GRASS at Biggin Hill, tends to be around air show time! That was fun, quite a displaced threshold compared to 21 L Asphalt!!

Seriously if you have not done may grass landings, it is so worth getting an instructor and doing a tour of several places with grass runways. We did a great afternoon from Biggin to Earls Colne and Panshanger a few summers ago. Lunch at the golf club at Earls Colne, and tea at Panshanger. Such very different places, and a great experience.

I own a Piper L-21B (that is a 1953 Super Cub for civilians).
It is leased-out to a flight school/airwork operator. Grass strip available.
They used it for training, glider and banner tow.
The manager informed me that he recommends his pilots to use the grass.
If only one thing, he said, it saves wear of the tyres.
Besides that, I am sure that L-21s were meant to use grass fields...
xxx
:D
Happy contrails

Don't land on the grass at Dargaville in the Winter. 4ft. amsl. - and the river is about 10ft away - very soggy.

Seriously, grass can be fun, but note the above comments, all valid, we tend to avoid grass at our local field because of the gorse, even when cut regularly it is like landing on tin-tacks. Fed up with mending punctures, but apart from that grass doesn't wear the tyres out as fast. Bit of flap, short field take-off technique off the seal helps that problem. I find my taildragger slightly more controllable on the grass, steerable tail wheel is less skittish and it slows down quicker, so I don't have to mess about finding the brakes pedals located between the rudder pedals so soon, and losing rudder control as a result. Enjoy.