I actually had a real engine failure and had to land on a ranch 32 miles east of Las Vegas NM. This all just before I took my checkride!!! Needless to say, I aced my checkride.......especially the emergency descent and landing. By the way, it was also my wife's first trip in our plane. My instructor was was with us just in case you were wondering..........Love your videos, the are so educational and help tremendously in helping me be a better pilot. Thanks Jason......hope to meet you in person someday.
@mzeroa im 3/3. I had an engine failure last year (blown cylinder) and landed in a recently harvested corn field. No damage from the landing. I frequently fly from grass fields and practice full down forced landings regularly.
3 for 3: To answer question #1 I just did my flight review in December. I was at 3,000' MSL at 2 miles from KTPL when the CFI, unannounced, pulled the power and had me land at Temple Airport without power. It was 34 degrees outside and I had never sweat that much while flying. Loved every minute of it. Becoming a safer smarter pilot.
3/3 here. Landing every week on grass since our AeroClub here in Argentina has not one but two and olny grass strips. Soft field training since day one. Cheers from Villa Mercedes San Luis, love your videos
Thanks for the series of videos! My check pilot on my PP check-ride, made me take it down to 20 feet! No kidding. DPE John Bosco, a legend on Long Island.
3/3 our grass strip gets very soft in the spring. I think it would be helpful for you to emphasize, keeping the nose wheel up and pressure on the mains as long as possible. Otherwise, on some planes, the nose wheel might dig innto the ground and cause some significant damage.
3 for 3. Your videos are super helpful as I am a student pilot with about 13hours in and overwhelmed at times. Your videos help me unravel the information I am receiving. Appreciate you and your time!
3/3 I have landed on grass. Not simulated EF to grass as our grass strip at Gloucester is to short Simulated engine failure on my skills test down to runway 27 from 2500 ft and made it in with a quick engine warm as you do. Jason keep up the good work from the UK
3 for 3. I have practiced a simulated engine failure and spiraled down to a road, but didn't land. I haven't done a soft field landing yet either. Hope to do both soon. Thanks!
Back in the early 90s, I took a couple of intro lessons with a soaring association, and actually did take off, and land on a grass strip on our second lesson. First one, we had a clocked pitot tube, and had to cut away from the tow plane, and land. Found a dirt dobber's nest in the pitot tube.
3/3. Yes, I've landed at EHHO, which is a grass airport. You really need to guard your nosewheel, keep back pressure until you're parked. Soft field takeoff is also more challenging. They have good coffee at EHHO ☕
3/3. Yes, as a Aeronca Champ pilot, I actually prefer grass. If you have not landed on grass you have to do it, it will be the best landing you have ever had.
Wonderful video series. I lost a friend in an off airport, engine out landing. He didn’t have a shoulder belt. The aircraft nosed over and his forehead contacted the panel, killing him in an otherwise survivable crash. I immediately had shoulder belts installed in my flying machine and I keep them on at all times. Last thing I want to need to remember is to put my shoulder belt back on prior to an emergency landing. I notice you have shoulder belts but choose to keep yours stowed, even during landing. I know it’s none of my business but I’m still going to suggest you wear it.
3 for 3. In my 19 years as a private pilot, I have engine-outed myself all the way to the ground many, many times. It's good practice to know the glide characteristics of the planes you fly. I learned how to fly on a grass strip. Columbus Southwest airport in Ohio. 2300 grass strip in a 1946 Luscombe 8A. And yes, I have engine-outed myself all the way down to the grass. Over the years, two of my favorite $100 dollar hamburger locations had grass strips. One is a truck stop with a great buffet next to a grass strip in Mount Victory, Ohio. The other is Peach State Aerodrome in Williamson, GA.
3 for 3! Love the video's Jason...and yes, practiced engine failure down to full stop landings from multiple altitudes (1,000 - 1,200 - 1,500 AGL) with a safety pilot just two months ago. Haven't done an "actual" soft field landing yet, but i only have 300 hours
I've not started my flight training yet but I'm trying to learn as much as I can while I work on myself to do better on my Medical. I'm on Day one and watched all three videos and hope to catch the rest as they are released.
3 for 3. My PPL checkride is on day 31. (3rd attempt due to weather in the PNW) My instructor did have me land a few times on a grass strip, WA46 one of which was simulated engine out. Soft-field takeoffs are one of my favorite things to practice.
