Grandmas Flying Couch

I like this Idea, maybe 500ft on each end to start with, perhaps more when I can afford it. Ground roll should be around the 1000' at sea level so figure 1300' maybe more for dirt. 500 head start should help her along nicely. I think you're right about prop erosion, if I do a short field take off full power feet on brakes the prop paint really pays for it even on pavement. It's dusty in AZ.

That's exactly the size I've been eyeing. 50 is probably my minimum since I need to do long amounts of dragging. For 4k more you get a cab with AC and heat, I figure I'll splurge for since if the wind is at your back the dust from the box blade or plane will come back to blanket you. I just don't know if it's clay its a fine fine power on top. Experimenting on the driveway and the really bad road to the house was my idea to get a handle on it too! I can't make the road to the house any worse it's pretty washed out. I see a ton of airstrips out there I should go leave a note on one of their gates. For a six pack I bet I can save a few years of learning.

I never thought about the Idea of purchasing tires with fewer grooves, it's one of those DUH moments after you mentioned it. I will look out for that when I buy them in the future. Opening the treads, making them wide and shallow or tapering the shoulders would definitely reduce the rock thawing ability. I think my new tires have 4 grooves. I may look into a Bearhawk, C180/185, or Maule in the future. I would like to explore some strips but I'm convinced the Mooney is the traveler. The C185 would probably be a good all-rounder but boy are they pricey! I bet it's necessary to replace the protection strips once in awhile so they don't get goopy or permanent.

LOL that's funny you should say that! @herbomatic on youtube is my channel. I plan to continue my channel when I finish selling my business, the sale is taking all my time at the moment. I hope it works out, the house is off-grid and since it needed fixing up and wasn't financeable the wife and I scraped up the money to buy her. If the Youtube can make 50k a year that should be good with no bills.

I'm going to look into these options. That number I got off google for cost to pave a road per mile but that was probably GOV numbers lol! Costs them 1M to install a toilet after 4 years and 97 meetings. I wasn't aware asphalt millings bonded back together over time.

I may try this first, I'm a cheap SOB so any Home Depot solutions I can try first I'm going to. If it doesn't work the chicken coup could use some more chain link to keep the coyotes out.

My strips look almost exactly like that 5AZ6, mine are not quite in as good of shape but they haven't been maintained in 4+ years.

I agree, I may hire a local guy to work the runway first. I will want to do the maintenance myself eventually. The drainage doesn't look too bad, looks like it needs a culvert pipe where the two runways cross. I've never heard of using RAP before, I've got some youtubing to do!

I have the regular Hartzell, I'm going to give the PropGuard a try. It has to slow down leading edge erosion.

This came with the property, satellite shows it moved around last in 2019 or 2020 it needs a ton of work and leaks so much hydraulic fluid it may oil the runway itself. I plan to get it going eventually.

I've never thought of this, I am a do it yourself kind of guy. I may hire it out he first time or two and then learn to maintain it after he teaches me a thing or two. I'm also looking forward to playing "She thinks my tractors' sexy" and tractoring by the wife until she goes bonkers.

definately not, on a well and wouldn't be able to produce nearly enough water.

I almost wonder if it would be worth paving the ends? or is that silly to have hard transitions like that.

Thanks man, I was very lucky to find it when I did! I'm also lucky to have a wife that is on the same life path as me. She didn't want to go but I dragged her out there and she walked around. The next day she said "I want that house!" I don't yet have a tractor I do have a diesel 4x4 F350 wonder if that would be a good idea to drag chain and railroad iron with? That way I could condition the runway sooner.

It's the finest of sand out there! It's nothing but fin sand, smooth enough that you pick it up and rub it on your hands it acts almost like lube like graphite.

I wonder if paint protection film under the wing in line with the tire would be in order? The runway has very few rocks mostly silty soft dirt. The previous owner who passed away flew a 1947 Bonanza and an Aercoup off the strip. I will do "rock patrol" to thin the rocks on a regular basis. If the mooney shows signs of getting beat up I'll save my money and swap her out. It would be sad for sure. I bought her because I wanted to actually go places and that she does well. She also seems to be pretty good on cross winds, I fly on days my neighbors don't due to wind and it always feels pretty safe. Perhaps the wing loading is higher.

Thanks man, I may need to host some fly-ins at some point, I gotta get the water, electricity and everything else up to snuff first. Not to mention I gotta buy a tractor and learn how to use it!

I had high hopes, the leading edge of my prop gets the worst of it. I wish I could oil it, doesn't asphalt contain tons of petroleum product? I love the idea of those deflectors, if I buy a taildragger or fixed gear I will add those for sure. Thanks A64!

Just looked it up, it's not horribly expensive hopefully it would withstand a little sand!

That's what it's got now, sticky sponge. Paving would be around 1.5M for both runways so that's not in the foreseeable cards.

I just bought a home to get out of the city. It's on 150 acres and has two dirt strips one is 3000ft and the crosswind runway is 1800ft. They are dirt runways, I will need a tractor as they have not been groomed in a few years. This is a dream situation the house is rundown and it has a few rundown hangars that I will be spending my time fixing up. This leads to the M20F: I just got her up and running with an overhauled engine about 5 months ago, I would love to keep her. I know about the Piper Painter videos and have watched them extensively, I'm wondering if it's feasible long term. Dirt already erodes my prop using the paved runways in the southwest where the wife and I fly around. My runways are pure dirt, sand, and small rocks. There is a paved section for runups. Here are a few of my ideas: 1. Put 3M paint protection strip on leading edges of prop (just 1 inch stuff on outer 12 inches or so and replace often) 2. Accelerate slowly to suck less sand 3. Change air filter often What do you guys think? Would it be worth it to sell her and kick in more money and grab a 180 or Maule or ?

Just an FYI the transdeucer is fairly accurate at high fuel flows until I get into fuel flows in the 10 gph range then it bounces around + or - a gallon or so. It's ok for me but it may be something where I try to get a straight fitting into at least the inlet. The totalizer seems to be right on the money so the bouncing around must average out ok.

Make sure there is no crud behind the ears or that can stress them. Makes sure you wash behind the ears. Here is gasket with ears in this case a Superior SL62224

I like gaskets that are little lower in sodium.

Airhawk set from spruce. Tubes made by specialty. Why? Money!