07 June 2018

Operational: Super light wheel chocks.

The first time I got fuel away from my home drome, when I parked the plane in front of the pump, I walked over to grab a set of the available chocks.  All of them were way too high to fit under the wheel fairings.  It was clear I needed to provision and carry my own.  Here's what I came up with.


There are lots of low-profile chocks options available.  All of them are rather expensive, in my view.  I sought to find a cheaper alternative.  Alas, I found one.  It's made from ISOFR (isopthaloic polyester fire retardant resin) Fiberglas 1/8" thick, 1"x1" angle.  A 5' section cost me $10.75 and let me make 3 pairs of 10" chocks which works out to $3.58 each pair.  The material is rated for a temperature range of -100°F to 150°F with a tensile strength of 30,000 psi.


After cutting up the 5' section into three pairs, I drilled holes to accommodate some string to hold a pair together.  The chocks, with string, weigh 4.6 oz.  And since it's not metal, it won't scratch any paint in the baggage area or on the fairings.

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