Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

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designrs
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Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:57 pm

Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

Post by designrs »

Are you paranoid about anyone touching your LSA? I am!

Stuff can happen to any airplane but LSA's often need to be handled more carefully than other aircraft.
They are lighter and sometimes have parts that function differently or are more sensitive.
Many lineboys have never handled an LSA.

A few examples, usually committed by well-meaning airport personnel:
1) attempt to lift the nosewheel by the thinly skinned stabilizer
2) attempt to steer the aircraft by the winglet
3) pushing the aircraft on the comparatively thinner aluminum wing
4) pushing while allowing the free-castering nosewheel to turn completely sideways which could break it
5) rotating the Rotax prop... backwards!

No tie-downs so:
1) offering to "triple chock" the aircraft overnight on the ramp... as thunderstorms roll in.
(Ummm... Can I pay for a hangar?)
2) free same-day parking... next to the Jet fuel pump, "Be sure to chock it well for when the State Trooper jet helicopters come to fuel-up beside you."

All too common:
1) 50-cent rope tiedows for your $100k+ aircraft... and there is no space for you to attach your own quality tiedows.

And my personal favorite:
1) over the Unicom, "You can park it right there on the right, honey." (Awesome VIP parking spot right behind the corporate jet parking... complete with jet blast.)

What are your experiences?
CTLSi
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Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

Post by CTLSi »

We carry tie-downs, Decalin and cleaning products on all cross-country trips. No one is allowed to touch the plane....
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FastEddieB
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Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA

Re: Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

Post by FastEddieB »

Glad to see you're branching out!

I guess that means you've reconsidered your "MOGAS only" stance? I always thought it was unnecessarily restrictive.
Fast Eddie B.
Sky Arrow 600 E-LSA • N467SA
CFI, CFII, CFIME
[email protected]
CTLSi
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Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

Post by CTLSi »

FastEddieB wrote:Glad to see you're branching out!

I guess that means you've reconsidered your "MOGAS only" stance? I always thought it was unnecessarily restrictive.
What are you talking about? Two years ago I advised others to use Mogas exclusively...and when traveling use Decalin in case only 100LL is available.... (if i recall you were among those that criticized the idea).

I notice Morden all of a sudden switched to Mogas quietly....he apparently used Decalin when he went to OshKosh...wanna bet he won't remember the 'TCP' discussion also?
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FastEddieB
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Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA

Re: Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

Post by FastEddieB »

Deleted duplicate.
Last edited by FastEddieB on Tue Sep 01, 2015 1:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Fast Eddie B.
Sky Arrow 600 E-LSA • N467SA
CFI, CFII, CFIME
[email protected]
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FastEddieB
Posts: 2880
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:33 pm
Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA

Re: Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

Post by FastEddieB »

My bad.

I thought you had said you exclusively ran MOGAS*.

In any case, I never found fault with 100ll if that's all that was available, and use Decalin myself as needed.

Sorry if I misunderstood.


*To be fair to myself, you did say this in June of this year:
"I use mogas, i bring it to the airfield in my gas trailer. I pay no aviation fuel tax. I don't use aviation fuel." And earlier, in February, "I burn 91E10 mogas exclusively." I think you can see how I might have been misled by those prior posts..
Fast Eddie B.
Sky Arrow 600 E-LSA • N467SA
CFI, CFII, CFIME
[email protected]
BrianL99
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Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:23 pm

Re: Ground Handling / Airport Hazards

Post by BrianL99 »

CTLSi wrote:
What are you talking about? Two years ago I advised others to use Mogas exclusively...and when traveling use Decalin in case only 100LL is available.... (if i recall you were among those that criticized the idea).
That's like Donald Trump recommending a hair stylist. A wise person might question his credibility.
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