Microlighters

We, and especially trikers, land and take off from anything from a dirt farmroad to a tarred runway a couple of times everytime we fly. Question is....we won't even know if you picked up a puncture before or on takeoff with the air disappearing into thin air while happily flying....

What happens when you land unknowingly with a flat wheel or can one take any precautionary if you know you have a flat and obviously have to land sooner or later? Just something I have been wondering about, anyone have experience to share?

Tobie
I had a few punctures on my trikes before.It is not to hard to land with a flat tyre.If you can, it is better to land on dirt than on a tar runway with a flat tyre.
The worst is when you want to fly,and notice that your tyre is flat!
nicow
ZU-AWA

What happens when you land unknowingly with a flat wheel

I had a flat - landed and the trike steered to the side and could not keep it on the centre line. This happened at Wintervogel on a dirttrack.

I landed with a flat front wheel on a Safari - Thougt the pax hit the brake is trike came to abrubt halt

Not too bad, don't know if it would have been a prob if it was on of the back wheels....cross wind landing.... Maybe not that cool

D

a Guy at our strip had a blow out on a back wheel when landing. 16k later and he was back in the air. Bend the under carridge and I think there was some prop damadge too.

Did a deadstick in bundus, landed at homebase with a flat. Also thort my brakes were stuck. It doesn't feel dangerous at all. Just a mission to get back to hangar and not to mention change the flippin thing! Oddly seems to always be the front wheels with trikers. Perhaps we're watching the windsock and not the thorn tree

Could one take off with a flat? I seriously doubt.

Have landed with flat main wheel in the BB, no big deal, quick-stop, pulls off centreline. Real pain in the butt to get it off the runway
I also land on a lot of rough surfaces so have put that anti puncture snot in the tyres. It helps but makes the tyres very unbalanced, forcing the "touch brakes" after takeoff.

I had a slow puncture in the rear wheel a while back. The wheel was soft when I landed at Brits airfield and was OK for the landing. After half an hour break, when taxiing to take off point, the wheel had become softer and the tyre actually came off the rim. I had to taxi slowly back to the clubhouse and tie down the plane.
I got a lift on the back of someone else's trike back to my homebase (lasertronics) and returned to Brits later with my car and trailer to pick up the trike.

Just be careful that your tyre is not so soft that it comes off the rim.

Let me share my stupidity with you.

See http://www.zu-dve.com
Do not try to split the rim if there is air left in a tube:
See my log of 20060313 for the results.

Avoid this (see log 20060201) and get one of these (see log of 20060528) which will make it easier.

And if you do remove the tyre and take it to the tyre shop, stand over and supervise the "Madotta shaaiering the aluminium rim with a serious gwala".

Ha dthe same on the Bnatam three weeks ago, replaced the tube .

Gert,
That jack looks brilliant! Where do you get it from and how does it work? I have been looking for something like this for years.
Tony

I was flying and had a flat nose tyre and i had i realy easy landing.....on tar.....

Quentin Ferreira
ZU-ATP
Newcastle

:D Can always get one of these.

Tobie.
I had a flat, also at Wintervogel on my maiden flight, drill shavings in the tyre. Solowings replaced the tube without any issues and checked that tyres are not stored under workbenches.
The only thing that happend was a pull to the right, I crapped the pax out for "pushing on the training bar after having been told not to on pre-flight"
Was not a bad landing and never felt that it would be a threat in the future!! NB I have wide tyres on the trike, may have an impact??

As for the Jack. I made five, of which I gave Gert one. I will show you on the weekend Tobie.
Others can phone 083 375 9949.
Graham.