Why would we learn to fly from a grass strip? For one thing, it’s fun. And for many, it's a change of pace.
Why do you need to learn how to take off and land from soft or short airstrips, you may ask, when all the runways at your airport are long and paved?
Aviation was nearly two decades old before paved runways were introduced; early airports were open fields so pilots always could land into the wind (imagine, never a crosswind landing!). But you may find that you want to operate from a grass runway sometime in the future—and at the very least, you should be prepared in the unlikely event you ever have to make a precautionary landing away from an airport with paved runways. You’re likely to find that operating on grass runways is fun.
If you rent the airplane you fly, check the flight school’s policy regarding operations from grass runways; they may be prohibited unless you’re accompanied by one of the school’s flight instructors. (Click the image to view it full size.)
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