Recovering stuck aircraft

[Indian Joe]

After last spring/summers precip in NW Ontario is was wondering what the latest and greatest techniques were for recovering an a/c that has sunk into the runway surface. I'm thinking particulartly of Navajo/King Airs/1900s.

Assume your in a FN community that is semi-helpful and that it's not the weekend.

I've seen it done by digging a ramp in front of the gear in question, not too easy if the mud is really wet. What do you tow the aircraft by? I've seen the strap placed around both the nose gear, and the mains.

Nose gear always struck me as fragile, but that's were the tow normally goes. I also talked with a BE20 operator who damaged a main towing it out of the mud.

Another thought. Would it be best to tow forward or backward? Just thinkign of the gear structure, I'd think backward if hooked onto the mains of a Beech especially.

Cheers Joe

[rigpiggy]

caught on a strip in the ho. dug in ramps behind the mains ie; 2x10's attached a 3 point harness, either leg as low as you can, and onto the tail tie down. attached to the cat, added 3-4 gas cans to the tail tiedown"keeps the nose from digging in" and 2-3 guys on each wing.

[chubbee]

Lighten it up if you can. On the Kingair or 1900 you can use a hose off the boost pump supply line to the engine to defuel using the aircrafts boost pumps. Likely work on other types to.