Glad to see this important topic being featured so early in the series. 3 of 3. As to your questions, in training (and on the check ride), I did land on a regular paved runway after spiraling down (and slipping at the end), but nothing involving a genuine soft field, either for a simulated engine out or normal soft field landing.
3 for 3, I did this multiple times during my primary flight training. I live in Louisville, KY and there is a great grass strip in the area where we would practice this exact thing. Not only did it make me more confident, it was a lot of fun too 😁
In the US, where I got my PPL in 2020 (ground school with MzeroA), I never did softfield landings, neither during flight training nor after the checkride. For converting my license into EU-PPL after returning to Germany, we did our pattern work at a grass strip (EDOD). Respectfully approaching my first landing there, I now prefer to do softfield landings, since it is more forgiving... All the best from Berlin!
3 for 3, Jason Magda made the video fantastic w her readout of Emergency Checklist w you read back to her was excellent! Magda having eyes out window for traffic. Having a knowledgable assistant in cockpit helps as does my wife when we fly. Ok yes I’ve landed regularly on grass strips, performed w instructor engine out all the way to a full landing. Question for you Jason is when your high on final do you practice “Slips” and maybe talk of that in upcoming videos. Thanks 5 for 5👍✈️❤️
3 for 3 on the 3rd in my 3rd year watching the safer pilot challenge. Love the videos. My CFI was awesome and we did some grass strip landings during my PPL training. One of the funnest days of PPL training.
3 of 3!! Yes! My home airport is on a grass strip.. and just for fun this December my CFI though it would be fun to do some real soft field t/o and landing after an early snow, but not frozen ground day kinda melty day
My two favorite grass strips near me are Peach State Aerodrome (GA2) - we use a side step approach so we are not steep over trees. And in my back yard is Triple Tree (SC00). Highly recommend them both! Yes, Yes, and Yes on your questions. 🙂
Great video! My local check pilot had me do a full stop grass simulated in a C172 at Harsens Island MI (Z92). Can confirm its a VERY different experience! Especially one surrounded by water.
Enjoying the series. All my PPL training was done in a PA28 Warrior from an airfield with grass runways, EGCB in the UK. Longest runway was 2000' and shortest 1300' which concentrated the mind! I even did my multi rating there on an Aztec. Certainly improves landing techniques, but first time into a larger airport with long concrete runways was very strange!
In my primary training, my instructor would pull the power on every flight - at "some" point! One day, he pulled it, and I looked out (ABC) and identified a grass strip. We set up, and I made a downwind, base, and final. I kept looking and waiting for him to put the power back in, and say "good enough". All of a sudden, he looked at me and told me to land or prepare for a crash! It was pivotal! I never knew that a simulated engine out could result in an actual landing! Since then, my flying club hosts an annual fly-in to a mountain-top (in Connecticut) grass field (2000') where everyone is expected to make three landings in club planes, with CFI of choice. We also have Katama (1B2) reportedly one of the longest grass strips in the northeast! Not a soft-field, but a favorite winter activity is landing on the awesome ICE runway at Alton Bay (B18) in Laconia New Hampshire. This would make an awesome video of N23MZ! (hint hint) 🙂
3 for 3. Landed on grass many times in a Titan Tornado home built. Haven’t done an engine out practice to ground, to a grass strip or to a soft field. Great content and now I’ve got something else to practice!!
3 for 3. It was the summer of 1990, and I was on my THIRD training flight and my instructor pulled the power for a simulated engine failure. I picked the "field" in front of me... at about 300' I was expecting the instructor to add power for a go-around (we had done a few engine fails in the first few flights). Out of the corner of my eye I saw planes and I was told to land in the field. I was so new I didn't know the local airports and had landed N51's grass field that is perpendicular to the main runway. It was very exciting and a good learning experience.
