Do You Carry a Spare Tire and Tube All the Time?

Do you carry a spare tire and/or tube when you fly?

  • Spare tire

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spare tube

    Votes: 18 15.5%

  • Spare tire and tube

    Votes: 3 2.6%

  • Nope

    Votes: 95 81.9%
  • Total voters
    116
Pilot Steve said:
Last weekend I had my second flat tire at KGSP, Greer, SC. The first time it went flat on the ramp at the FBO. The second time I had just taxied to the end of the 10,000 foot runway and turned for the hold short line and "flub-flub." I know the sound.

So glad it went before takeoff. That would be an unpleasant landing surprise.

After getting the plane towed the 8,000 feet back to the FBO the hunt started for a fix. It turns out the tire was fine and had a lot of tread on it. The tube had a split in one small spot. The hunt started for a replacement tube. No facility at the field carries GA parts.

I will admit that my tires have become a situation where a tire was replaced here with what was on hand and a tube there. I've just decided to replace all my tires and tubes with something I want, but that's a different discussion.

At my home field, one of the flight schools carries a spare tire and tube in all the planes. I'm curious if anyone here does the same thing.

Have you had an away from home flat tire story you can share as well?

UPDATE: My experience led me to design and build the Baggage Organizer for others to carry critical spare items in the airplane so we don't get stranded like this again.
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I checked the weights: my credit card weighs less than a jack, tire, and tube, and takes up less space. :)

I have yet to experience a flat tire away from home in 19 years of flying (much of it cross-country). Having written that, I've probably jinxed myself to get a flat next week, but even then, one flat every 20 years wouldn't justify carrying around a tire, jack, and tube in my baggage compartment all the time unless I landed a lot at remote, unattended strips.

If I flew in the Arctic, for example, I'd carry everything I need for two week's survival and a full set of stuff that I could use to repair the plane within my abilities (spark plugs, spare tire/tube, safety wire, etc. etc.). But I don't, so I don't. In southern Canada, flying a Piper PA-28, I never land at a strip that's not also reachable by car.
 
texasclouds said:
Spare oil, rags, a couple screw drivers and an adjustable wrench only. Oil and rags came in handy that one time i left the oil cap off for a one hour flight. Whoops.
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Been there seen that. (Pax on that flight)

Cheers
 
flyingron said:
All of my wheels are split rims. No bead breaking required.
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Ya think so? There's still a bead and it sets onto the rim. Sometimes you can break it by standing on the sidewall, most of the time not. You can go full on shadetree redneck with a screwdriver or crowbar or both at the same time, that might work.

Question is, where do you draw the line? Bring a spare tire and tube, a bead-breaker, a jack and a compressor and the Universe just figures out a different way to screw you.
 
What about a can of Fix-a-Flat? Enough air(gas) to inflate a small tire, sealant to fix a hole. No tools, jack, tube, or compressor. Won't fix everything, but will fix some and you don't even have to taxi on the tire. Just hop out on the runway if necessary, grab the can and fire away. Could also get you far enough to be able to taxi off the runway without shutting down the airport and calling for help even if it doesn't hold.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
What about a can of Fix-a-Flat? Enough air(gas) to inflate a small tire, sealant to fix a hole. No tools, jack, tube, or compressor. Won't fix everything, but will fix some and you don't even have to taxi on the tire. Just hop out on the runway if necessary, grab the can and fire away. Could also get you far enough to be able to taxi off the runway without shutting down the airport and calling for help even if it doesn't hold.
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Fix-a-Flat doesn’t work on tube tires, but there’s a type of Slime that does. See my post above.
 
No, but I do carry a tool kit and a foot operated tire pump. Without a jack,or a patch kit, I don't think I could fix a flat .
 
I kept a tube for a long time and never used it.
 
I carry a used but serviceable tube for my mains and nose (two different sizes). To me, best bang for the buck.
 
flyingron said:
I kept a tube for a long time and never used it.
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I did the same. I still have a spare tube and if I'm going any real distance I put it in the plane. The reason is that most times the tube will need to be replaced and finding one in the middle of nowhere might present a problem.
 
steingar said:
Are you going to carry a jack along with the spare tire and tube? And what are you going to do if you loose the nose wheel sitting on someone else's ramp?
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The shops have jacks, but they don't carry a lot of inventory.
 
I blew out my first tire in 18 years of flying a few months ago. Not fun.

What I learned:

My main tires are an oddball size (6.50x8)
Nobody freaking stocks tires or tubes in my size. Not any FBO in a 200nm radius. Not Spruce. Not Aviall.
Chief Aircraft who I generally dislike -- does.

...I had to drive 7 hours to salvage my next-morning trip, and got gouged by a shop for "AOG service" ($550 plus the tire and tube... oof! jerks) I now keep a spare set in the hangar.
 
Joe_B1 said:
Slime and fix a flat may get you home but you are going to have a huge mess when it comes time to fix it right.
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Remember it’s a tube tire. Most of the Slime will be inside the tube, which you’ll replace anyway.
 
