Snow depths?

[cloud9sa]

Hi. Anyone with 8.50 x 6 mains have any comment on what snow depth that they are comfortable with, before opting for skis?

Thanks, Tracy

[UP-M5]

really depends on type of snow.
if it is really wet great lakes snow- maybe 2-3 inches at most.

if it is dry cold weather snow- maybe 4-5 inches.

the next question is how do you know from the air???????

[YELLOWMAULE]

Just how good are you at rolling the dice?

If I'm on wheels and have no one on the ground to tell me, the risk factor can be very high. Many times I've taken off some place, gone a relatively short distance and have had a very different type of snow.

[a64pilot]

Snow? What's that?

[crbnunit]

Ask me what landing in the in snow on tires costs.

[Duane]

Snow? What's that?

Jody, be careful what you say.. have you looked out the window lately?

[a64pilot]

Yeah, we got a little. Locals are freaking out I'm sure

[taildragger]

I fly M5-210C with 8.5's off an unplowed grass airsrtip. Depends on snow conditions but have managed up to around 8 inches. My experience only. If you can start and stop taxing in it no problem. As it gets deeper you have to keep it moving to keep from getting stuck. Under those conditons I start rolling from my ramp and never let it stop. I will then treat it like a one way strip and take off away from my hanger and land towards it. On several ocassions I have not acheived take off speed in 2500 foot and have made a sweeping turn and taken a second run to get off. Aim to keep it in the same wheel track, you will really notice slow down when you nudge out. If I can take off in it, I can land in it. Would never consider landing somewhere I didn't know conditions first excepting emergency of course. Just my half a pennies worth.

Scott

And there is always risk. One neighbor says it is exciting to watch. I think another is taking bets on when I nose over.

[cloud9sa]

We've been conservative about flying off snow, and did not have much snow this winter here in southern Michigan, until last week. Now that we've got more, I figured it would be good question to ask. Thanks all, for your replies. It's time to mount those TrickAir's! Tracy and Lisa

[a64pilot]

Ask me what landing in the in snow on tires costs.

And those don't look like little tires either

[crbnunit]

Snow was a lot deeper than the few inches I thought it was and a lot softer. There was quite a bit of volcanic ash on the snow at the time making me thing it was just a few inches of snow on gravel. In reality, all it did was absorb heat and make the snow soft! I made 4 passes total checking out the site. The third I laid tracks with no problem. I hit a little drift on the rollout, just enough to make me loose contact with the snow. When I came back down I broke crust, sank and porpoised badly. When I came down the second time and broke crust it just stuck and flipped. Not good.

I won't be taking snow depth for granted again anytime soon.

[James]

Hello Maule Pilots,
Crbnunit, sorry about your plane, and hope it's flying again!

I upgraded from 8.50s to a set of 29s, but still have a lot of respect for landing on snow. I passed up on landing at two Idaho Panhandle airstips today because of snow. Probably could have landed there, but wasn't willing to take the chance.

I did however land in about 4 to 6 inches of real wet snow with water running underneath it as seen in the picture below. On snow landings I prefer three point landings with power, and don't wheel land for obvious reasons. My new over-sized tail-wheel rolls instead of plows like the small one did too. Looking forward to some more Maule flying.

James
Spokane

Horsehaven:
McGee, Idaho: