by Pete Schoeninger
© Copyright 2023. All rights reserved!
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine December 2023 Digital Issue

Q) How thick should ice be on a frozen lake before it is safe to land on with my Cessna 172? Are skis better than wheels for frozen lake operations?
A) A few comments on frozen lake operations before I answer. BEWARE of being the first on any frozen lake, whether on foot, or driving a snowmobile, truck, or flying an airplane. If possible, always try and get an accurate report on ice conditions before proceeding. Beware too that some municipalities have ordinances prohibiting airplanes landing or taking off on their lakes. If you land on a prohibited lake, you could not only get pinched by the law, but you might also have to take the airplane apart and move it to an airport, a significant expense. That said, many pilots advise 6-8 inches of good ice should be okay. Another good sign would be the presence of cars or trucks. Snowmobiles can go on thinner ice, because they are lighter and their weight is spread out on a big tread and skis, so their presence is not a good indication of safe ice. Overall, I prefer skis, but wheels are okay with minimal or no snow coverage. If you’re on Facebook, look for “Midwest Ski Planes” for more information.

Q) A friend told me landing on a snow-covered runway can be hazardous. Your comments?
A) Yes, it can be hazardous, especially if you do not have a recent conditions report (NOTAM or from a pilot ahead of you). How thick is the snow? Is it soft and fluffy, and if an inch or two, you should be okay. But if it is wet and thick, you could nose over. Did snow fall on a cold, dry runway or on a runway which had a temperature around or just above freezing? I saw a Lear Jet slide off a runway that had one inch of wet snow on the top. But overnight, there was a bit of freezing rain before snow fell. With a small amount of wet snow on top of pavement that had a thin coat of ice, the traction was almost nil to the pilot’s surprise and dismay.

Q) You mentioned a couple of items in the October/November 2023 issue of Midwest Flyer Magazine which I would like to follow up with, to wit:
1) You said that August was the second slowest month in aircraft sales. What is generally the slowest month?
A) January.
2) What possible problems have you encountered delaying your landing at a destination that were not expected. (This is a follow-up question to your statement that the FAR 91.151 half-hour fuel requirement is often not enough.)
A) I’ve been delayed in landing unexpectedly by a pilot landing ahead of me who landed gear up, closing the only runway. Several deer on a runway have caused me more than one go-around. If snow removal is in progress at a rural airport, you may have to circle until the runway has been plowed or divert to another airport. Strong, unexpected crosswinds may make landing unsafe at an airport with only one runway, which could require that you divert to another airport. Any of these scenarios, and for many other reasons, reinforce my statement (in my opinion anyway) that a half hour of planned fuel reserve is usually not enough.

Q) You’ve occasionally mentioned LA-4-200 Lake Buccaneer amphibian aircraft. Is there anything odd about them from your experience? How did you end up flying them?
A) All amphibians are slower than other airplanes with the same powerplant. Amphibious capability is only gained thru amphibious (heavy) floats, or a boat shaped hull on the bottom of the fuselage. (I worked for a year at the Lake 4 delivery center in Houston. The airplanes were made in Sanford, Maine, and ferried to Houston for final prep, avionics installations, etc.) The LA-4s I flew were about 20 mph slower than the more common Piper Arrow with the same 200 hp engine. And because the airplane is heavier because of its water capability, useful load is often less than a land-based competitor. Many LA-4 airplanes had optional 54 gallons of fuel, but some only have the standard 40-gallon tank. Forty gallons of fuel is not a lot for a 200 hp engine. Because the engine is right above your head, engine and prop noise is pretty loud. Flaps were either up or down, nothing in between. Flaps were ALWAYS used for takeoffs and landings.

