As a student pilot, your measure of a successful landing likely has been the almost-imperceptible “squeak” or “chirp” you hear when the wheels of your airplane touch the paved runway.
Now it’s time to get back to your roots and put those soft-field landing skills to work on a grass runway.
You learned how to perform soft-field takeoffs and landings during your primary training, and then had to demonstrate that proficiency on your checkride. But you might have no actual experience landing on grass. Many flight schools don’t permit their aircraft to operate on soft-surface runways because of insurance requirements.
If you rent an airplane or belong to a flying club, check the rules. Once you get the all-clear, you’ll need to find a runway to land on. Look on a sectional chart for small open circles with airport information next to them. An “R” in the center indicates restricted use. The notation “PVT” near the name indicates the airport is private property and you must ask the owner for permission to land there. AOPA's airport directory can help you locate unpaved runways and contact information for the owners.
Ready to go? Not so fast. What condition is the runway? Is it soggy from the recent rains, or snow-covered? Are there slopes or grades you should know about? Are there trees near the approach or departure? A telephone call in advance of your flight will help you get a sense of whether this runway is something you should tackle.
Finally, don’t hesitate to take a CFI along for that first visit. Skills not practiced regularly atrophy quickly. Overfly the runway before you attempt your first landing to make sure all is as it should be. If it doesn’t look good, turn around and go home. There’ll always be another day and another runway.
