In response to the idea of going to a PA-11 when the 170 was too much to manage. I laugh when people talk like that. I had friends in Alaska That were looking for a new plane and wanted to run skis. They'd pick a 180 hp 170 over a 180(of the same price) because they thought the 180 was too much to man handle on skis. They never even thought about how many times my 105 lb wife would fly the 180 on skis out to the same place as them and park right next to their Supercubs. The Idea is to iliminate any manhandling, except for us in the lower 48 wanting to put it in the hangar at night. Otherwise set yourself up a taxi in/taxi out tie down, cover it up and plug it in. My wife was flying DC-3's in Alaska and I never heard her mention how hard it was to man-handle it, HA, HA!!!
Its all for fun!!! Kelly
170 on skis
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zero.one.victor
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funseventy
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BloomerJohn
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I have a 48 170 on 2500 skis also. (Not this year) Never used tail ski.. like the braking action of the wheel in snow. Carried 4 adults w/ full fuel to Hayward WI last winter. took a downhill run and almost 2000 feet just to get off the ground..then she flew just like any other day. I bought a set of those wheel dollys...love them! I will post pics if I can find out how to do it. Put plastic bottoms on your skis...less stick in wet snow and less likely to freeze down. Carry orange cap or pine bows to drop onto your intended landing area in flat light overcast conditions...allows you to determine where the earths surface begins. When landing on lakes, beware of pressure heaves and cracks. Water will begin coming up around edges of most all lakes later in the winter. When landing on icewith unknown conditions, set down, keep power on and make fast taxi circle...taxi next to your tracks, if they are grey., you have water under the snow...keep going until you find a spot where the snow is still white in your tracks. Carry lots of soft fleece rags to defrost windows (tell your pax to stop breathing so much!!) John
Good day ski fliers. I have had my wheel skis on (federal 3000's) for the past 6 weeks or so and have done a bit of flying with them. Unfortunately (same for you Hal), the temp has been so cold I haven't been flying since Xmas. I have found that it takes a bit longer to get off and for landing, I set up just like on floats. This has worked great for me. I like the idea of carrying an orange cone or two around to drop on your landing zone. My first ski landing was comparable to a glassy water one, no depth perception once you got low. Hal if you want I can send you photos of rigging on mine. Are you landing on Back Bay? Are you putting on straight skis or wheel skis. We should plan (along with the folks in Fort Smith with the 170 a mini 170 fly in). I think I seen that one the other day going through there on the jet.
Gary, Hay River, NWT
Gary, Hay River, NWT
Gary
There is no Cessna 170 owner in Fort Smith yet although I am looking at replacing my Citabria eventually and the 170B is right up there on my list. I even looked at the one you bought as a matter of fact!!!
I plan on flying with Hal sometime this coming summer to get a feeling of a 170 performance with the stock engine on floats.
Like you I am waiting for warmer weather to fly around on skis. Will drop by in Hay River at some point I am sure.
Ken
Do you fly yours on floats as well? with the o-300?
Bruno
Fort Smith, NT
C-GDDG
There is no Cessna 170 owner in Fort Smith yet although I am looking at replacing my Citabria eventually and the 170B is right up there on my list. I even looked at the one you bought as a matter of fact!!!
I plan on flying with Hal sometime this coming summer to get a feeling of a 170 performance with the stock engine on floats.
Like you I am waiting for warmer weather to fly around on skis. Will drop by in Hay River at some point I am sure.
Ken
Do you fly yours on floats as well? with the o-300?
Bruno
Fort Smith, NT
C-GDDG
Unusual atitudes in 170 with skis on
Ken,
If I where you I would stay away from intentional spins with skis on.
I have flown a 170 with skis and a 0 300 engine for some time and have
never come close to a spin( hope I never do)
I can see there is a wealth of information here on this subject which I find very interesting.
I do most of the things mentioned like, have a rope fastened to the tail spring at all time, try to get back to your tracks before shuting down,
park on branches over night, try and plan to turn left where possible.
I usually pry my skis up and rub the frost off before attempting to takeoff.
One time when landing on a short strip with very deep snow (5 ft of powder becide my packed runway) and a very strong cross wind, I was weathercocked to the left and into that deep snow. Took me 2 hours
to dig myself out and back onto the packed snow. Since then I always keep lots of power on until I get to where I am parking.
I never land out in the center of a lake. I use the shore line for a reference, and if I want to get out into the center of the lake I just taxi
there. I never run without a tail ski in deep powder snow, and always carry snow shoes and a shovel. If I have a chance I will use a snowmobile and that long rope to help turn the plane around and pack the runway.
I am running with Airglass 2500 strait skis and would never concider using wheel pentration skis as they increase your takeoff distance conciderable (as well as the extra weight of two wheels), unless on bare ice or pavement.
Hydrolic wheel skis increase your weight to such a point that you can hardly carry your survival gear when using a C-145 or 0-300 engine.
Remember in winter a normal 190 lb man will weigh close to 220 lbs when he is dressed for winter survival.
The above is all strickly in my oppinion.
Good Flying
Trapper
If I where you I would stay away from intentional spins with skis on.
I have flown a 170 with skis and a 0 300 engine for some time and have
never come close to a spin( hope I never do)
I can see there is a wealth of information here on this subject which I find very interesting.
I do most of the things mentioned like, have a rope fastened to the tail spring at all time, try to get back to your tracks before shuting down,
park on branches over night, try and plan to turn left where possible.
I usually pry my skis up and rub the frost off before attempting to takeoff.
One time when landing on a short strip with very deep snow (5 ft of powder becide my packed runway) and a very strong cross wind, I was weathercocked to the left and into that deep snow. Took me 2 hours
to dig myself out and back onto the packed snow. Since then I always keep lots of power on until I get to where I am parking.
I never land out in the center of a lake. I use the shore line for a reference, and if I want to get out into the center of the lake I just taxi
there. I never run without a tail ski in deep powder snow, and always carry snow shoes and a shovel. If I have a chance I will use a snowmobile and that long rope to help turn the plane around and pack the runway.
I am running with Airglass 2500 strait skis and would never concider using wheel pentration skis as they increase your takeoff distance conciderable (as well as the extra weight of two wheels), unless on bare ice or pavement.
Hydrolic wheel skis increase your weight to such a point that you can hardly carry your survival gear when using a C-145 or 0-300 engine.
Remember in winter a normal 190 lb man will weigh close to 220 lbs when he is dressed for winter survival.
The above is all strickly in my oppinion.
Good Flying
Trapper
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funseventy
- Posts: 230
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2002 11:46 pm
Now remember to get certified with skis they had to fly the airplane through all regimes. If it had bad characteristics it would be placarded, "No intentional spins with skis installed". I have Spun my 180 and 170 on skis and their were no problems. With your 170 having wheel-skis on it, I would assume the CG is well forward and it might be hard to get it to spin. It will probably break at first and then settle into a nice spiral. In a spiral it will pick up airspeed unlike the spin so you might need to abort earlier and recover so you don't overspeed the airframe. As for Trappers reply, I don't think he'd spin it on wheels either. Have fun and be safe. Altitude is the best instructor.
Kelly
Kelly
All you guys who are interested in flying up north, check out my post in the events/fly-in section on the Midnight Sun Floatplane Flyin. There seem to be a few of you who would be interested in coming up as a group. There are quite a few 170's in Idaho, Montana and Alberta. Citabrias are welcome too Bruno! If you're interested why not post a reply on events/flyins and see what evolves.
http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/1058.jpg
http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/1058.jpg
Hal Logsdon
C-FHJD
1954 170-B
C-FHJD
1954 170-B