Airplanes Can Land on Grass at Airports – Here Are Some of the Reasons
If you have been wondering if can planes land on grass you will be glad to know that the answer is yes. Many commercial pilots will tell you that they rarely come in contact with real grass during their time in the air. What they do come into contact with is often a very artificial looking field of grass. The reason for this is to ensure safety for those on board. When a plane is landing, it must land on something flat and even in windy conditions the visibility will be reduced dramatically.
When landing on grass there are several reasons for this. Firstly, landing on grass provides less drag. The less drag there is on an airplane the easier it is to control. The less control you have over your plane means it will land on the proper runway. If you have a grass runway instead of concrete or asphalt one the landing might be much smoother. Grass also gives more bounce so that when your plane lands it will land firm and cleanly.
Another reason why planes land on grass is because the runway is not as long. When landing on a runway the length is critical. If you are coming in too fast from an area that has not been cleared, you run the risk of hitting a couple of obstacles in the way. When landing on grass you won’t have this problem as the runway is significantly shorter.
When landing on the grass there is another benefit to it. The landing is much easier because it does not create as much drag. Drag is what makes airplanes slow down during flight. The less drag there is on an airplane means a landing will be smoother. Grass helps this by providing a soft landing surface. It also allows for better weight distribution, which means a lighter plane can land more softly giving it better speed for the landing.
The third reason why you can land on grass at airports is because of how the runway is laid out. If you look at a typical runway at an airport, you will notice that it is not that long. This is because the runway is simply layered with pavement and railings. This makes for a very short runway which is good for driving a car on but bad for landing an airplane. Landing on grass helps you cut down on the length of the runway which cuts down on the amount of drag you experience during flight.
The fourth reason why you can land on grass is because you don’t need to remove dirt when landing an airplane. When you land on an airport, you have to remove a layer of soil in preparation for the airplane to be able to land. What happens is that the dirt absorbs some of the oil from the tires and causes them to lubricate more quickly. What this means is that you can cut down on the amount of friction that occurs when landing an airplane by taking away some of the soil on the runway. This is why grass can often be seen on landing areas.
The fifth reason as to why you can land on grass is due to the fact that you can extend the runway a bit. You do this by creating an in-ground runway which can be used as a runway when there is no clear asphalt or paved road in front of the airplane. The in-ground runway is much easier to construct than a plain paved runway. You can also create a landing gear path on an in-land runway which makes it easier for the airplane to come in for a landing. This last benefit is one of the main reasons as to why you can land on grass at airports.
The final benefit as to why you can land on grass when you are in a hurry is because of the lack of time needed to prepare such a runway. When you land at an airport you have to make a very short flight and then you need to get off immediately to avoid delays. You don’t want to spend any time trying to make your landing smooth while you are waiting for your next flight. This means that you have a little less time to prepare your airplane for a landing. You should consider all these options when you are looking to take-off, land, or land at an airport.