The RV Journal Koger Wheel Chocks
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What are they?: Koger
wheel chocks (Or check in the Cleaveland Tools booth at any major airshow) Cheers: clever; simple design; light weight; practically indestructible; compact. Jeers: Won't fit under RV pressure recovery wheel pants that are set close to the ground; may require an assistant to help set the chocks completely under the tires.
Don't you just hate it when you are at a fly-in breakfast and the interloper who managed to sneak a spam can into the RV parking area cranks up and blows your plane back a few feet following his full-throttle start up? This was possible not only due to the pilot's lack of sense but also because you forgot, or more likely, didn't want to bother with unpacking wheel chocks and anchoring your plane.
Ralph Koger, of Koger Sunshade fame, is producing a clever set of chocks that you can easily carry with you to avoid damage from uncaring Cessna drivers. These rugged chocks are constructed of high density plastic and cleverly designed so they will "nest" together in your tool bag. You have your choice of black or white chocks so you can be properly color coordinated once you arrive at a fly-in.
A couple of plastic snap pins are included so you can snap the chocks together for storage (or for use with a tailwheel plane, see below). Ralph also thoughtfully includes a pair of longer pins so you can nest two pairs of chocks together.
The chocks are designed to allow the wheels to roll up on the chock to resist having the chock skid on the pavement. This was a little difficult on the smooth concrete in the hangar since I really needed another pair of hands to rock the plane while I positioned the chocks. Here the chocks are in place around the main gear of Bob Butler's RV-6A with the old style wheel pants.
(Note: Ralph has informed me of his procedure for setting the chocks under the tires; "The way I do it I place the chock in back of the wheel and push on the leading edge of wing and kick the front chock with my foot; works better that way." Sounds like a plan to me.)
When I attempted to place the chocks around the wheels of 399SB, they wouldn't fit because I installed the pressure recovery pants on this RV-6 as close to ground as practical for aerodynamic reasons. The only option on my plane was to chock the tailwheel. I snapped a pair of chocks together, turned them ninety degrees to what you see here, rolled the tailwheel into the chocks, and turned the chocks back as shown. The nosegear crowd should be able to get a pair to fit in a similar fashion around the nosegear.
No doubt you will find other uses for the chocks, such as boat and snowmobile trailers, and for use at the campground with your travel trailer. The chocks are suited for use with full size tires and should last until you either lose them or loan them out to an (ex) friend. As you can see, two pairs of chocks store in a very compact space and weigh less than a pound. The RV pilot should find these chocks suitable for use with his plane unless the wheel pants are very low to the ground; I intend to carry a pair for securing the tailwheel of my RV-6. Recommended
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