3 for 3 (actually 4 for 4 now). I made two attempts in the past to obtain my pilot's license. Once in my 20's, and later in my late 40's (when I received my SEL certificate). Over the years I have flown in and out of soft fields in both tricycle and conventional aircraft. But here is a story about my first experience. When I was an early student pilot, my instructor proceeded to have me do my first simulated engine out. In that first time he had me actually land on a grass field. So, from the beginning that is all I knew. A little later on I had a review flight with a different instructor at the school. He pulled the throttle back and said, "Your engine just quit!" I went through the checklist. located a field and proceeded to land. Because the only other time I did this I actually landed the aircraft, that is exactly what I was going to do. I continued to go past the 500 ft level when the instructor took the controls from me and said, "What are you doing? and he proceeded to climb back out. As he was climbing, I looked out the window at a farmer waving his hands at us in discuss. Little did I know my previous instructor had me land at a local grass field that was approved to land at. I apologized and explained to the review instructor why I did what I did. I have never forgotten that experience. It taught me more about the importance of proper communications between a pilot, crew, and passengers. As PIC, make it your responsibly to know everyone is on the same page. Asking is as important as telling.
3 for 3. We have a grass strip about 20 miles NW of where I trained outside of Chicago. It’s owned by the Dacy family of wing walker fame. We would do soft field and short field on this grass strip! Actually two grass runways in Woodstock Illinois.
I started flight training a year ago in a J-3 Cub from a grass strip. We always simulate engine failure, & once we went all the way down, but it was on a paved runway. So I guess it's the opposite of what you were asking! We train to land in a glide. I have no flaps so I have to slip. ( Which is super fun) Thanks for your videos, they have helped me along the way.
3 for 3. Thank you, Jason. Great video and well executed. Yes, landed on a grass strip years ago in Upstate New York with my instructor. You're right, it's a different experience.
1. Yes. Only at an airport paved runway. And the last two answers for the other questions is no. That is because for the reason you've stated about insurance and other inconveniences. I would like to try. I even ask my instructor for possibility to arrange an actual soft-field landing, but the answer is still no. Instead, we do an overshoot over soft fields and simulate the soft-field landings on the airport paved runway. "Practice like you'd play" are the words that resonate in this video!
When I was instructing, we would actually turn off the engine, yep many years ago. Although I own and fly an ercoupe which really lands better on grass, I had not landed on a soft field. Great video, thank you. Billy N99601
3 for 3! Thank you for the Ukrainian flag. My original CFI always had me fly simulated engine outs to the ground but I still need to land on a grass strip. Been on the list for awhile now - just need to do it!
3 for 3 Yo! (After years of practicing engine out the traditional way, I had an instructor pull my engine over a 2000' grass strip (Buchan, X36) near the end of a flight review several years ago. I saw the field when looking for a place to land and maneuvered for it. We both agreed on the final approach to fly it all the way to the ground dead stick. game changer experience.)
Never a plane, but taildraggers do great on grass! =) Landed in many fields after a HG flight though, once you turn final there you're totally committed.
I did a simulated engine failure spiral down to a grass strip right before my PPL check ride but I haven’t since then. I will make sure to do a few this summer!
3 for 3 today! I do have a couple of grass strip landings under my belt. Was already private before I got the opportunity. It’s very different than how it feels to practice soft fields on the tarmac
3 for 3 Landed with an instructor on a grass strip to break up a long instrument lesson. It was spring and the field was very soft. Landing was fine. First takeoff had to be aborted because we weren’t building enough speed. Second takeoff went better, learned a lot about soft field take offs that day.
I've landed on grass (1C9 - Frazier Lake) and it's actually easier and more forgiving than pavement, especially in a tailwheel, but I think there are at least two important heads-up to be made to others thinking of doing the same: 1. Grass strip runways tend to be a bit less "formal" than pavement and you have to keep an extra eye open for things like pedestrians and mowers. About 2 weeks after I landed at 1C9, someone else ran into a volunteer running a mower on the field and killed the poor guy. Was the pilot looking for a guy on a mower? Almost certainly not since riding lawnmowers don't tend to wander onto pavement runways, so there's that extra dimension to be aware of. 2. Since grass strips tend to be maintained by volunteers, you can't expect consistent quality - gophers, rain storms, bad pilots who have left divots in the field, all need to be taken into account. On a pavement runway, you can see the potholes. On grass, not so much! Caveat emptor! 3. Given some of the abuses that grass strips suffer as well as the point made in #1, you can expect the maintainers of the few remaining grass strips in some urban areas to be A LITTLE TOUCHY. Don't do laps. One simulated emergency landing, sure, then fly away. Grass is not nearly as easy to repair as asphalt and, again, repairs and maintenance are usually done by an all-volunteer crew, so unless you're one of them, please don't abuse the privilege!
