SixPapaCharlie
New member
Today I got a wild hair and decided to go to a grass field and practice.
For the locals it was Cedar mills which is very well cared for and not soft at all.
I have gone there twice before but never just gone out and spent some time practicing.
Question. On grass do you find it takes significantly more distance to get up to speed?
My wheels are very small which may or may not play a role.
I am holding back pressure and a couple times, the plane got off way to early and came back down even when I push the nose down to stay in ground effect.
Now obviously I was able to get off every time but it was ugly and scary. This field ends at the edge of a lake.
I am not sure if it is a mental thing because I am seeing the water approach but on pavement, I feel like my airspeed gets up to 70 pretty quick and as I climb, I accelerate to 80 during the pitch.
Today I felt like 60 was never going to get there and I am barely able to get to 70ks until I am above the treeline. Airspeed just hangs there a little below 70.
I need to go practice soft field technique at my home field with known points (500 ft, 1000 ft, 1500ft, etc) and get a better gauge of where I am rotating.
It may all be mental. Home field is 8k feet and this grass strip is 3k
Prior home field for me was 3800 and I never felt this issue but I was never looking at water.
So I guess the question is will the grass create a noticeable delay in getting up to speed.
Also does being below the treeline (no head wind) contribute to my airspeed being lower?
Thanks in advance!
For the locals it was Cedar mills which is very well cared for and not soft at all.
I have gone there twice before but never just gone out and spent some time practicing.
Question. On grass do you find it takes significantly more distance to get up to speed?
My wheels are very small which may or may not play a role.
I am holding back pressure and a couple times, the plane got off way to early and came back down even when I push the nose down to stay in ground effect.
Now obviously I was able to get off every time but it was ugly and scary. This field ends at the edge of a lake.
I am not sure if it is a mental thing because I am seeing the water approach but on pavement, I feel like my airspeed gets up to 70 pretty quick and as I climb, I accelerate to 80 during the pitch.
Today I felt like 60 was never going to get there and I am barely able to get to 70ks until I am above the treeline. Airspeed just hangs there a little below 70.
I need to go practice soft field technique at my home field with known points (500 ft, 1000 ft, 1500ft, etc) and get a better gauge of where I am rotating.
It may all be mental. Home field is 8k feet and this grass strip is 3k
Prior home field for me was 3800 and I never felt this issue but I was never looking at water.
So I guess the question is will the grass create a noticeable delay in getting up to speed.
Also does being below the treeline (no head wind) contribute to my airspeed being lower?
Thanks in advance!
