Are grass runways/taxiways good or bad for landing gear?

D

DMD3.

Pre-takeoff checklist
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DMD3.
For nosewheel aircraft, are grass fields good for a landing gear in that there’s less friction upon touchdown, and also less stress during a sideload due due to crosswinds (it happens from time to time)?

Or could it be hard on the gears due to the rough terrain? If you owned a 172 or similar nosewheel aircraft, would it be worth it to keep it at a grass airfield if the fuel and hangar rates are cheaper than other paved fields?
 
Depends... nice smooth, regularly rolled turf- no problem. Our local airports grass crosses the paved runway n taxiway and 10 years ago on my first bi annual I had never landed or taken off on grass- so asked CFI if we cud. It was in my clubs 172. The lip when we crossed the runway bounced us into ground effect, it felt hard on the plane- I vowed I’d never use that strip again in a nosewheel if at all possible...

So all depends on the turf and it’s condition, etc
 
I don't know the answer, but when has that ever stopped anyone.

All other things being equal, I would opt for the paved runway. I don't like the rough surface of most turf runways I have encountered. And the prop and gear and belly accumulate more dirt and grim and knicks.

But I think my primary decision would be proximity to my house.
 
Depends on the quality of the surface. Not much difference between trikes and tailwheels but sometimes tailwheels can use the help.

Grass can be very nice to landing gear especially if you aren’t straight. It’s soft and you can slide.

A rough surface is rough (duh). Grass can hide irregularities that you might otherwise avoid, but that only applies to a badly maintained grass surface anyway.

A perfect 3 pointer in a taildragger on grass, at night, is its own reward.


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Here we have a lot of grass runways, but the differences are hughe. You have the strengthened grass runways (up to 5700 kg!), almost feel like concrete. On the other side we have a meadow with some basic drainage, called an airport. That last one can be soggy and bouncy.. last week I landed on a “standard” grass runway and I felt like breaking the complete gear off. I don’t think the forgiveness makes up for that.
 
I routinely put the Aztec onto maintained grass runways without any concern. But I wouldn't do that with every tricycle gear plane out there.
 
Lachlan said:
Real pilots fly off “other than paved” surfaces.
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You are hereby invited to visit my club with a really nice grass runway 2NK9. I got my ticket this past summer and fall, if that says anything (wettest year since 1865 in my area).
My 150 loves the grass, but the mud on the side of the runway between where I park and the runway itself gave me my final test on the morning of my checkride - full power taxi through some deep grassy mud to get to the test at 5:20am. Showed up with quite a lot of mud on my tail feathers. Luckily the runway is nice enough to take off even with the worst weather year ever. Let’s pray for less rain this year.
 
If it’s a nice, manicured strip and your skill set allows you to roll it on, than I don’t think it’s any worse than landing on pavement.
 
Huckster79 said:
Our local airports grass crosses the paved runway n taxiway and 10 years ago on my first bi annual I had never landed or taken off on grass- so asked CFI if we cud. It was in my clubs 172. The lip when we crossed the runway bounced us into ground effect, it felt hard on the plane- I vowed I’d never use that strip again in a nosewheel if at all possible.
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Exactly why I vowed long ago to NEVER again land on a grass strip that crosses a paved runway/taxiway. Unless, that is, I can get down and stopped before the pavement.
 
I've only landed on grass a few times (count them on the fingers of one hand) for the simple reason that our club rules prohibit landing on anything other than paved runways. Grass was not in club planes. The reason for this is that some grass runways are not particularly smooth. The most recent time someone violated this rule (that we know of) he had a prop strike, right after we put a new engine in the plane. We haven't had that problem with paved runways.
 
Depends on the plane and the strip, for initial touchdown impact grass is more forgiving, but ruffer in the roll out, that said tires last FOREVER on grass it seems.
 
Huckster79 said:
Depends... nice smooth, regularly rolled turf- no problem. Our local airports grass crosses the paved runway n taxiway and 10 years ago on my first bi annual I had never landed or taken off on grass- so asked CFI if we cud. It was in my clubs 172. The lip when we crossed the runway bounced us into ground effect, it felt hard on the plane- I vowed I’d never use that strip again in a nosewheel if at all possible...

So all depends on the turf and it’s condition, etc
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If you were going fast enough for ground effect, then you need to keep that nose gear up.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
If you were going fast enough for ground effect, then you need to keep that nose gear up.
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Yeah, whatever. There are a couple of bumps at Gaston's that regularly catch people by surprise and puts them back in the air on landing...or kicks them in the air prematurely on take-off. And it's not a pavement crossing, just a bump. Pavement crossing grass SUCKS.

Oh, and there's nothing in his post that indicates he didn't have the yoke in this gut and the nose wheel up.
 
Tom-D said:
The aircraft doesn't care what the surface is, just that it is smooth.
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Smooth or not there's a huge difference in side load if you're not perfectly straight when landing. And, as James said, tires last forever on grass.

So...

Yes...

The aircraft does care.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
If you were going fast enough for ground effect, then you need to keep that nose gear up.
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Maybe I didn't described it perfectly accurate, we weren't able to stay it in, so we weren't that fast, the best I can recall we settled back gently. Again it was a decade ago, all I remember was it wasn't something that seemed nose wheel friendly. Most pilots in the area agree its not a good piece of turf for nose draggers and only use it in a real pinch if at all. I've landed on other grass that was fantastic and would land the 172 there anytime without worry.

I solved the problem though, got me a bird with the third wheel in the right location :)
 
James331 said:
Depends on the plane and the strip, for initial touchdown impact grass is more forgiving, but ruffer in the roll out, that said tires last FOREVER on grass it seems.
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It's just more forgiving landing in a skid.
Taildraggers love it for that reason
 
A friend of mine kept his 172 on the grass runway at his local airport after a new paved runway was added because he did not want to wear out the tires.....
 
Ryanb said:
If it’s a nice, manicured strip and your skill set allows you to roll it on, than I don’t think it’s any worse than landing on pavement.
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Landing on grass requires the same amount of skill as landing on pavement, maybe even a little less if flying a tailwheel. Also, define manicured.
 
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