OTCXXX Soft Airstrip Awareness for Pilots 
How best to get unstuck - 'unbogging' (different course even?)
What causes soft airstrips?
Recent rainfall
Poor drainage - airstrip design or construction
Unusual phenomena - e.g. Gubam, PNG
Known occurences
Matt P Bosavi PNG GA8 20XX
South Sudan C208B 2022
Gubam C208 and DHC6 20XX
Steve Stevens Abaiyat South Sudan Dragon Rapide 1951
How can we recognise soft airstrips?
Recent rainfall data
Community / agent report
Internet sourced data
Observation from the air
dark wet patches
standing water
dark rooves on huts showing recent rain
wheel ruts
Methods of Mitigation??
'Drag'
Low pass
Ask for more information
Talk to the source yourself
Add a grain of salt, e.g. 'fine' weather is relative, how bad do they want this plane?
Options available
Vehicle tow
Notify base first! David Pearce South Sudan story, even if not 'active' on FFers
Back out the way you came
Power through it
Risks
Manpower tow
No push zones, hazards
Where should /shouldn't cargo straps be placed?
Is the aircraft airworthy?
Is the airstrip still open?
Salvage Operations
Matting
Wait for it to dry out then fly out
Collective Stories - the shortlist
Story 1 Arilo
Story 2 ?
Story 3 Gubam
Scope
Related Courses
OTC910 Airstrip and Weather Reporting
OTC920 Airstrip Survey
CARA
eLearning assessment
History
Original history, e.g. Gubam
Rainfall in last several months, e.g. this has been a dry 'wet season'
MAF use of the airstrip
Other operators use of the airstrip
Take off
What 'penalty'?
Mantis database?
Does not include how to survey airstrips
Limitations of survey data
Surface not even assessed
Pogo stick inadequate
Other tests not readily available
Vehicles not often available
Historical - mention double wheeled C180/5 in PNG
HJS module on C208 unbogging - part of conversion course
crowd handling
what to do after
C208 fuel transfer - selection
offload the cargo and people
NOTAMs
reading them
diagrams
submit your reports!
whittaker gear
PNG prop strike Sepik Dec 2022
roots of trees, logs left underground to rot
what about an aide memoir/ checklist (DAvid Pearce idea) on EFB
control yoke position - full back, weight off nose wheel
what are the classic soft spots? e.g. edges
now we are flying bigger, heavier aeroplanes
loading with C of G aft
put weight in back to get weight off