Just before my Private checkride, I was doing a Mock checkride. My instructior pulled the power at about 4500 feet and had me land without touching the power. It was great! Afterwards, he said, " Now you know you CAN do it!" We don't have any grass strips out here that I'm aware of. I will try to find one.
3 for 3. My CFI lives in a grass field airport community. It is four miles south of my home airport. I am fortunate enough to do engine outs all the way to the ground there and standard soft field T/Os. Hey Jason, when will you guys do a ground school for Sport Pilot? Your content is excellent as I have used your school. That being said, I needed John and Martha for the Sport Pilot knowledge test endorsement.
3/3! My CFI had me land on grass several times under DFW Bravo at Lakefront Asphalt so bad we landed next to it on grass. Llano Tx has a grass runway also and killer BBQ
3 for 3 (watched it yesterday but didn’t get a chance to comment) I have done a simulated engine failure all the way to a paved runway. Going to land at a soft field for the first time tomorrow! After watching this video maybe I’ll talk to my instructor about trying a simulated engine failure while we’re at the soft field 🤔
My Instructor was a crop duster and is a tail wheel fan, during my training in the Warrior, regular gear, we did a few grass landings so I knew how they were.
3 for 3. My planes is in for an annual so I'm chair flying this week, but good time to re-memorize the check lists. I appreciate the bullet points that pop up in the video as well, thank you!
Perfect scenario except....I believe you should demo this as close to reality as possible which would include opening your doors. You tended to skip by that without actually doing it for what reason I am not sure. The opening of the doors is important and the process is different in every aircraft...access...noise after opening etc. I have had 3 engine failure emergencies in my flying career and although they were not in certificated aircraft, a thoughtful plan and glider pilot experience helped me in every case to achieve a safe outcome. The closer you can demonstrate the actual circumstances the better! :) Keep up the good work. I get a lot of useful info from all of your videos! :) Thanks.
I actually had a real engine failure and had to land on a ranch 32 miles east of Las Vegas NM. This all just before I took my checkride!!! Needless to say, I aced my checkride.......especially the emergency descent and landing. By the way, it was also my wife's first trip in our plane. My instructor was was with us just in case you were wondering..........Love your videos, the are so educational and help tremendously in helping me be a better pilot. Thanks Jason......hope to meet you in person someday.
Glad you landed safely! Did you record it? Can you share it?
@@cn9936 I did not get it recorded. I had my hands full and it was my wife’s first ride in our 182. Needless to say it was a little stressful.
@mzeroa im 3/3. I had an engine failure last year (blown cylinder) and landed in a recently harvested corn field. No damage from the landing. I frequently fly from grass fields and practice full down forced landings regularly.
3 for 3! Keep up the great work Jason!
3 for 3. As a student pilot just 10hrs in, this type of content definitely helps. Keep up the great content Jason. Cheers to a great 2023
3 for 3 Yea. I live on a grass strip in IN so I fly on and off of it daily. It is a blast. Thanks for the video Jason
3 for 3: To answer question #1 I just did my flight review in December. I was at 3,000' MSL at 2 miles from KTPL when the CFI, unannounced, pulled the power and had me land at Temple Airport without power. It was 34 degrees outside and I had never sweat that much while flying. Loved every minute of it. Becoming a safer smarter pilot.
3/3 here. Landing every week on grass since our AeroClub here in Argentina has not one but two and olny grass strips. Soft field training since day one. Cheers from Villa Mercedes San Luis, love your videos
Thanks for the series of videos! My check pilot on my PP check-ride, made me take it down to 20 feet! No kidding. DPE John Bosco, a legend on Long Island.
3/3 our grass strip gets very soft in the spring. I think it would be helpful for you to emphasize, keeping the nose wheel up and pressure on the mains as long as possible. Otherwise, on some planes, the nose wheel might dig innto the ground and cause some significant damage.
3/3 and yes, I've landed on a grass strip. Very enlightening!
3 for 3. Your videos are super helpful as I am a student pilot with about 13hours in and overwhelmed at times. Your videos help me unravel the information I am receiving.
Appreciate you and your time!
Just take things one at a
time, you will see how everything connects well.
