Landing a Jet on Grass

I was at North Weald friday practice and arrivals at lunchtime about 1990 when the Vulcan came in to land and touched down short of the runway at the Harlow road end, we were sitting on an earth bank right next to the spot and thought it was a gonner, ( along with us ), however the pilot corrected it and carried out a perfect landing roll, unfortunately my film had jammed in the cassette resulting in the camera being given a good kicking, it never happened again, nor did the Vulcan, as it was banned from North Weald afterwards, allegedly for excessive noise.

When I was on 233 OCU, Harrier GR.1/1As used to go to Newton for grass-landing practice; they would land and take-off vertically. It was a pain for us engineers, because “grass landing checks” on after flight servicing, meant taking out loads of filters and clearing them of grass and pollen. One of our students managed to execute a wonderful vertical landing at Newton – except that he did so with the wheels up.

Oops, still that’s what you get with disapearing legs. There are those have landed wheels up and those who are going to 🙂

L-29’s could also use grass – but a lot of it! (1.962 lb. st.)

http://www.mmmedier.dk/ads/m/mainmail_benjamin_jetjager_2005_05/piloten.htm

When I was on 233 OCU, Harrier GR.1/1As used to go to Newton for grass-landing practice; they would land and take-off vertically. It was a pain for us engineers, because “grass landing checks” on after flight servicing, meant taking out loads of filters and clearing them of grass and pollen. One of our students managed to execute a wonderful vertical landing at Newton – except that he did so with the wheels up.

Ahh what memories – no airdays though 🙁

Whatever happened to Cherry from the Commcen (1973)?

Don’t know, but CSDE and MACE/MACD moved to Wyton in 1994 when Swanton closed as an RAF base. Criminal waste of one of the largest (if not the largest) grass airfields in Northern Europe. 🙁

Sure i seen a harrier land and take off at one of the old Swanton morley airdays back in the late 80s im not sure if a Jag did a touch and go . can anyone confirm this . sure it was swanton morley.was in front of Gary numans harvard at the time ?

I’m sure I’ve seen them there as well (Harriers)

Saw Meteor TT8 WK991 operating off the then grass runway at Coventry-Baginton on 9 July 1960 during air show.

if you can find or purchase the video called wings the jet age there the jaguar on there demonstrating it rough grass tako offs and landings , dragline (dab)

Jaguars, for example, were designed with rough-field capability, and I believe one even carried out a touch and go at Old Warden some years ago.

Indeed it did. Septic and I were there and I’ve a picture of it (somewhere…)

I can’t remember if the wheels touched or not, but the aircraft’s weight certainly didn’t end up on the runway! Given the long stroke nature of the mainwheels, it could easilly have rumbled the wheels on the grass while above the landing height.

Early British jet ops (1944) were on grass on occasion, though hard runways were preferred. Both the Meteor and Vampire had benign undercarriages – the Meatbox particularly so, as did the other Glosters of the time – E28/39 and the other one which name escapes me…

Apparently Harriers can’t take off vertically when their fully ‘bombed up’ as they are too heavy

I don’t know about the GR7s but the GR3s certainly could but they didn’t for the simple reason that vertival thrust uses so much fuel that their range would be even more limited. Plus the fact that in vertical thrust they use water injection to boost the power and the tank is only 20 gallons most of which is used in a vertical landing (18.5-19 gallons)

Swanton morley

Ahh what memories – no airdays though 🙁

Whatever happened to Cherry from the Commcen (1973)?

In July 1975, I saw the “Poachers” aerobatic team with Jet Provost T.5s operate from the grass at Middle Wallop. Providing it’s dry and hard, there is no problem.

…for the life of me I cannot remember the serial.

XH498.

Cunning plan – use laptop in living room within reach of bookcase. 🙂

all raf jaguar pilot did take offs off grass as part of there jag careers both light loaded and at all up weights dragline

The Vulcan that attempted a landing at Wellington during the airport’s opening hit an earth bank with the port main when it touched down short of the threshold and to the left of the centreline.
Major damage was caused when the gear was forced into the wing structure and fuel tanks, the aircraft force-landing at Ohakea (about 90 miles away) with less that 10 minutes fuel remaining, ending up on the grass beside the main runway.
There is a picture of it in the Fire Section, I spent 15 years there but for the life of me I cannot remember the serial.

The RNZAF’s Meteor F.III NZ6001 operated from the grass at Hobsonville.
Vampires and Strikemasters used grass often with at least one Strikemaster losing an underwing tank to the uneven surface at Ohakea.

The giant An-225 Mryia transport operated from the grass at the Paris Airshow in ’89,complete with the Buran space shuttle riding piggy-back!

http://images.airliners.net/open.file?id=372309&WxsIERv=Nagbabi%20Na-225%20Zevln&WdsYXMg=Hagvgyrq%20%28Nagbabi%20Qrfvta%20Ohernh%29&QtODMg=Cnevf%20-%20Yr%20Obhetrg%20%28YOT%20%2F%20YSCO%29&ERDLTkt=Senapr&ktODMp=Whar%201989&BP=0&WNEb25u=Revp%20Pbrpxryoretuf&xsIERvdWdsY=PPPC-82060&MgTUQtODMgKE=Zl%20250gu%20cvpgher%20ba%20N.arg%21%20Unq%20gb%20or%20fbzrguvat%20fcrpvny…bs%20pbhefr%20%3B%29%20V%20pbhyq%20pnyy%20guvf%20%27gur%20urnivrfg%20gbhpuqbja%20va%20nivngvba%27.%20Gu%E9%20rlrpngpure%20bs%20gur%201989%20Yr%20Obhetrg%20nvefubj%3A%20Na-225%20jvgu%20Ehffvna%20Fcnpr%20Fuhggyr%20%27Ohena%27%20sbe%20gur%20svefg%20gvzr%20va%20gur%20jrfg.%20Gur%20fzbxrgenvy%20jnf%20ng%20yrnfg%20100%20zrgref%21%20Gunaxf%20gb%20Jvrgfr%20Qrtenns%20sbe%20gur%20rkgen%20cubgbfubc.&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=25937&NEb25uZWxs=2003-06-23%2000%3A00%3A00&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=13102&static=yes&width=1024&height=673&sok=JURER%20%20%28nvepensg_trarevp%20%3D%20%27Nagbabi%20Na-225%20Zevln%27%29%20NAQ%20%28lrne%20%20yvxr%20%27198%25%27%29%20%20BEQRE%20OL%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=8&prev_id=391496&next_id=364988&size=L

Oh no he didn’t!!!!!! all operations at Paris were all on hard surfaces….the 124 is stressed to land on grass/gravel/packed snow and ice but I would not want to put the 225 down on it!

A225HVY

Jets landing on grass:

Group Communications Flight at Newton had Meteors
Home Command Communications Flight at White Waltham had Vampires
Halton received two Comets and three Vulcans for 11 SofTT
Jet Provost aerobatic teams have operated from both Denham and Booker for air displays

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31743&highlight=vulcan+halton

My apologies – I forgot that I’d asked the same question before – oops

Halton’s Jaguars flew in and landed on the grass strip. A number of them had a few hours left on the airframe and were kept in operational condition. The intention was that in case of a major ‘local’ conflict the a/c could be used in combat.

I too remember something about a Vulcan landing at Halton. Whether there were more and whether it or they were able to take off again escapes my failing brain cells.

Hello Mike J and all.

I think at least three out of the four Vulcans were flown into Halton for use by 1SoTT.

I’m sure someone will correct me on the exact no of Vulcans at Halton I cannot remember if was four or not

Cheers

Tim