Lou Cusimano owns, and takes pride, in his classic 1954 Cessna 195B aircraft. The New York resident has invested much time and money in this vintage aircraft. Lou will do what it takes to ensure that his Cessna stays in tip top shape.
Lou keeps his Cessna at a nearby airstrip, tied to the asphalt tarmac. Strong winds are common here, so in order to protect his investment from taking off on its own, it is imperative that it is well secured when not in use.
Airplanes should be tied down with equipment capable of withstanding sufficient tensile forces for their particular weight category. For Lou's aircraft this means tie-down anchors with strength for over 3,450 pounds.
Cusimano has had past experiences where tethering his aircraft with normal tie down devices was not satisfactory. The challenge he faced was to find a solution that will not mar or damage the tarmac, will not present a hazard to taxiing aircraft when his plane is not on site, and capable of the full resistance that meets the aircraft weight requirements.
Answer:
“My aircraft is very important to me and like anything of value, it requires much care," he said. "I want to know that when I am not flying my Cessna 195 that it is securely stowed. For my situation, I needed something above and beyond the traditional.”
After some preliminary research, Lou concluded that the Bolt Hold Asphalt Anchor was the best way to go. Lou selected the SP18 anchors due to their pull resistance which exceeds 3,000 lb. each when installed in 4” thick asphalt.
Installation (in 2013) was quick — drilling holes through the asphalt and then down into the aggregate underneath, filling the holes with a special grout provided by AAG, then pushing the anchors all the way down until slightly below the asphalt. A standard low profile eyebolt was threaded into each anchor, to allow for the tie down ropes to be easily attached. If the aircraft was to be away from the tie down area for long periods of time - then simply remove the eyebolt with ropes attached, and the ramp area is back to a flush surface for other aircraft to taxi over. Results:
“I couldn’t be more satisfied. Using 3 Asphalt Anchors at 3000 lbs. of resistance each, my aircraft is held in place during the highest of 'gusty' winds," he said. "The ramp area around it remains in good integrity, and the installation was easier than I had envisioned. I am confident that my plane will remain well secured.”
