Ski strips are for Skis!!

So that time of year again, warm enough for everyone to try to get out flying. But lots of planes are on wheels and not ski. Every year at this time it seems pilots want to go land on the on the snow covered ski strip with tires. Before you do stop and think about what you are doing to the strip. The tires are going to make some pretty deep ruts in all the soft snow, even worse when you decide to do a 180 and back taxi. When the ruts freeze overnight it makes for a very rough and unsafe for the guys on skis the next morning. Now take the pilot in Soldotna today that decided to land his nose wheel Cessna on the ski strip instead of the open tar runway next to it and put it upside down. Now we get to have some trucks get out on the strip also. Sometimes you have no choice, BUT, if you do stay off the ski strip with wheels so you follow pilots on skis have a safe place to takeoff and land.
THANKS
DENNY

We have idiots think it is just fine to run 4 wheelers on the sled trails. They do fine early when it is 20 degrees, but then come back at noon after the snow is soft and rut the entire trail to heck.

The even get indignant if you try to explain the difficulty of riding in their ruts that go side to side.

But why would you land a wheel plane in the snow next to the asphalt?? We need more Darwin action.

Heck if you guys want to play on snow, move to where there’s actually some winter. In Fairbanks, the airport grooms the entire east ramp for skis. Navajos and Caravans taxi on those surfaces all winter.

MTV

BUMP!! That time of year again. Had a cub stuck on 35in tires on the ski strip with open runway next to it. Please don't tear up the ski strips with tires if a runway is open next to it. Thanks
DENNY

DENNY said:

BUMP!! That time of year again. Had a cub stuck on 35in tires on the ski strip with open runway next to it. Please don't tear up the ski strips with tires if a runway is open next to it. Thanks
DENNY

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Seriously?! Today?

On a related note, I don't suppose you know of anyone who might have a tow bar I can buy or borrow for a week, do you? I want to extend my season by a week or two, but can't taxi over to the ski strip due to exposed pavement. I have ski dollies, but I'm not sure that trying to taxi on those is a good idea.

You can use mine, I just have to find an extra hanger key for ya. I will be out tomorrow putting on skis. Sent my number by PM
DENNY

Brian M said:

Seriously?! Today?

On a related note, I don't suppose you know of anyone who might have a tow bar I can buy or borrow for a week, do you? I want to extend my season by a week or two, but can't taxi over to the ski strip due to exposed pavement. I have ski dollies, but I'm not sure that trying to taxi on those is a good idea.

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What kind of dollies do you have? All I ever do is taxi with ski dollies. I have a one mile taxi to the runway. I put around 80 miles a year on mine no problem.

Jerry

During warm conditions wheel penetration skis with the ski raised tend to tear things up as well. Have a look sometime at the results of their passing on snow.

Gary

Yearly bump!
Denny

I have my strip to myself, but I do land uphill directly above my place and lay down some tracks almost every time I arrive back home, before the out of boundary down hill skiers tear it up. With the ski area above and north of my place, a certain group at the end of the day will traverse over and then down, only to find I have been there first (sometimes) on a powder day. We have a saying: there are NO friends on a powder day, first come first served! I have never had any dissing over this, they get it first often enough to keep all happy.

I've been doing a fair bit of ice skimming, like water skiing but on the ice, and always keep my eyes open for an old ice fisherperson hole, not the hole but the mounds of frozen chips as they are hard on the equipment.

My strip got buzzed by a Pitts Special yesterday, he had to be eating his heart out seeing all my tracks in the area.

Just heard of another pilot buying a prop because he did not want to land on the clear tar runway. Decided it was better to protect his bushwheels with a nose first stop. DENNY

I was watching a guy shooting touch n goes on the asphalt with 35s at Birchwood yesterday. Perhaps he should give broken prop guy some pointers.

This time of year you are just best off sucking it up and landing of tar if that is what you have. Every shop is backed up with last years wrecks/ski change over/annuals. Risking landing is slush snow is just not worth it. DENNY

Be careful in the evenings pulled some snares last night and that snow was rotten.

Landed the other morning and happened to end up exactly in my tracks that I created the night before that crust wasn’t too pleasant. Landed over a bit this morning.

Beautiful out. Picture on the ground in valdez. Heli skiers are gonna have a good day today. Can’t wait to play on the way home tonight.