3 of 3 I only have 7 hours but I watch all your videos to help keep me sharp and learning! Thank for everything you do!!!!
3/3 I have landed on grass. Not simulated EF to grass as our grass strip at Gloucester is to short
Simulated engine failure on my skills test down to runway 27 from 2500 ft and made it in with a quick engine warm as you do. Jason keep up the good work from the UK
3 for 3. I have practiced a simulated engine failure and spiraled down to a road, but didn't land. I haven't done a soft field landing yet either. Hope to do both soon. Thanks!
Back in the early 90s, I took a couple of intro lessons with a soaring association, and actually did take off, and land on a grass strip on our second lesson. First one, we had a clocked pitot tube, and had to cut away from the tow plane, and land. Found a dirt dobber's nest in the pitot tube.
I'm 3 for 3. Love your videos.
3 days down. Thanks for doing this series.
3/3. Never landed on grass field but this video gives me a confidence to do it. Well done Jason!
I had 3 takeoffs and landings on a real short and soft field. When taxiing keep the back pressure in the yoke! Valuable training.
343. Thanks much Jason. Lots of soft field in the 140; always fun. Appreciate you taking this scenario to the ground…
Thank. you for the instruction.....I need to practice this more often!
3 for 3, great training and looking to apply it towards my Sport Pilot certificate training.
3/3. Yes, I've landed at EHHO, which is a grass airport. You really need to guard your nosewheel, keep back pressure until you're parked. Soft field takeoff is also more challenging. They have good coffee at EHHO ☕
3/3. Yes, as a Aeronca Champ pilot, I actually prefer grass. If you have not landed on grass you have to do it, it will be the best landing you have ever had.
Wonderful video series. I lost a friend in an off airport, engine out landing. He didn’t have a shoulder belt. The aircraft nosed over and his forehead contacted the panel, killing him in an otherwise survivable crash. I immediately had shoulder belts installed in my flying machine and I keep them on at all times. Last thing I want to need to remember is to put my shoulder belt back on prior to an emergency landing. I notice you have shoulder belts but choose to keep yours stowed, even during landing. I know it’s none of my business but I’m still going to suggest you wear it.
3/3 yes! Thanks for these videos!
3 for 3. In my 19 years as a private pilot, I have engine-outed myself all the way to the ground many, many times. It's good practice to know the glide characteristics of the planes you fly.
I learned how to fly on a grass strip. Columbus Southwest airport in Ohio. 2300 grass strip in a 1946 Luscombe 8A. And yes, I have engine-outed myself all the way down to the grass.
Over the years, two of my favorite $100 dollar hamburger locations had grass strips. One is a truck stop with a great buffet next to a grass strip in Mount Victory, Ohio. The other is Peach State Aerodrome in Williamson, GA.
3 for 3! Love the video's Jason...and yes, practiced engine failure down to full stop landings from multiple altitudes (1,000 - 1,200 - 1,500 AGL) with a safety pilot just two months ago. Haven't done an "actual" soft field landing yet, but i only have 300 hours
I've not started my flight training yet but I'm trying to learn as much as I can while I work on myself to do better on my Medical. I'm on Day one and watched all three videos and hope to catch the rest as they are released.
Wonderful skill to practice. I’ve done many soft field landings. There’s nothing left out of this excellent video.
3 for 3. My PPL checkride is on day 31. (3rd attempt due to weather in the PNW) My instructor did have me land a few times on a grass strip, WA46 one of which was simulated engine out. Soft-field takeoffs are one of my favorite things to practice.
Glad to see this important topic being featured so early in the series. 3 of 3. As to your questions, in training (and on the check ride), I did land on a regular paved runway after spiraling down (and slipping at the end), but nothing involving a genuine soft field, either for a simulated engine out or normal soft field landing.
3 for 3, I did this multiple times during my primary flight training. I live in Louisville, KY and there is a great grass strip in the area where we would practice this exact thing. Not only did it make me more confident, it was a lot of fun too 😁
Haha Lee Bottom All the way!
3 for 3..I always talk about wanting to land on a real grass strip and this has motivated me to make it happen!!
3 for 3, and great advice to practice emergency landings to the field. I will definitely start working on grass landings.
