Snow ops?

[Kansas Flyer]

How much snow do you need before you consider it too deep to take off and land without skis or just taxi around with out getting stuck? I know that the type of snow (wet or dry) will matter as will whether or not you are working from a paved strip or off of grass. I have no experience dealing with snow in anything but a car or ATV.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Very little if you have wheel pants. It will sling up into your wheel pants, clog them up, and potentially freeze the wheel so it can’t spin.

Dry snow will abrade the prop like any other surface contaminant.

As far as depth without causing other problems, I’ve done 4-5 inches without too much difficulty, but it’s anybody’s guess as to how much runway you’ll use.

 

[midwestpa24]

Deep snow will increase drag, possibly enough to prevent takeoff, or cause you to lose control on landing. MauleSkinner is also correct about the issues with wheel pants. A lot of folks that fly frequently up north will remove them in winter time.

 

[James331]

I trust snow like gas station sushi

If you can’t see the numbers and markings under it, don’t do it without skis, and even with skis, snow can be a mofo

 

[midwestpa24]

I trust snow like gas station sushi

If you can’t see the numbers and markings under it, don’t do it without skis, and even with skis, snow can be a mofo

Absolutely. I had a pilot once approach a closed runway of ours to "take a look". I asked him how he expected to know whether there was one inch or one foot of snow from 200 feet and 100 knots. Hell its hard to tell driving on it sometimes, until the truck is stuck.

 

[Stewartb]

When my last Cub was new I flew it to a nearby airport and landed in about 5" of crusty untracked snow. Landing was uneventful on 31" tires but taxiing was a chore. Once I landed it was like the gates opened. Lots of other planes came and went. They were just waiting for somebody to go first. Had I known how deep the snow was I wouldn't have landed. Ignorance is bliss.... until it isn't.

 

[Tom-D]

1 " is skis required,,fun as hell.

 

[Dana]

My friend found out how much is too much and got immortalized on a homebrew beer label...

 

[Stewartb]

Fly skis on 1" of snow and you may do the same. Catch a piece of gravel with a ski and you'll feel drag you can't prepare for. Catch some with both skis? A good example of coming to a grinding halt.

 

[Kansas Flyer]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was thinking about flying into a grass strip in the Cardinal and have been trying to decide if I would still be able to land and take off safely with a couple of inches on the ground. I'm thinking anything deeper than that will be a nogo.

 

[EdFred]

Less than 1/2 the diameter of the wheels. More than that, get out the plow. But if your going into a grass strip, with snow on it, make sure it's frozen. The snow probably won't get you, but the mud underneath might.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Less than 1/2 the diameter of the wheels. More than that, get out the plow. But if your going into a grass strip, with snow on it, make sure it's frozen. The snow probably won't get you, but the mud underneath might.

This... Except I think I probably wouldn't go any deeper than the tires (ie if any of the wheel itself is below the snow, it's a no-go). Otherwise you'd have snow going directly into the brakes.

And yes, wheel pants need to be off.