The International Cessna 170 Association

Last winter was a wipe out for skis in western Saskatchewan; no snow only frozen lakes. This winter we just had a foot of snow. Took an hour to re-install skis and gone flying. Just excellent conditions. Made 5 landings. Then landed near my yard, raised skis and taxied on road and into hanger. Plugged in and ready to go. Feels like back in my bush pilot days. I have an avcon conversion and hyd skis.

Glad you finally got to get out on skis and have some fun. Nothing like not even being able to tell when you land on fresh soft snow before it gets tracked up. Do you ever land on the lakes with wheels when there is no snow? I'm jealous this year, my plane is snow drifted-in in my hangar and the skis are still stacked up against the wall. I'm guessing you have Federal AWB-2500 hydraulic wheel skis? I had a set on a Cub and they were outstanding skis.

Some years in Alaska we don't get much snow until late in Feb or March. Those years are some of my most fun winter flying fun. With no snow, the lakes freeze up hard and deep and it's great to land on a clear ice lake on wheels and be able to look down 3' or 4' into the ice and insure it's thick enough to be safe. Can't do that on snow covered ice where there's a good possibility there is overflow you don't know about until it's too late and you're in slush. Clear ice is not much fun at all if the wind is blowing though. It's no fun to get blown sideways while trying to turn around.

I travel all over the middle third of the country for work, and when I'm in MI, MN, WI, etc., and see people driving around and landing airplanes on lakes it strikes this AL boy as awfully peculiar. When I see folks get out of their trucks and start sawing holes in the ice all around it makes me wonder just exactly how it was that we lost that war.

(Just kidding, no offense intended. )

Try landing on a lake with ice as smooth as glass. The ice is floating on the water and it gives a little bit to make those landings extra smooth, like when you push the cubes down into your gin and tonic. It can be a bit eery and unnatural.

Sometimes it’s so smooth you can’t stop at idle thrust so a small blast of throttle can spin you 180° and then, while you are sliding backward, you can add another blast of retro thrust to stop you.

Hineywheel Bill wrote:I travel all over the middle third of the country for work, and when I'm in MI, MN, WI, etc., and see people driving around and landing airplanes on lakes it strikes this AL boy as awfully peculiar. When I see folks get out of their trucks and start sawing holes in the ice all around it makes me wonder just exactly how it was that we lost that war.

(Just kidding, no offense intended. )

It's fun! The trick is to see where the trucks are driving and land there. If it will hold a truck, it will hold your plane. When on wheels I generally look for ice racing ovals or snowmobile drag tracks. If they've been raced on recently both tend to be plowed free of soft snow, and are relatively smooth. Standard off airport/helicopter techniques should be applied. That means a high recon and a low recon to look for obstructions and other hazards. I usually follow this with a low pass at approach speed to check for cracks or other problems, and to make sure I can get back out (remember, lakes and rivers are typically the lowest points around). Watch for flat light. Only attempt this on high contrast days.

I usually wheel it on. That way if it isn't right (rougher than expected or a big ridge comes out of nowhere) I can pull it right back off. Plus it gives me a little better directional control. If there is some snow directional control is usually ok, but don't plan on much high speed braking. If it's ice directional control is nil. I would not attempt it with any kind of significant crosswind as the plane will skate. When slowed to taxi speed you still have to be hyper vigilant as any wind will push you around and steering/braking will be sketchy. If you can get a wheel on even a little patch of snow that's usually enough to make a sharp turn, otherwise you'll need lots of room. More than once I've gotten out and just pulled the tail around. No shame in that. (Lotsa shame in a prop/snowbank strike.) Takeoff is typically a standard soft field takeoff (get it off the ice and into the air asap) followed a quick transition in ground effect to a short field.

Like anything else, if you aren't familiar with it it's best to find someone who is your first few times. The point is that there is no real magic or special equipment needed. Just a little planning and common sense.

My father in a law is a huge ice fisherman. 3 daughters, no sons. When I came around he was so excited. I would agree with everything he said just to drive the girls mad. Then winter came around and....boy, was he disappointed!

DEM

It actually sounds like a lot of fun to me, (the flying, not the ice fishing), and I'm sure it would make one a better pilot on wheels, too.

I have never landed on bare ice with either wheels or skis. Never really had the need or inclination. I have been in a twin otter on skis when it landed on terribly rolling ice (two foot highs and lows) He just greased it in, we jumped in and were off in a few hundred feet. Arctic ocean, minus 30. The DC3 s needed smooth ice and lots of room for ski work. Great fun, even more than floats as more places to land.

Buddy and I got stranded on Slave when we were ice fishing. -30 C wind blew up and we were instantly caught in a blizzard. Lucky that we were in a fish shack, 3+ ft of ice , and felt pretty safe until the wind really started to howl, ice was rolling pretty good, went out side to check things and couldn't see 3ft. soon realized we may run out of wood for the small heater. Managed to borrow wood from the next shack to us, but it wasn't until the next day until it blew over. good thing we had the rum Needless to say I am not big on ice fishing anymore.