Short / Narrow Field

[Seth]

What is the shortest field and most narrow field you have comfortably (or not so comfortably) operated from?

I'm based at Freeway airport in Maryland - W00.  The runway is 2400' x 40.'  The field closest to my home KGAI - Montgomery County / Gaitherburg Airpark is 4000' x 75.'  I trained there initially, and then also trained at LZU - Lawrenceville in Georgia, as well as PDK - Peachtree - Dekalb in Georgia (four runways varying in length and width - but large - way more than I needed for the 172 at the time).  I base the aircraft at Freeway because the people are great (Stan, Tommy, Mike), there's a Mooney Service Center on the field, and its less expensive for a comperable tie down.  The drive is about 20 minutes longer each way though from my home. 

The reason I ask is that I may be traveling to a location where the runway is 2000' x 25.'  I'm not worried so much at the 2000' distance, but instead the 25' width.  It's paved (I've never flown out of a grass strip) and as long as I operate out of where I am based (Freeway) its not something I'm too worried about, but I want to know the smallest airports Mooney pilots have operated from.  I have heard of but have never seen in person a 20' wide strip that was privately owned and paved.  From what I have noticed while flying, the more narrow the runway, for some reason the better you are at tracking the centerline

I fly a '67 M20F with a three bladed prop and a relatively young engine. 

-Seth

[mooniac58]

When recently in Wash State I rented a 172 and did a touch and go at Lupien (Oak Harbor) - http://www.airnav.com/airport/KOKH

It is also 25' wide and there is a huge lump in the middle of the field.  I got the 172 down on the numbers and back up before the giant speed bump, but holy cow - from the air it looked narrower than a back road!

[GeorgePerry]

Seth,

I looked at that Mooney about a year ago when I was in the market.  Are you it's "new" owner?

GP

[KSMooniac]

I've used 2900 x 40 a few times in my Mooney without too much anguish.  I'm based at 7000 x 150 so it is quite a different sight picture, and much greater sensation of speed on the narrow strip.  I cannot imagine going to 25' though!

[defrkm20j]

Guys, you should come to Germany ;-)

We are not so blessed with long runways as you in the states.

We operate our M20J out of a 1900 x 50 strip without a probleme. Just be aware of your weight and for landing to fly your appropriate approach speed. 

The shortest one I did was last summer. A small island called helgoland in the north sea with a rwy length of 1570ft. Easy stuff if your weight and speed are correct. Try it out on a long runway. No need to get excited.

Happy landings

 

[N207LS]

I have been into Tavernaero (Tavernier, FL - the keys) with 3 adults and about 20 gallons of fuel in my 1968 M20G (O-360) with a Powerflow Exhaust.  It is 2075' x 80'  very smooth grass (on an excellent coral base) with no issues (the first 200' of the runway is useless as you have to come in over the top of trees and houses right at the end of the runway).  I regularly fly to Chalet Suzanne for dinner and it is 2000' x 50' also grass, but mediocore condition with a big dip at about 800' from the north end.  At Chalet Suzanne I do not feel comfortable with more than 2 adults and 3/4 fuel in the tanks.  It is really the shortest field that I am comfortable with (even though I usually use about 1200' to get in the air there)(it is not the smoothest field) and is surrounded by trees (30-40' tall).  The narrowest runway that I have used recently was 17L at KDWH (Houston, TX). It was 3900'x35'.  This was paved in okay condition and was no problem whatsoever.  I think that a flat, well paved, runway of 1750' would be about my comfort level in my plane.  As far as width goes, I would most likely be comfortable with 25'-30', as long as there was grass on either side of the pavement and I was not tightly squeezed between trees. 

[piperpainter]

I just ran across this so although its old I thought id post! The shortest field i've been to was 900Ft at sea level and well...it doesn't really have a width per se but Id say 15feet wide! It was fun and curved

Disclaimer: please don't try this without knowing your airplanes abilities to a T and having experience in lots of other fields that are short etc. Thanks!

[HopePilot]

You are a nut...but my hat's off to you.  Great stuff.

[M016576]

shortest I've operated from are (and not looking to win any contests here...):

Cottage Grove, OR- about 3000'

Ashland, OR- 3600'

Palo Alto, CA- 2400'

and, of course, Lakeport, CA- 3500'

My first approach to Ashland, Or (by all rights a loooong runway for a mooney), I was at 90kts over the numbers and floated more than half way down the runway, never touching down, stuck in ground effect.  Ended up going around!  My wife asked me why I did that (referring to why didn't we stop)... my answer: "those (go-arounds) are free, brakes aren't!!!!"... her eye rolling was enough to tell me that she was on to my game.  I flew better numbers the next time around and was off at the half way mark...

       -JoB

[M016576]

Quote: Seth

What is the shortest field and most narrow field you have comfortably (or not so comfortably) operated from?

