Wing covers for outdoor tiedowns - worth it?

Fearless Tower

Fearless Tower

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jan 1, 2010
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Fearless Tower
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I’m thinking this guy might not think so…

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This was taken at FFZ today. Microburst apparently. That airplane travelled quite a distance from its tie down.
 
Tie downs don’t help much with hail so I guess don’t bother with them either.
 
Yikes! That sucks.
 
A friend tied his plane down with ratchet straps and got a phone call the next day to let him know the plane had gotten loose from two of the three points because the hooks on the ratchet straps had disconnected from the tiedown rings. I was lucky not to have that happen in the years I used ratchet straps with hooks, so I got to learn the lesson from someone else's experience for once. I wonder what tiedown method this sad little airplane broke out of.
 
I use friction straps. Wonder if I should just carry three ropes with bowlines pre tied instead.
 
I carry ropes. I tie two half hitches on the ground end and a Boy Scout taut line on the airplane end. Someday I’ll learn the midshipman hitch.
 
iamtheari said:
A friend tied his plane down with ratchet straps and got a phone call the next day to let him know the plane had gotten loose from two of the three points because the hooks on the ratchet straps had disconnected from the tiedown rings. I was lucky not to have that happen in the years I used ratchet straps with hooks, so I got to learn the lesson from someone else's experience for once. I wonder what tiedown method this sad little airplane broke out of.
Click to expand...
I use straps, but replaced both hooks with old climbing carabiners that have closed positive latches. It is really easy and secure that way.
 
iamtheari said:
I carry ropes. I tie two half hitches on the ground end and a Boy Scout taut line on the airplane end. Someday I’ll learn the midshipman hitch.
Click to expand...

I like the truckers hitch.
 
Some wing covers have built-in "puffy bits" that stick up from the wing, to disrupt airflow, and help keep you from being blown away in high winds.
Won't help in a microburst, but might help in "regular" high winds.
 
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