STOLman wrote:
the big wheels need careful balancing or it rattles your teeth out on Tarmac.
How big are your wheels? I have larger tyres than standard and not had an issue with balancing – but yours might be more like Jacko’s than mine (mine are a compromise – about 90% of the time I have a hard surface, and my aircraft is a lot lighter than a C182 so I don’t have particualarly huge wheels).
MedEwok wrote:
I have never landed on grass since there are very few grass strips around where I flew so far. There don’t seem to be many private grass strips in Germany, though I know a few club-run ones.
Not even during your PPL Training? That is astonishing and makes me ask something about your flight school. Flying from grass is an integral part of a PPL and not having done that makes me wonder what else was left out.
A good grass runway there is nothing to it. A soft field takes special procedures which need to be learnt.
In any event, Venice for instance is as good as they get.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Not even during your PPL Training? That is astonishing and makes me ask something about your flight school. Flying from grass is an integral part of a PPL and not having done that makes me wonder what else was left out.
No, not even in training. The nearest strip to my training base of EDWF was Barßel EDXL, which has 770m grass for landing and 600 m for takeoff. My instructor said we’d never get out of there again.
Peter wrote:
Can the big wheels not be balanced?
I know my bushwheels do tend to change shape when the aircraft is stationary a little. you can see it as the tyres roll round on taxi. Saying they have enough give that I don’t notice any rattling on tarmac. Just that they wear a whole lot quicker.
MedEwok wrote:
The nearest strip to my training base of EDWF was Barßel EDXL, which has 770m grass for landing and 600 m for takeoff
What aircraft did you use for training?
600m is short for comfortable training but should be ok for a taster with the right conditions…
There are more of private/grass strips than what you will see on paper map or skydemon, especially those who don’t want publicity or visitors (funny enough, I saw someone crashing on the ground and relayed to ATC, I discovered later that it was business as usual of someone who land on his 400m backyard airstrip), maybe some few will be listed in UL/Micro websites and mags, still you can spot few of the non-listed from the air 
Ibra wrote:
There are more of private/grass strips than what you will see on paper map or skydemon, especially those who don’t want publicity or visitors
Depends on the country. Several countries simply do not permit aviation from any place other than a licenced airfield, and these licences are very difficult or impossible to obtain.
yes, my comment is for France/UK, I had the impression the German UL/Micro situation is similar, especially on the south…
MedEwok wrote:
No, not even in training. The nearest strip to my training base of EDWF was Barßel EDXL, which has 770m grass for landing and 600 m for takeoff. My instructor said we’d never get out of there again.
With what aircraft?
Ibra wrote:
What aircraft did you use for training?
600m is short for comfortable training but should be ok for a taster with the right conditions…
We used a Rotax 912 (100 hp) powered Aquila A210, later A211. At 750 kg MTOW you are somewhat limited with two people, especially when the student pilot weights 100 kg. We were practically always at MTOW. I don’t know about the performance of the A210/211 on grass in comparison to other types.
There are publications listing grass strips but most of the people whose strips appear in them are not too pleased about it.
This is yet another reason why the idea that GA can shrink and shrivel up to a load of grass strips, will never deliver the goods for the majority. They can work for the owners and their good friends.
