Last year, in anticipation of going to Oshkosh (which didn't happen because of work schedules), I made a set of those EAA tie-down stakes - the ones with a triangular plate and three straight spikes that you drive in at angles. I couldn't really believe that three skinny stakes could provide much holding power, but I built them per plans, and they've sat on my hangar shelf ever since.
I had a chance to use them last week to tie down a friend's -6 at the end of our hangar row, and after she left for home today, I went to pull the things out of the ground. Holy Cow!! I'm convinced that if we'd had a big windstorm last week, we'd have gone out and found a pair of wings and a tail wheel still tied down with everything else gone!
I finally got them out with two crowbars and a large block of wood used as a fulcrum. (I was close to going to get my friend's tractor to pull them out with the front blade...) I now have no doubt these things will hold - even though I'm not sure how they do it!
Paul
I had a chance to use them last week to tie down a friend's -6 at the end of our hangar row, and after she left for home today, I went to pull the things out of the ground. Holy Cow!! I'm convinced that if we'd had a big windstorm last week, we'd have gone out and found a pair of wings and a tail wheel still tied down with everything else gone!
I finally got them out with two crowbars and a large block of wood used as a fulcrum. (I was close to going to get my friend's tractor to pull them out with the front blade...) I now have no doubt these things will hold - even though I'm not sure how they do it!
Paul