Can a plane on Skis land on Sand?

[ChrisCool]

Just wondering if an aircraft such as a Cessna 182 equipped with skis (or maybe a Pilatus PC-6 - word's best STOL plane..)) can land on soft sand like that in the Sahara desert...

[icosco]

I think taking off on sand might be a bit more difficult than landing on sand... especially in the Sahara Desert

[Liquid Charlie]

It could happen but not before we learn how to walk on water --

[longjon]

NO

[Heliian]

This would've done er.

sandplane.gif (124.21 KiB) Viewed 6192 times

[black hole]

Yes............Once!

BH

[ChrisCool]

So what's the best option, if you have to land in a desert environment?

Regular Wheels? Big Tundra Wheels? or Skis?

[fish4life]

I'd imagine big Alaskan super cub tundra tires would work well where they are only at 3-5 PSI. I have no experience in the field of sarahan desert landings though.

[longjon]

all replies are saying NO skis won't work now you ask if wheels, tundra tires or SKIS will work. jeez man can't you read??

In the desert strips are built for PC-6 Porters and DHC-6s to land on. You just don't land in sand,

[ChrisCool]

all replies are saying NO skis won't work now you ask if wheels, tundra tires or SKIS will work. jeez man can't you read??

In the desert strips are built for PC-6 Porters and DHC-6s to land on. You just don't land in sand,

I just want to land here, ok??
and without flipping over or breaking the aircraft's wheels. It probably can be done

[icosco]

Straight floats

[JungleMonkey]

The road the camels are walking on looks good. Their "camel toes" are mostly visible. I'd recommend a tailwheel aircraft loaded slightly tail heavy. I took off in 12" deep snow once with a C180 on straight wheels. My cousin and his buddy were in the back and the baggage was behind them. It worked but I wouldn't say it was pretty. (We hadn't planned this but half-way through 3 bottles of dark rum it began to snow heavily)
I've also landed a 90 HP Champ on sand. No passenger and one passenger. It was a beach at the south end of Lake Winnipeg and I'd land on the damp stuff not the wet or dry stuff. Chances are the only moisture in your desert will come from the camels..
Skis? No way. I once landed skis down on a gravel strip in an empty C180. It was an "oversight". I stopped shorter than seems possible and the only thing that kept me from tipping over was the big pile of poop in the back seat.

[longjon]

Australia or Africa/Middle East?

If Africa or Middle East you might look into getting permission to land before you make further plans. If you want to land on terrain like in the picture then numerous machines will do the job. Companies that operate in those climates will have the ac for the job. If you want to take your own ac there then look close at the logistics, fuel, bullet proof vests etc.

[ChrisCool]

The road the camels are walking on looks good. Their "camel toes" are mostly visible. I'd recommend a tailwheel aircraft loaded slightly tail heavy. I took off in 12" deep snow once with a C180 on straight wheels. My cousin and his buddy were in the back and the baggage was behind them. It worked but I wouldn't say it was pretty. (We hadn't planned this but half-way through 3 bottles of dark rum it began to snow heavily)
I've also landed a 90 HP Champ on sand. No passenger and one passenger. It was a beach at the south end of Lake Winnipeg and I'd land on the damp stuff not the wet or dry stuff. Chances are the only moisture in your desert will come from the camels..
Skis? No way. I once landed skis down on a gravel strip in an empty C180. It was an "oversight". I stopped shorter than seems possible and the only thing that kept me from tipping over was the big pile of poop in the back seat.

Yes finally! some useful information

[longjon]

better finish grade school first

[ChrisCool]

better finish grade school first

what do you mean by that?

[trey kule]

edited for content, as apparently this was a serious question.

[ChrisCool]

Are you the same ChrisCool,that posted a thread about an Aussie wanting to come to Canads. And Ausdie who was current on the TFW situation in Canada?
I think some people should do a bit of searching your previous postd

Don't know what you're talking about.

As to you lastest troll, find a ski equipped plane near one of the deserts. Try it out. Let us know how it goes.
for the life of me I will never understand what a troll thinks .

If you can't offer a good solution to the above problem, or make a useful contribution to this forum ~ then I'm not interested in your 'opinions'.
Opinions are like as$holes - everybody's got one.

[Shiny Side Up]

Once upon a time when I was younger and a lot stupider, I had the brainwave that skis and sand would be a good idea - not in an airplane mind you. I as water skiing and when I figured I was done I'd let go of the rope and coast up onto the beach. Nice sandy beach, would look cool in front of the girls too. You know, skis should just slide on sand nicely right? Nope. Even as slow as I had timed things just right, soon as those skis hit the sand, they stopped and I kept going. Thankfully this was before the days of everyone having a phone to post immediately to youtube. I have no doubts that skis and sand don't mix.

[JungleMonkey]

I suspect that you too were looking at the "camel toes"..

[NunavutPA-12]

On the way to Hay River one time I landed skis down on a sandy forestry strip near the NWT border. Airplane comes to a stop pretty quick. It just happened that the bus was going by on the highway at the time. I hope no pilots were watching!

I didn't try taking off skis down - the ski bottoms were already chewed up enough, and it was pretty obvious that it wouldn't have worked anyway.

[trey kule]

When an aircraft skiis touch down on snow they create enough friction and heat to create a thin layer of water between them and the snow...as anyone who has flown off strip knows from them freezing to the snow afterwards.

That is not going to happen in sand.i have seen ski planes landed on strips with the wheels up. They stop fast. And getting them airborne again...?

But. Low pressure tires should have no problem, and where those camels were walking, almost can use a plane with simple oversize.

The question in these types of situations is " I want to land here, how can it be done?"

I think the answers would be much more practical.

[Dasher310]

I spent many many hours flying a DHC-6 on intermediate wheels around the Sahara with hundreds of off strip landings and take offs and never really had a huge problem with soft sand, one learns to read the sand pretty quick, except for around the dunes I can't actually recall seeing that much really soft stuff, the biggest problem was washboard surfaces, sharp stones, ruts from heavy vehicles and such.