There are
plenty of non-adjustable jack pads on the market, but the problem is that
you'll never know where on the gear the pad will slip onto.
Imagine my surprise when I bought a
non-adjustable jack for my 150 and 172 and it didn't fit EITHER of them.
Well, it did, but right where my foot step is located (on both planes)
rendering the product useless. Worse, the taper of the product wasn't
correct, so even if it DID slide onto the landing gear (which it didn't),
you couldn't utilize all the mating surfaces anyhow. You know what I'm
talking about. You probably bought one, hated it and that's what led you to my
site.
What a waste of money
that was. These goofy things are still for sale on eBay to this day.
So I have designed this adjustable jack
pad that will allow you to place it on the gear leg with many more options. Near the
wheel or near the fuselage, it doesn't matter!
For the uninitiated, you place this under
your landing gear and bring a normal mechanic's floor jack up to the
product. The landing gear will fit into the adjustable, tapered design and
you'll be able to raise the plane in a safe, efficient manner.
Furthermore, since the adjustable
side of the adapter can rotate, it doesn't matter what the taper is
of your landing gear. The adapter will sit flush and create a perfect fit,
every time.
The product is 3/16" solid steel, CNC
machined and
powder-coated. The included strip of rubber goes between the jack pad and your landing gear,
in an attempt to help save your paint. The adapter is compatible with
most tricycle aircraft having flat spring steel landing gear (Cessna 150, 172, 182,
etc). This pad definitely works on flat-gear straight tail Cessnas since
I've owned two of them.
If you have a flat spring steel taildragger,
do NOT buy the single plate option. You need the Secure Sandwich product
and, as of November 2025, you will likely be a voluntary protoyper. There
are no TW at my field to test with. Again, you will be prototyping this
product (and you can email me and say, "hey, it works with such and such.").
My Jack Pads are in use at the following
institutions:
The US Army.
At least two national FBO chains.
At least one major engine overhauler and STC holder. You've
heard of them.
Various flight schools.
Countless independent A&Ps and IAs.
Free USA Shipping. Worldwide Shipping at
$20 for one jack, any additional ship for free.
A batch going to Aircraft Spruce.
UNFINISHED JACK PADS
If you absolutely do not care at all about how
the jack pad looks, I can send it to you unpainted.
You will receive an ugly, dirty,
greasy, bare metal
jack pad that honestly looks horrible, but will work 100% the same as above.
I'm saving finishing work, you're saving $10.
It's on you to degrease and paint it
yourself. Or, leave it bare metal with a sheen of WD40 protecting the steel.
Unfinished examples.
Available for sale and a popular seller, but don't say I didn't warn you.
The shopping cart will take you to my full-time site
(Alliance Hobby) for checkout.
This pad is NOT for tailwheel. There are NO returns. Add
the Secure Sandwich pad if you have a taildragger.
Colors & Engraving not available for Unfinished pads.
THE SECURE SANDWICH IDEA
(FOR TAILWHEELS, ETC)
This is my sandwich idea for buyers looking for extra
stability or for use on planes that aren't a standard 150, 172 or 182.
By utilizing a top plate, a piece of wood and some bolts,
you can securely sandwich your gear leg to the jack pad and lift the gear
with less worry of slippage.
This should be useful for flat spring steel tailwheel
planes. This idea is under prototype and final photos may change.
The photos below are Unfinished (not cleaned up, not
painted).
Secure Sandwich pads are available
Unfinished, Finished, with specific color requests and with optional
engraving.
Again, this option is for Tailwheels AND
buyers that want extra peace of mind on their trikes.
Product In-Use Video
Top plate removed, but shows approximate positioning.
A buyer requested white...
A buyer requested white...
An Unfinished pad...
An Unfinished pad...
The shopping cart will take you to my full-time site
(Alliance Hobby) for checkout.
Colors & Engraving not available for Unfinished pads.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: These don't look very stable. A: They are, if you buy them for the aircraft they're
designed for. Which is most early tricycle Cessna singles with the flat spring
gear. They *may* fit other aircraft, but they're untested. I have sold hundreds
of these, every last one made by me, and the only returns have been from the
people who didn't read this page thoroughly. Don't buy them for taildraggers. At
least not yet. I have a sandwich plate idea I'm working on which should increase
compatibility.
Q: The piece that touches the floor
jack looks crooked and might slip. A: I had to find an angle that worked with the most
aircraft. Some models, it's straight down, others it's a bit canted. This is why
you need to use a piece of wood between the jack pad and the floor jack. It's a
good idea to have something for the jack pad's neck (as I call it) to bite into.
You also want to raise the plane slowly and carefully, and give it a solid rock
back and forth (to check stability) while it's an inch off the ground.
I now offer the Secure Sandwich pad
for extra peace of mind.
Q: The adjustment holes look too close together and weak. A: The majority of the stresses on the jack pad, when
in use, are vertical. The angle pieces just hold it in place. Those are 3/8"
holes in 3/16" solid steel. It's strong, I promise you. I have, to this day,
received not a single email claiming defect or failure.
Q: Is your jack pad compatible with _________? A: I have tried to blindly (no access to the buyer's
plane) build customer-requested pads before, with poor results. I'm sticking to
with what you see in the photos. I am going to make a top plate that bolts and
sandwiches your gear leg to the pad. This will significantly increase rigidity
and should even work on tailwheel. Stay tuned.
Top plate idea now available! See the
Secure Sandwich pad tailwheels and trike owners wanting extra peace of mind.
Q: This website looks sketchy as hell. A: Perhaps. But you'll notice it loads fast and on any
device made since the Internet came into existence. I code for simplicity and
speed. My main business site is the same way. I, alone, machine hundreds of
parts. I don't have the time to learn every new web dev tool out there.
Q: What's the turnaround time on shipment? A: 2-3 days normally. Sometimes same day. I understand
people often buy these when their plane is torn apart for annual. As I type
this, four went out yesterday, one of which was same day shipment, the other
three waited one day.
Q: Can I buy these through Aircraft Spruce? A: I used to send bulk quantities to them, but I literally could not keep up
with demand. What a problem to have, right? They were selling them for over $100
and I still couldn't keep up. If I find the time to get 100 of these pre-built,
maybe I'll put them in their warehouse again.
Q: Are you a pilot? A: Yes, a 900 hr PPL IR with about 875 of those hours
in my 150 and 172 (both straight tails). My current personal plane is a straight tail 172 with a brand new
interior, Garmin 430W, dual Garmin G5s and an STEC 30. I also have significant
open cockpit experience via my Quicksilver MX2.
