Training at Schools with Grass Runways

[monkeytribe]

Looking at Redhill, White Waltham, Rochester; which are grass, Stapleford and Booker (High Wycombe) which are part grass.

Would it be better to avoid training at places which have grass runways due to saturation on previous rainy days.

What are your experiences?

ta

[G SXTY]

Grass strips can be (and often are) closed by prolonged wet weather, particularly in winter. Note that Stapleford has enough tarmac to carry on operations even with all the grass areas closed.

[maxdrypower]

Good and Bad for both , Im a regular flyer at barton , sorry city spaceport madchester. It can quite often be out of use during the winter due to waterlooging and this is big downside . I cannot recall it being closed through summer although it may have happened . The plus side is your short field take offs will be excellent and if you can land on a short grass runway you can certainly land on a mile and a half of tarmac.

[JOEFRIDAY2]

I wouldn't shy away from a grass air strip. It will make you a better pilot if you have this experience. You need to do what you feel comfortable with.

[tropicalfridge]

I'd say grass is best for the PPL while your learning the basic skills, landing and taking off requires a little more attention. For CPL onwards I'd go for a bigger place with instrument approaches etc. So, depends on the stage you are at and I would still put proximity to cheap accommodation, cost and school reputation well ahead of the runway surface.

[Airraid]

True, if you can land at Barton, you can land anywhere. Did my PPL there, it's not the runways that were the worry, just the sinking sand on the taxiways. After landing on a short-field, you couldn't aim to miss a big tarmac strip.