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Good choices for a tie-down kit?

dkkim73

By dkkim73
in General Mooney Talk

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Fly Boomer Grand Master

Fly Boomer

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Hank said:

I saw a lot of them pulled out of the ground at Tornado n Fun a few years ago, but my EAA screw-ins that I bought on arrival held with no motion 

I thought I had seen an article that didn't rate the claw very high, so I looked to see if I had saved anything.  The only article I had saved showed the claw looking pretty good.  I think the screws do best when the load is pulling along the longitudinal axis of the screw, not side-ways.

Hank Grand Master

Hank

Posted
Posted
39 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

I thought I had seen an article that didn't rate the claw very high, so I looked to see if I had saved anything.  The only article I had saved showed the claw looking pretty good.  I think the screws do best when the load is pulling along the longitudinal axis of the screw, not side-ways.

The type of soil matters too. The Claw's nails didn't do well in sandy Florida soil

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Jackk Proficient

Jackk

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Hank said:

The type of soil matters too. The Claw's nails didn't do well in sandy Florida soil


 If we are talking FL storms, it’s clear out or write off 

Hank Grand Master

Hank

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, Jackk said:


 If we are talking FL storms, it’s clear out or write off 

Nah, just an April thunderstorm that spun off several small tornadoes at Lakeland during SnF. Google it, there are even YouTube videos of the aftermath. 

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exM20K Veteran

exM20K

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Hank said:

The type of soil matters too. The Claw's nails didn't do well in sandy Florida soil

This is key.  I was in the Diamond booth for that tornado. Our planes were tied down with our standard 30” rebar spikes with a cross piece welded to the top.  We didn’t lose a single plane but saw plenty tumbling down the alley between us and Piper, while taking “cover” in a 53’ semitrailer. That was interesting.

AvConsumer did a good piece on the aftermath and tie down performance.

https://aviationconsumer.com/accessories/lakeland-tiedown-test-what-worked/

Not at all practical for moving around in a plane, but rock solid for sure in the loamy soil there.

I use swing set anchors with rope that has some give when parking “out.”

-dan

Marc_B Veteran

Marc_B

Posted
Posted

Agree that you need to pick and choose based on where you're tying down.  I've not found a "universal" solution.  i.e. at KSTJ St Joseph, their tiedowns locations are for larger aircraft and my cut lines from the Claw weren't long enough.  At Chicago Midway, their tie downs are LOOONGG ratchet straps with tiedowns located far enough away for a jet...it looks hilarious to have your Mooney tied down with straps that go out 20+ feet! 

I have a Claw for Osh, and I previously would just take the cut lines with me to use as tiedowns (came with 25 ft 3/8" dia. solid braid polyester rope)...3 x 8'4" pieces.

I now take nylon dock lines 3/8" x 15' for travel or anticipated windy/wx conditions.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDWG6Y8?th=1  I wouldn't use something that has limited stretch like dyneema.  This comes with three lines with eye-splice on one end...perfect for tiedowns and 5800# breaking strength.

If I'm familiar with the area and don't anticipate any harsh weather I use a set of Sporty's rachet straps.  https://www.sportys.com/flight-gear-all-weather-tie-down.html  These are light weight and stay in my small tub with 2 qts oil, multi-screwdriver, multitool, tire pressure gauge, and cleaning stuff.  If buying these, be aware that the personalization is only embroidered onto the carry bag and NOT the straps.

 

For the areas that have braided wire running the width of the tie down area, Something like the ratchet straps with a metal to metal interface would be preferable than tying a rope around the metal wire.  ALSO...ALWAYS USE CHOCKS IN ADDITION TO TIEDOWNS.

Of course if I expect bad weather, hail, high winds...I just pony up for the hangar overnight or figure out what Plan B is...

Paul Thomas Proficient

Paul Thomas

Posted
Posted
On 12/13/2025 at 11:54 PM, NotarPilot said:

Being a CB here, does anyone use a homemade set up using climbing rope and maybe a carabiner tied to each end? Assuming you get quality carabiners, and not ones from Temu, I would think you have enough strength to keep your plane grounded in strong winds. The carabiners could be used to attach to the airplane tie down loops, and directly to the eye bolts on the ramp and then just simply tie a knot in the middle of the rope to take out the slack. Would this be a bad idea?

I rolled my own set because I wanted something that would be effective in various soil types. I'd use a shackle over a carabiner.

The type of rope you buy matters; some rope intentionally stretch under tension.

 

 

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