This TBM 700 is based at EPJG which is a 800m grass strip.
Air Touring – a Socata dealer many years ago – used to fly a TBM to loads of aviation shows, including grass runways. But that was a demo plane which presumably could be damaged without too many repercussions.
The problem is the old one: there is grass and there is grass. I have seen anything from 300m to 1000m in the takeoff run of a TB20, for example. And whoever operates the grass strip is likely to tell you that it is absolutely perfect 
and questioning how good it is is regarded like asking how much it costs to run a Rolls Royce (“if you need to ask you can’t afford it”)
I would be amazed if a twin turboprop Commander was suitable for grass – other than a really well prepared surface, like I have never ever seen with my own eyes. The ground clearance between the belly and the ground is of the order of 15cm, plus or minus the suspension travel.
Peter wrote:
there is grass and there is grass
Yup, even a know grass strip is really unknown unless it is summer and you know for sure it has not rained recently (or you just took off from it) . My trick is to call the operator the morning of the flight and ask, but even that involves a risk. However, there is no feeling comparable to the smoothness of landing on grass as the wheels start brushing on the grass before the full weight of the airplane sinks in (hopefully not too much!) .
Last week I was parked on soft grass at LIMA (Torino Aeritalia) and did not risk taxying out: I instead asked for help pushing it out and sure enough the wheels had dug one inch in the wet grass after three days…If it is dry then it is a different matter. My main wheels are 53psi, which is not too much, higher pressure will dig further.
I used to work for a company which operated a couple of 690A’s always on tarmac and minor belly damage due do nosewheel-caused FOD was typical.We used to race our neighbour’s B200 to places and guess who used to win?
AdamFrisch wrote:
Bottom line is, your choice of maintenance is probably the most important part of a successful aircraft ownership.
Very much so, particularly if you are talking about a project plane.
I am currently assisting a guy reviving a PA28 and after quite a few “interesting” advices we got directed to a very competent guy who runs his own shop in western Switzerland. The difference in assessment about the condition of the plane and what is needed to make it fly again was so far removed from the “educated guessing” by others which did not even want to travel to the location to see it, that now it is a likely “go” from a very likely “run fast and far” if he had listened to others…
True, different scale of things, but competence is everything.
Frankly I am glad that Adam is sharing his experiences here. While they are rather unusual they do show quite clearly what the story is about these project planes and in some places the so called “gurus” who are supposed to know everything and then turn out nightmares when you work with them.
In any event, these threads make great reads, from the very first one on. I really hope Adam gets properly sorted out now by the service center he is with right now and can tell us about the fun to fly this remarkable airplane rather than getting it fixed. Maybe now it will get repaired finally instead of “fixed”.
Antonio wrote:
However, there is no feeling comparable to the smoothness of landing on grass as the wheels start brushing on the grass before the full weight of the airplane sinks in
Except a beach (a smooth packed one). The best landing surface I’ve experienced was a beach, although you do notice the drag on the wheels!
Michael wrote:
TBMs are routinely operated off grass strips.
Tyre pressures on the TBM are high.
We have other “grass” threads which are more general e.g. this one but the other half of this issue is that if somebody flies a plane like a TBM to a grass strip, they probably don’t care for the damage they do. A Cessna 421 does really bad damage; even a Seneca will trash a grass strip pretty well eventually.
Peter wrote:
even a Seneca will trash a grass strip pretty well eventually.
Try a Vampire….
I remember that the Swiss Airforce did land them on grass….
„Hello Airport, can I use your grass runway please, I have this beautiful vintage plane, low power, partly wood partly metal, excellent prop clearance…“
That’s a pretty cheesy runway surface!
