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#1
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Tail Wheel Training
Could someone give a brief outline of what is involved in getting a
tail wheel endorsement. I'm interested in upgrading my skills and would like to know what type of training is involved. I suspect its mostly landing and taxing. Also how long did it take to master the tail wheel techniques. Thanks Jim |
#2
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I'm sure the training varies widely. My training started with 15 minutes
discussing the physics that make tailwheel aircraft behave differently than the regular sort. Then we climbed into a Taylorcraft, and off we went. My first lesson was low speed taxiing. Waay different than in a nosewheel aircraft. Next, the wild, swinging departure followed by a landing at a nearby grass strip. At the grass strip we did several high speed ground runs, followed by numerous full stop landings. All of this took about 2 hours. The next weekend, we spent another hour doing full stop (full stall) landings on the grass strip, followed by an hour or so of wheel landings, followed by a few circuits on a paved strip. I figure 6 hours total spread over 2 weekends... A dozen or so solo hours later, my takeoffs and landings moved from the "spooky" category to the "be careful and it won't bite you" category. Your mileage may vary. KB "Jim CRQ" wrote in message om... Could someone give a brief outline of what is involved in getting a tail wheel endorsement. I'm interested in upgrading my skills and would like to know what type of training is involved. I suspect its mostly landing and taxing. Also how long did it take to master the tail wheel techniques. Thanks Jim |
#3
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a good reading and studying of tailwheel aircraft.. "The Complete Tailwheel
Pilot" comes to mind.. and then a good study of the gyroscopic effects of the propeller on directional control as you raise or lower the tail.. also the changing effect of the p-factor on the prop as the angle of attack of the blades change relative to direction of travel. Then.. taxi practice.. a nice thing out here in the desert are lake beds.. and most will have a road of some type across it.. a desert trail... line up on the road.. don't touch.. and crabbing not allowed.. fly down the road barely inches (about a foot) with the wing low technique for crosswind control.. and altitude.. attitude control.. then.. another nice thing about lake beds.. you can always land into the wind.. so.. do some landings.. and then change the direction to get some crosswind effects.. and another nice thing about lake beds.. the "dirt" gives.. like grass would.. but we don't have grass runways here to learn on.. then it's back to the paved runways.. all types, full stall 3 pointers.. wheel landings.. cross winds.. after about 5 hrs and about 40 landings.. in a Super Cub.. the instructor deemed me ready for solo in the Pawnee.. same process.. high speed taxi first... just raise and lower the tail... then.. off you go.. for those that don't know.. a Pawnee is single seat.. for me it was refresher training.. I had last flown J-3s about 20yrs ago on a grass field.. There is/was a school in Chandler AZ that had a 10hr tailwheel course with Super Cubs and Huskies.. and a Pitts.. BT "Jim CRQ" wrote in message om... Could someone give a brief outline of what is involved in getting a tail wheel endorsement. I'm interested in upgrading my skills and would like to know what type of training is involved. I suspect its mostly landing and taxing. Also how long did it take to master the tail wheel techniques. Thanks Jim |
#4
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"Jim CRQ" wrote in message om... Could someone give a brief outline of what is involved in getting a tail wheel endorsement. I always started with MCA and stalls in any AC checkout, to help get a feel of the AC in the landing posture. I'm interested in upgrading my skills and would like to know what type of training is involved. I suspect its mostly landing and taxing. The bigest thing to me was learning that the throtel is a "primary flight control", in most light trikes you pull all power and the plane setels when it is ready, in a TD you can't let the plane decide, if you start to setel to the ground and you'r not ready, a little goose of power will hold you in ground efect till you have it straight and stable, then you can pull that power out and land. Also how long did it take to master the tail wheel techniques. don't know, I only have about 250 hr. in them, I would guise about 1000 hr. Thanks Jim your welcome Mark |
#5
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"Jim CRQ" wrote in message Could someone give a brief outline of what is involved in getting a tail wheel endorsement. Mainly takeoffs and landings. Grass, hard surface, xwind, different flaps, 3 pointers, wheelies. Full stall landings is a misnomer in the Maule. Others have said that high speed taxiing was a big part of the training. I still consider that one of the scarier exercises. I'm interested in upgrading my skills and would like to know what type of training is involved. I suspect its mostly landing and taxing. Interestingly, my CFI would not tell me anything about basic taxiing. Only that I pay attention to wind direction and speed while doing so. Me, "how exactly do you taxi this thing?", Him "Let's go out to runway 22 and do a couple of circuits. So I just did it. Also how long did it take to master the tail wheel techniques. I have 900 hours in my Maule. Let's just say I feel very comfortable in it most of the time but would approach any other mount with my novice hat on. Paying attention is part of the skill. The minute you don't, whatever mastery you have is reduced to "oh sh_t" Thanks Jim |
#6
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Jim CRQ wrote:
Could someone give a brief outline of what is involved in getting a tail wheel endorsement. Ask what the minimum insurance requirements are. With no previous taildragger experience, the insurance may require ten hours of dual, or maybe 25, depending on the aircraft. Also how long did it take to master the tail wheel techniques. Anyone who says they have mastered it is waiting for something to happen. You can get comfortable, but don't get complacent. |
#7
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"john smith" wrote in message
... Ask what the minimum insurance requirements are. With no previous taildragger experience, the insurance may require ten hours of dual, or maybe 25, depending on the aircraft. That's on target. If you plan to use it, find out not only what the min insurance reqmt is, but check what you'll have to pay as a low time tail dragger pilot. It may be prohibitive. But if it's just skill building, have at it. You'll learn to use your feet. |
#8
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Also how long did it take to master the tail wheel techniques.
I soloed a J-3 after 7.3 hours of dual, and that was pretty typical in the old days. So it ain't all that hard. A couple of years later, as a navy cadet, I soloed an SNJ after 12 hours, and so did the other cadets, most of whom had never been in an airplane before. But recently, a friend of mine who is a CFII was required by his insurance company to get 20 (TWENTY!!!) hours of dual in his recently- purchased Cessna before they would insure him. I hope you won't have to deal with that kind of thinking. vince norris |
#9
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vincent p. norris wrote:
I soloed a J-3 after 7.3 hours of dual, and that was pretty typical I soloed an SNJ after 12 hours, and so did the other cadets, most of whom had never been in an airplane before. There is a school of thought, Vince, that it takes fewer hours to teach someone the right way to do something from scratch, rather than having to unlearn bad habits previously acquired. This is probably even more true for tasks performed under stress, and people are more likely to revert to their (incorrect) primary training, which on a nosewheel aircraft, is to do pretty well nothing with your feet. Needless to say, I'm teaching my eleven year old kid to fly on a Maule M4-210C: http://www.pittspecials.com/images/maule.jpg Another 3 years until he goes solo :-) -- ATP www.pittspecials.com |
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