In the US, where I got my PPL in 2020 (ground school with MzeroA), I never did softfield landings, neither during flight training nor after the checkride. For converting my license into EU-PPL after returning to Germany, we did our pattern work at a grass strip (EDOD). Respectfully approaching my first landing there, I now prefer to do softfield landings, since it is more forgiving...
All the best from Berlin!
3 for 3! Never landed on a soft field, also I’m low hour student. I really enjoyed the mzeroa ground school trail. About to make the swap
3 for 3, Jason Magda made the video fantastic w her readout of Emergency Checklist w you read back to her was excellent! Magda having eyes out window for traffic. Having a knowledgable assistant in cockpit helps as does my wife when we fly. Ok yes I’ve landed regularly on grass strips, performed w instructor engine out all the way to a full landing. Question for you Jason is when your high on final do you practice “Slips” and maybe talk of that in upcoming videos. Thanks 5 for 5👍✈️❤️
3/3. no I haven't done soft field landing. Thank you for today's video.
3 for 3 on the 3rd in my 3rd year watching the safer pilot challenge. Love the videos. My CFI was awesome and we did some grass strip landings during my PPL training. One of the funnest days of PPL training.
3 of 3!! Yes! My home airport is on a grass strip.. and just for fun this December my CFI though it would be fun to do some real soft field t/o and landing after an early snow, but not frozen ground day kinda melty day
My two favorite grass strips near me are Peach State Aerodrome (GA2) - we use a side step approach so we are not steep over trees. And in my back yard is Triple Tree (SC00). Highly recommend them both! Yes, Yes, and Yes on your questions. 🙂
Great video! My local check pilot had me do a full stop grass simulated in a C172 at Harsens Island MI (Z92). Can confirm its a VERY different experience! Especially one surrounded by water.
Enjoying the series. All my PPL training was done in a PA28 Warrior from an airfield with grass runways, EGCB in the UK. Longest runway was 2000' and shortest 1300' which concentrated the mind! I even did my multi rating there on an Aztec. Certainly improves landing techniques, but first time into a larger airport with long concrete runways was very strange!
In my primary training, my instructor would pull the power on every flight - at "some" point! One day, he pulled it, and I looked out (ABC) and identified a grass strip. We set up, and I made a downwind, base, and final. I kept looking and waiting for him to put the power back in, and say "good enough". All of a sudden, he looked at me and told me to land or prepare for a crash! It was pivotal! I never knew that a simulated engine out could result in an actual landing! Since then, my flying club hosts an annual fly-in to a mountain-top (in Connecticut) grass field (2000') where everyone is expected to make three landings in club planes, with CFI of choice. We also have Katama (1B2) reportedly one of the longest grass strips in the northeast!
Not a soft-field, but a favorite winter activity is landing on the awesome ICE runway at Alton Bay (B18) in Laconia New Hampshire. This would make an awesome video of N23MZ! (hint hint) 🙂
3 for 3. I have landed on grass, but not with my Cirrus. I need to practice your technique. Nice job.
Hi! I am in the first week of my private, loving these fire hydrants I am drinking out of! Thank you! Can't wait to be a great pilot!
3 for 3. Landed on grass many times in a Titan Tornado home built. Haven’t done an engine out practice to ground, to a grass strip or to a soft field. Great content and now I’ve got something else to practice!!
3 for 3! Enjoy your videos!!
Practiced real soft field landings during my ppl training. So much fun landing on grass! 3/3
BTW "Hey Baby, Traffic 10 o'clock!" Would make a great MzeroA shirt for Magda! LOL
3:3 and loving these short nibbles of information.
3 for 3 - yes. My instructor lives on a grass field, so spent a lot of my training landing on his soft field
3 for 3! Great series!
We live in an airport community on a grass strip. We take off and land on grass every day. We still practice soft field landings elsewhere as well
3 for 3. It was the summer of 1990, and I was on my THIRD training flight and my instructor pulled the power for a simulated engine failure. I picked the "field" in front of me... at about 300' I was expecting the instructor to add power for a go-around (we had done a few engine fails in the first few flights). Out of the corner of my eye I saw planes and I was told to land in the field. I was so new I didn't know the local airports and had landed N51's grass field that is perpendicular to the main runway. It was very exciting and a good learning experience.
