edh13

My Feedback: (9)

I think many people , myself included, prefer to fly off what they don't have. In the Phx area it's dirt/rocks or pavement. Many guys I fly with would give up their first born to fly off grass. It also affects the type of models you'll see at the fields. Out here speed deltas, gliders anything without gear is almost nonexistent.

I also disagree with everything in the previouspost.

landeck

My Feedback: (1)

Our field (GMA) has both asphalt and grass runways that are parallel. I prefer the asphalt for tri gear and the grass for tail dragers but will fly both types on the other runway depending on how I feel on any given day. Most of the guys I fly with use the grass runway. Since both are the same relative width, you have to know how to land to hit either. We have a cross wind of at least 45 degrees on most days and I find tail dragers handle the cross wind better on grass.

Bruce

armody

My Feedback: (10)

This thread is about choices/ preferences. Yes What would we like to use provided what provision do we have? Either fly off on dirt runway, or grass or paved, whatever is provided to you by the club, otherwise whatever is available to you, you gotta use it. like it's said, when push comes to shove, you gotta do what you gotta do.

I really appreciate all people putting in their thoughts, their preferences and experiences. I know I don't have any plane at the moment how difficult it is, but when you get a plane, and if you are living in remote area, you don't care what do you have, all you care is getting your plane into the air. Yes it's great to have provisions where you can have choices too. Once again, provision and choices. Choosing what we like and using what we have are 2 different things, but once again what clubs provide, we gotta stick to it and if we want something different other than your club, then find something different. I used to fly on concrete and I did not like it, I found a club at that time it was 24 miles, now I live there so it's just 4 miles. I'm lucky in that way. It's not a huge place, across our field, pine trees are standing tall, we fly our plane over them which is a potential risk, but we are happy with our club.

Once again I deeply appreciate your insights on that thread.

Happy flying to y'all

Mody

StevL

My ultimate runway would be bermuda grass cut like a fine golf course fairway... like Triple Tree's main runway Sure wish we had a local club around here in that kind of shape. I wouldn't care the cost (well up to 1k per year), I would join.

Steve

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

Part of having a grass field is the mowing and rolling. We roll ours once a year in the spring. The grass is cut once a week by a hired maintenance crew. We have some mowers that we use to get a good portion of the runway really short. This will not work everywhere, but we have enough rain so it works for us out side of Washington DC.

I have never flown off anything but grass... I use 2.5inch wheels or larger. I never use wheel pants...

I think grass makes a great flying surface...

mcdanman2003

My Feedback: (3)

Grass is all I've known!!

fix-n-fly

My Feedback: (1)

I fly at two different fields. One field has an asphalt runway, one has a petromat runway. The asphalt runway is so much smoother, mainly because the petromat is in the middle of a land fill and has cows walking over it, four wheelers driving over it, so it always has ruts. Ruts make takeoffs difficult and the people and animal traffic make it a constant chore to maintain the petromat.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

The Petro mat would be tough here also with the wild life and four wheelers always on it! One day I went out to our field and there where pickups on the runway. One of them broke a transmission and limped home so the police just followed the trans fluid and gave him a big ticket, Then he and his buddys had to come out and clean up thier mess, lots of mud! asfhault at least held up good! I also fly off of dirt over here just a mile from home, cross winds are no problem because I can take off and land any direction! I do still want to try grass and water flying just to feel the diffrence. We have both options around here the pratice football field and small lakes are everywhere!

xcell23

In some areas, grass is just too expensive. Our high school football fields have astroturf because grass is so expensive.
We fly off asphalt have zero problems with planes rolling too far, unless they are dead stick. We have no problems with landing gear, either. If you are having problems with hard landings, maybe you need to learn how to land. We have some kids (8 to 10 year olds) who will help you learn to land if you don't want to listen to us old fogies.

dmowery

Asrto turf- now thats a great idea , wonder if local footballfield would miss some, just a few yards like 60 or so, cut it on the stripes and lay it end to end- Viola, ya got a perfect grass field stays same all the time and as a bonus ya got white side markers , makes it real classy ,

My planes fly off grass all the time at 2 dif fields and no problem with adding some bigger wheels

RCER88

My Feedback: (25)

Of course you can disagree with me. But let me point out some facts. These are based on a "normal" landing.

fact: On hardpack, mat and pavemat you can see the wheels as they touch the surface.

Fact: on grass you may not see the ground exactly as the length of grass may be different in the spot you set the plane down. obstructing view.

Fact: On a flat hard surface there is little to no resistance on the wheels so they can roll easily.

Fact: in grass there is resistance. The grass can unexpectedly slow you down suddenly if you hit a thick spot as many grass fields grow at different rates and some areas are thicker than others on the same field.

Fact. I have flown off the hardpack desert floor in New Mexico outside of Bosque Farms. I had to put more pressure on my collars on my planes to provide resistance to keep them from rolling excessively. Because in grass you want them to roll as freely as possible.

Fact: if you do not sit down on grass closer to a three point or touch the tail first with a tail dragger there is a higher chance of a nose over. Because the grass can suddenly slow you down causing a nose over, on a hard surface that has a less chance of happening, the plane can continue to roll without resistance once on its wheels.

When I was flying in NM I had a good time flying off the desert floor. Yes the dirt, rocks and dust are a problem I feel your pain and appreciate what you have to endure. But to me it was much easier landing there, NO resistance on the gear so when I sat down the plane rolled nicely. Grass can be tricky. The guys there were impressed with my landings because every one was perfect. I had no problem transitioning to that hard surface from flying off the grass in MI. Because I could see the wheels as they touched the surface. On grass that is not always the case.

Grass is by far the trickiest surface I have flown of from. So I prefer grass it is challenging because it not a consistent surface. Pavement, mat, and hardpack are for the most part.

armody

My Feedback: (10)

RCER88,

Very well explained, great insight with experience.

Oberst

I'm a big fan of short cut grass on a smooth rolled ground.

RCER88, it all depends on what type of grass that has been planted at any field and how it's cut, fertalized and maintained. We don't have the problems that you mentioned at our club or a few other clubs I've flown at as a guest.

But I do agree, if we don't take care of the grass at any field, and just cut the grass without proper maintenance, then flying on grass can give us issues.

I personally don't like paved runways, but if I had installed brakes on all my planes, then I probably wouldn't mind it so much, but over all I would still prefer grass.

What I like about grass with me is it helps with the prop torque on take offs, and it gives me resistance in slowing down after landing. It's also great when I have a cross wind on landing, grass seems to be more forgiving and wheels seem to have less grab.

When I flew the Full Size Piper J-3, I stayed on the grass or loose dirt. There's a good reason, just ask any Cub pilot? I haven't flown R/C at any clubs with sand runways, I'd prefer not too if given the choice.

Just another perspective,

Pete

1/16 Scale Cat

Well, I like grass for my stunt prop plane but for my nitro jet then its gotta be tarmac