I carry a main gear tube and nose gear tube. No tires. Weighs a few pounds. Rationale is that the tube is the part most likely to fail, and not be available at the location where the failure occurs. Tools, jack, air pump are much easier and quicker to obtain locally.
 
Personally I think unless you are an unusual size and/or ply count, are planning stops off the beaten path and/or can’t tolerate being AOG for a day or so, I wouldn’t bother carrying spare tubes or tires. Even smaller airports are usually within reasonable driving distance of larger airports that would have a shop that hopefully would have inventory. Also, don’t discount a Hail Mary on various forums (especially type specific ones if you have a weird size)! I love seeing how folks in aviation often bend over backwards to help each other.
 
My nose gear is the size of the average main (6.00x6). My mains are 7.00x8. Nobody has those.
 
Half Fast said:
Remember it’s a tube tire. Most of the Slime will be inside the tube, which you’ll replace anyway.
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That goo will fill the tube and leak out the hole and end up between the tube and tire before it solidifies enough to plug the leak. It may get you home but it will be a mess.
 
I carry a spare tire everywhere I go. Day and night. But I'm getting tired of it.

And I have changed a split rim on my ride which is different than the truck style split rim which like to explode if mis-assembled.

Picture1.png
 
I just carry a spare nosewheel tube. My mains are 5.00x5, which shouldn’t be too hard to find at an airport. My nosewheel is little more than a wheelbarrow tire -
10x3.50x4 - and while I might find one at a Tractor Supply, not so much at a typical airport. I also carry a tube patch kit, but no inflator.
 
I usually carry a spare older tube but you can use a garden store tube in an emergency. The inflation stem is at a different angle but you can stretch it into the needed position.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
I carry a spare tire everywhere I go. Day and night. But I'm getting tired of it.

And I have changed a split rim on my ride which is different than the truck style split rim which like to explode if mis-assembled.

View attachment 99483
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Nice solution and if no big C clamps you can use your auto scissor or hydraulic jack to push down.
 
Those old truck size rims were extremely dangerous as the rim ring would fly off when inflating. I personally know someone that was hit in the head in a tire shop. His mind was never quite right afterwards. Fortunately they are now illegal.
 
I carry tubes only, in sizes for the mains and tailwheel, because I don’t want to depend on a shop’s inventory. I’ll depend on the mechanics, though. Not changing that stuff myself.
 
Silvaire said:
Ya think so? There's still a bead and it sets onto the rim. Sometimes you can break it by standing on the sidewall, most of the time not. You can go full on shadetree redneck with a screwdriver or crowbar or both at the same time, that might work.

Question is, where do you draw the line? Bring a spare tire and tube, a bead-breaker, a jack and a compressor and the Universe just figures out a different way to screw you.
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If you have a tube you can always take a taxi to town where some shop will have bead breaker and jack. All you need is the adaptor so a jack can lift the wheel or you can even block up the wheel axel and dig out dirt from underneath. I have changed auto wheels sans jack this way in an emergency. Many airports do not have a shop or a shop open on weekends when most people fly. Also, I also mentioned, many garden stores carry a will fit tube. Before I carried a tube I found a 6:00x6 tube on Sunday at garden supply. Repairing a tube is often not possible if the valve stem tears off due to landing with a flat which was my problem.
 
You guys jinxed me, yesterday blew out the left main on landing. Not really a blowout, the tube had a small crack in it and deflated but the tire did not go immediately flat. The tire sidewall was damaged on rollout so new tire and tube was required. Fortunately the FBO guys were right on it and got it replaced fairly quickly. But it can happen without warning.
 
Joe_B1 said:
You guys jinxed me, yesterday blew out the left main on landing. Not really a blowout, the tube had a small crack in it and deflated but the tire did not go immediately flat. The tire sidewall was damaged on rollout so new tire and tube was required. Fortunately the FBO guys were right on it and got it replaced fairly quickly. But it can happen without warning.
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You were lucky there was a FBO. Not all airports have a full time FBO. However, an emergency tire and tube might be available at a garden supply at a big box store or building supply which are often open every day until late.
 
Snowmass said:
You were lucky there was a FBO. Not all airports have a full time FBO. However, an emergency tire and tube might be available at a garden supply at a big box store or building supply which are often open every day until late.
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It was at my home field so not an issue but they used a lot of tools, Jack, air bottle. Not likely I would be doing it. The true moral of the story is check email carefully. I suspect the pressure was low. 24 all around. I just put a tire Guage in the plane and it's part of the preflight now. Live and learn!

I was glad I had them remove the wheel pants at the last annual or one would be wrecked now.
 
FWIW ... when I replaced the tires and tubes on my plane last year I bought the Aero Classic Leak guard tubes. These are reported to be a heavier better tube but I still check my tire pressure often. Most times I will still have to add a bit of air.
 
I found out the hard way. Motorcycle once a year, truck once a year, plane not so much. Turns out the plane should be 24# all around but mine were down around 20. The A&P's said the tube that blew was a cheapo and showed me a half inch crack in it near where the sidewall would be.
 
I think most of the flats occur due to a compromised tube. Carrying a spare tube is a good idea, especially on cross country flights.
 
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