3 for 3 (actually 4 for 4 now). I made two attempts in the past to obtain my pilot's license. Once in my 20's, and later in my late 40's (when I received my SEL certificate). Over the years I have flown in and out of soft fields in both tricycle and conventional aircraft. But here is a story about my first experience.
When I was an early student pilot, my instructor proceeded to have me do my first simulated engine out. In that first time he had me actually land on a grass field. So, from the beginning that is all I knew. A little later on I had a review flight with a different instructor at the school. He pulled the throttle back and said, "Your engine just quit!" I went through the checklist. located a field and proceeded to land. Because the only other time I did this I actually landed the aircraft, that is exactly what I was going to do. I continued to go past the 500 ft level when the instructor took the controls from me and said, "What are you doing? and he proceeded to climb back out. As he was climbing, I looked out the window at a farmer waving his hands at us in discuss. Little did I know my previous instructor had me land at a local grass field that was approved to land at. I apologized and explained to the review instructor why I did what I did.
I have never forgotten that experience. It taught me more about the importance of proper communications between a pilot, crew, and passengers. As PIC, make it your responsibly to know everyone is on the same page. Asking is as important as telling.
3 for 3. Love flying to GA2 Peach State to Barnstomers grill, excellent grass runway!
3 for 3. We have a grass strip about 20 miles NW of where I trained outside of Chicago. It’s owned by the Dacy family of wing walker fame. We would do soft field and short field on this grass strip! Actually two grass runways in Woodstock Illinois.
I started flight training a year ago in a J-3 Cub from a grass strip. We always simulate engine failure, & once we went all the way down, but it was on a paved runway. So I guess it's the opposite of what you were asking! We train to land in a glide. I have no flaps so I have to slip. ( Which is super fun) Thanks for your videos, they have helped me along the way.
As a pre-solo student, have not taken it all the way down but I have landed on a grass strip in a Cub.
2 of 3 but will catch yesterday’s video later.
3 for 3. Thank you, Jason. Great video and well executed. Yes, landed on a grass strip years ago in Upstate New York with my instructor. You're right, it's a different experience.
1. Yes. Only at an airport paved runway.
And the last two answers for the other questions is no. That is because for the reason you've stated about insurance and other inconveniences. I would like to try. I even ask my instructor for possibility to arrange an actual soft-field landing, but the answer is still no. Instead, we do an overshoot over soft fields and simulate the soft-field landings on the airport paved runway. "Practice like you'd play" are the words that resonate in this video!
3 for 3. We have a grass strip and it will be included for my soft field and take off and landing training at KHDL. Looking forward to it! Jody Spann
Nice job. Thank you sir.
you are the best sir...
My first takeoff and landing ever was on a grass landing strip! The main runway was being refurbished so that is the only available runway. 3 for 3!
3/3 loving this!
When I was instructing, we would actually turn off the engine, yep many years ago. Although I own and fly an ercoupe which really lands better on grass, I had not landed on a soft field.
Great video, thank you.
Billy N99601
3 of 3 keep ‘em coming!
3 for 3! Thank you for the Ukrainian flag. My original CFI always had me fly simulated engine outs to the ground but I still need to land on a grass strip. Been on the list for awhile now - just need to do it!
3 for 3 Yo! (After years of practicing engine out the traditional way, I had an instructor pull my engine over a 2000' grass strip (Buchan, X36) near the end of a flight review several years ago. I saw the field when looking for a place to land and maneuvered for it. We both agreed on the final approach to fly it all the way to the ground dead stick. game changer experience.)
Never a plane, but taildraggers do great on grass! =) Landed in many fields after a HG flight though, once you turn final there you're totally committed.
3/3!! Have landed and taken off from grass field but CFI took the controls to demonstrate.
I did a simulated engine failure spiral down to a grass strip right before my PPL check ride but I haven’t since then. I will make sure to do a few this summer!
3/3. I do a few grass fields a year. I remember my check ride in early '90's was a REAL soft field, grass with 4" of fresh wet snow.
3 for 3 today! I do have a couple of grass strip landings under my belt. Was already private before I got the opportunity. It’s very different than how it feels to practice soft fields on the tarmac
3/3 This is on my list for this year for sure
3 for 3 Landing on a soft grass field this spring-The flight school already talked about that too
3 for 3
Landed with an instructor on a grass strip to break up a long instrument lesson. It was spring and the field was very soft. Landing was fine.
