Every flight begins and ends on the ground. And when we’re not flying, the airplane has to be stored somewhere. In fact, the typical personal aircraft spends far more time on the ground than above it. Rarely do we have a genuine drive-in, drive-out parking or storage situation, so the airplane gets pushed, pulled and towed into its tiedown or hangar when it’s not in use.
All this pushing and pulling can exact a toll on an airplane, typically by running it into things. Meanwhile, when we’re not pushing and pulling the airplane, it’s subject to a variety of effects, including wind, rain, snow and ice, and prop blasts from other aircraft. It’s ironic that airplanes often suffer more damage on the ground than while in flight, but there are ways pilots and owners can minimize the carnage.