Q) A friend suggested my search for a floatplane be limited to airplanes WITHOUT fuel-injected engines. His reasoning was that hot fuel-injected engines are sometimes hard to start, which can be a serious problem on a floatplane that has just pushed away from a pier, especially on a river. Is that true?
A) Yes, hot fuel-injected engines can be difficult to start, and that can produce more problems on water than on land. A few things pilots can do… get some extensive instruction on hot starts from a person with lots of experience starting engines, and/or get an aftermarket electric system to replace one or both magnetos. Let me add a “Dumb Me” quick story. In the early 1980s, as a salesman for a Cessna dealer in Milwaukee, I flew a new Cessna Hawk XP to a customer in an attempt to sell the airplane. He was also considering a new Cessna 182 Skylane which arrived at the same time as the Hawk XP. I felt I had the edge on the C182 salesman, as the XP could do almost everything the C182 could and was a few dollars less. Just after I landed at the customer’s airport, he asked me to show him a hot start. Well, I muffed it. It took me a couple of minutes of futzing to get the XP engine running with a very hot start. The new C182, with an old-fashioned carburetor, had the same challenge, but started easily, and was sold that day, leaving poor Pete to fly home without a sale.

Q) Name one thing pilots should check that is probably not on their pre-takeoff checklist.
A) Seat security. It’s very important that the pilot’s seat be secure and will not slide back when power is applied on takeoff. (Thanks CFI Martha Norman for this reminder.) Further, be sure the height of your seat is right for you, especially after maintenance, when a technician might have to adjust the seat for his/her accessibility.

Q) Please settle a bet. Everyone knows Mooney made four-seat airplanes for many decades. My friend insists that Mooney made a two-seat airplane and I have disagreed with him, to the tune of a steak dinner. Who’s buying?
A) You are! Mooney made a two-seat airplane called a “Mooney Cadet,” model M-10, producing about 60 in total in 1969 and 1970. They were in effect an Alon (which has roots with the Ercoupe) with a Mooney tail. Fifty years ago, I flew one from the factory in Kerrville, Texas to a Mooney dealer in St. Louis. I don’t remember anything remarkable about them, except fit and finish was below average. Cruising speed was 90-95 mph with 90 hp engine.

Q) I am going to buy my recently passed friend’s Cessna 182 from his estate for $125,000. I will need to borrow about $25,000 to make the purchase. My lender (my local bank) is insisting I have full hull coverage with a loss payable clause to them. In other words, I am going to have to pay for full hull coverage (estimated $2500/year) just to protect the bank’s $25,000 risk to me. How can I beat this?
A) First of all, full coverage will also protect your $100,000 at risk should you have a major crunch. If you own real property like your home, you probably already have full insurance coverage on your home, so a home equity line of credit might be a way to raise $25K. Your home will be the collateral for the loan, but you already probably have insurance on it. But get going, as it takes a while for a home equity loan to be processed, as a title search and property appraisal might be required. I recently opened a home equity line of credit…it took about 10 days from application to approval. But now I can buy anything within reason with borrowed cash without having to insure it! (My wife says I am nuts, and she is probably right….)

Q) I’ve heard the old story “I used to fly Cubs for $10 an hour and bought one for a thousand bucks” some 50 years ago. Do you remember figures from those days?
A) As a teenager I used to rent Cubs for $7 an hour, a Piper Super Cruiser and Cessna 140 and a new Piper Colt for $10 an hour. A C172 brought $15 an hour, but I couldn’t afford that on my teenage/line-boy wage of $1 per hour. And car gas back then was about 30 cents a gallon, and 87 Octane aviation fuel was about 45 cents a gallon. I remember worn out Cubs from our flight school (needing cover and engine overhaul soon) selling for $600-800, and a nice one with recent cover and recent engine overhaul bringing $1,800 or so.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pete Schoeninger is a 40-year general aviation veteran, starting out as a line technician as a teenager, advancing through the ranks to become the co-owner and manager of a fixed base operation, and manager of an airport in a major metropolitan community. Pete welcomes questions and comments about aircraft ownership via email at PeterSchoeningerLLC@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this column is the expressed opinion of the author. Readers are urged to seek the advice of others, including flight instructors, licensed aircraft technicians, airport managers, fixed base operators, and state and federal officials. Neither the author, Midwest Flyer Magazine, Flyer Publications, Inc., or their staffs, employees or advertisers assume any liability for the accuracy or content of this column or any other column or article in this publication.