First takeoff had to be aborted because we weren’t building enough speed.
Second takeoff went better, learned a lot about soft field take offs that day.
I've landed on grass (1C9 - Frazier Lake) and it's actually easier and more forgiving than pavement, especially in a tailwheel, but I think there are at least two important heads-up to be made to others thinking of doing the same:
1. Grass strip runways tend to be a bit less "formal" than pavement and you have to keep an extra eye open for things like pedestrians and mowers. About 2 weeks after I landed at 1C9, someone else ran into a volunteer running a mower on the field and killed the poor guy. Was the pilot looking for a guy on a mower? Almost certainly not since riding lawnmowers don't tend to wander onto pavement runways, so there's that extra dimension to be aware of.
2. Since grass strips tend to be maintained by volunteers, you can't expect consistent quality - gophers, rain storms, bad pilots who have left divots in the field, all need to be taken into account. On a pavement runway, you can see the potholes. On grass, not so much! Caveat emptor!
3. Given some of the abuses that grass strips suffer as well as the point made in #1, you can expect the maintainers of the few remaining grass strips in some urban areas to be A LITTLE TOUCHY. Don't do laps. One simulated emergency landing, sure, then fly away. Grass is not nearly as easy to repair as asphalt and, again, repairs and maintenance are usually done by an all-volunteer crew, so unless you're one of them, please don't abuse the privilege!
Just before my Private checkride, I was doing a Mock checkride. My instructior pulled the power at about 4500 feet and had me land without touching the power. It was great! Afterwards, he said, " Now you know you CAN do it!" We don't have any grass strips out here that I'm aware of. I will try to find one.
3/3. Did all my initial training from a grass strip. I actually struggled going to tarmac in the beginning of my cross country training.
3for3. Yes practiced grass field landings over the summer. Also have spiraled down to a landing at another airport to practice.
3/3! I have not landed on a grass strip but I will try it sometime this Year
3 of 3 excited to fly this new year. New year, new me lol
First Magda video of 2023! Hoping for more. Landed on the grass at 1H0. Taxied on the grass at OSH!
3 for 3. My CFI lives in a grass field airport community. It is four miles south of my home airport. I am fortunate enough to do engine outs all the way to the ground there and standard soft field T/Os. Hey Jason, when will you guys do a ground school for Sport Pilot? Your content is excellent as I have used your school. That being said, I needed John and Martha for the Sport Pilot knowledge test endorsement.
3/3!
My CFI had me land on grass several times under DFW Bravo at Lakefront
Asphalt so bad we landed next to it on grass. Llano Tx has a grass runway also and killer BBQ
3 for 3 (watched it yesterday but didn’t get a chance to comment)
I have done a simulated engine failure all the way to a paved runway. Going to land at a soft field for the first time tomorrow! After watching this video maybe I’ll talk to my instructor about trying a simulated engine failure while we’re at the soft field 🤔
Love these videos man! Just started flying 15 hours in and they are great
I am three for three and enjoying it!
My Instructor was a crop duster and is a tail wheel fan, during my training in the Warrior, regular gear, we did a few grass landings so I knew how they were.
3/3 Nice job you two!
3 for 3!! :) Question: What degree of bank did you use for the spiral? Also, What is normally recommended for a spiral bank?
3 for 3. My planes is in for an annual so I'm chair flying this week, but good time to re-memorize the check lists. I appreciate the bullet points that pop up in the video as well, thank you!
3 for 3. Yes, dirt gravel landing. Nice job with video
Perfect scenario except....I believe you should demo this as close to reality as possible which would include opening your doors. You tended to skip by that without actually doing it for what reason I am not sure. The opening of the doors is important and the process is different in every aircraft...access...noise after opening etc. I have had 3 engine failure emergencies in my flying career and although they were not in certificated aircraft, a thoughtful plan and glider pilot experience helped me in every case to achieve a safe outcome. The closer you can demonstrate the actual circumstances the better! :) Keep up the good work. I get a lot of useful info from all of your videos! :) Thanks.
Yes I have done some soft fields. Candlelight Farms (11N) Very bumpy!
3 of 3 awesome video
3 for 3. Yes, Yes, and Yes! Love landing on grass, especially with a taildragger! Grass is always fun!