I'm based at Freeway airport in Maryland - W00.  The runway is 2400' x 40.'  The field closest to my home KGAI - Montgomery County / Gaitherburg Airpark is 4000' x 75.'  I trained there initially, and then also trained at LZU - Lawrenceville in Georgia, as well as PDK - Peachtree - Dekalb in Georgia (four runways varying in length and width - but large - way more than I needed for the 172 at the time).  I base the aircraft at Freeway because the people are great (Stan, Tommy, Mike), there's a Mooney Service Center on the field, and its less expensive for a comperable tie down.  The drive is about 20 minutes longer each way though from my home. 

The reason I ask is that I may be traveling to a location where the runway is 2000' x 25.'  I'm not worried so much at the 2000' distance, but instead the 25' width.  It's paved (I've never flown out of a grass strip) and as long as I operate out of where I am based (Freeway) its not something I'm too worried about, but I want to know the smallest airports Mooney pilots have operated from.  I have heard of but have never seen in person a 20' wide strip that was privately owned and paved.  From what I have noticed while flying, the more narrow the runway, for some reason the better you are at tracking the centerline

I fly a '67 M20F with a three bladed prop and a relatively young engine. 

-Seth

[triple8s]

I an not a skilled mooney pilot my bird still humbles me when i least expect it however, if a person comes in at the proper speed and holds it off till its done flyin and the yoke is almost all the way back the roll out is indeed very short. Painter? Dont you have a video or photo of you taking off in a pasture not 10 ft off the ground with gear up going by a cow? I thought I saw that somewhere a while back. lol

[eldeano]

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Quote: mooniac58

When recently in Wash State I rented a 172 and did a touch and go at Lupien (Oak Harbor) - http://www.airnav.com/airport/KOKH

It is also 25' wide and there is a huge lump in the middle of the field.  I got the 172 down on the numbers and back up before the giant speed bump, but holy cow - from the air it looked narrower than a back road!

[piperpainter]

I was taking off from a field in Oregon. Its my Dad's field. Its a nice & long 1900ft strip. I always suck the gear up ASAP to get rid of the drag and help my climb's.

[N601RX]

An older guy (cropduster) at our field has a interesting short field procedure for his B model.  It has manual flaps, but not hydraulic. 

No Flaps

Trim for level flight with flaps

Full power

Release brakes

Wait for 60 mph

Flaps down

Plane jumps up off the runway,  but stays level

Up with the gear and he is on his way.

[RJBrown]

 Front Range airport KFTG used to have a 2500 by 25 runway before DIA when they built the new 17/35 . Before I was allowed to fly a Mooney for the first time I had to get a checkout on that runway. The plane was N9136N a beautiful MSE. I fell in love with Mooneys in that plane. That Mooney was only 9 months old and at 250 hours I had more time than she did. The logbook records a flight of 1.4 hours and the notes Steep Turns Stalls T&Gs. At the time no one had been able to "scare" me about how "hard" Mooneys are to land so I had no problems. The instructor drilled me about the 2 things to remember. Proper airspeed on approach and never force down the nose wheel. The mains are THE LANDING gear The nose wheel is just for taxiing. This airport is at 5512' and my checkout was July 10th 1993, not the coolest day of the year. Density altitude was over 8000". With proper technique you should have no problem.

 It was a very memorable flight. After 248.5 hours in Cessnas I fell hard for that pretty red plane. Flew it every chance I could till the owner took it off rental. After that I flew any Mooney I could rent. Finally bought N231NH in 1994. The short field experience served me well when I lost oil pressure over the mountains of northern Idaho and had to land at Orofino S68, a 2500' strip.

[Barry]

Seth ...  If you want to practice, try 2W2, Clearview in Westminster, Md (1840 x 30). I've been in there a few times in my '66C. Cheapest fuel around. Also, a very nice pilot shop.

 

[Lood]

I've been into a 1800 x 27 runway at sea level. The 1800 was not necesarily my F's limit, but certainly my personal limit. I had to do two go-arounds before I got everything exactly right to make an uneventfull landing. Getting out was no problem at all. Your touchdown point is critical when landing on a short runway - as is your approach speed. More so in a Mooney. As long as there's no obstacles on the sides, runway width is much of a problem.

[N513ZM]

I have been into all these airports with a 201

42B - Goodspeed - East Haddam CT - 2400x50

http://www.airnav.com/airport/42B

 

W75 - Hummel Field, Saluda VA - 2270x45

http://www.airnav.com/airport/W75

since closed - N04 Griswold CT - 1800x50

[Jerry 5TJ]

I'll place a second vote for Clearview 2W2.  I used to fly my 64E there frequently.  Besides the short runway, Clearview has the added bonus of big trees at each end, and a road crossing the approach -- look both ways before crossing on short final because you pass over the road at SUV height.  At the threshold I needed to be no higher than 10' and no faster than 65 mph in the "E" to continue -- these short fields teach you about go-around decisions!