[Rant Warning] Tailwheel Training

So they like to say that instructors who don't fly tailwheels or do loops
or
who don't do much instruction are better instructors. They blame the
instructors for the fact that they themselves can't fly and will never
learn. EDR's rant is very typical of these people.


And your rant is typical of the instructor we all fear.... Of the fifteen or
so CFI's I have flown with for various checkouts, the best were those who
were proficient in ALL types of aircraft, including tailwheel.

The teacher who continuously learns has something grand to share.

Deb


--
1946 Luscombe 8A (His)
1948 Luscombe 8E (Hers)
1954 Cessna 195B, restoring (Ours)
Jasper, Ga. (JZP)

In article .net,
"Henry and Debbie McFarland" wrote:


Folks fly tailwheel airplanes because they are just plain fun! Anyway, it's
hard to swagger away from a C-172.

My swagger comes not from the airplane I've flown, but from how well
I've flown it.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

In article , C J Campbell
wrote:

So they like to say that instructors who don't fly tailwheels or do loops or
who don't do much instruction are better instructors. They blame the
instructors for the fact that they themselves can't fly and will never
learn. EDR's rant is very typical of these people.

And I am only 49 and learned got my PPL in 1980!
I'm such a crumudgeon!
The difference is, I learned to fly from the graybeards who taught me
not to make the mistakes they did.

My swagger comes not from the airplane I've flown, but from how well
I've flown it.


That's it! If you've landed your taildragger without hitting the weeds, you
and the rest of the world know you've flown it well
:-). If you managed to get the thing died down, then you know you're damned
good! If you manage to kiss the ground in glee and not be seen by your
tricycle-geared brethren, then you're Aviation Hall of Fame material.

Actually, anybody can land a tailwheel airplane, and if you've had good
primary training, the transition is easy. I think that's the gist of this
rant. The docile C-172 will let many pilots and instructors learn and pass
on bad habits. The tailwheel airplane weeds those bad habits out, literally.
I know. I learned to fly in my own C-172. I didn't really 'fly" it, however,
until I learned to fly the Luscombe. The Luscombe taught me how the fly the
C-172 and fly it well.

Ironically, we jest about swaggering taildragger pilots, but you will find
that a tailwheel aircraft will teach you humility like no other airplane. If
it doesn't, you'll be one those chasing yer tail in the weeds.

Deb

--
1946 Luscombe 8A (His)
1948 Luscombe 8E (Hers)
1954 Cessna 195B, restoring (Ours)
Jasper, Ga. (JZP)

"EDR" wrote in message
...
In article , C J Campbell
wrote:

So they like to say that instructors who don't fly tailwheels or do
loops or
who don't do much instruction are better instructors. They blame the
instructors for the fact that they themselves can't fly and will never
learn. EDR's rant is very typical of these people.

And I am only 49 and learned got my PPL in 1980!
I'm such a crumudgeon!
The difference is, I learned to fly from the graybeards who taught me
not to make the mistakes they did.

I am older than you, so mind your manners, Sonny! :-)

"C J Campbell" wrote in message ...
There is absolutely
no reason to learn to fly a tailwheel aircraft unless you plan on owning one
or have some other special need, such as bush piloting or you are a CFI who
wants to instruct in them.

My tailwheel background certainly makes me a much better Mooney pilot.
It certainly makes me a better CFI. I'm able to let students take the
172 further towards the weeds with confidence that I can control it.
Non-tailwheel CFIs have to jump in there right away and the students
takes 3 times longer to learn foot work.

-Robert, CFI

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...
There is absolutely
no reason to learn to fly a tailwheel aircraft unless you plan on owning
one
or have some other special need, such as bush piloting or you are a CFI
who
wants to instruct in them.

My tailwheel background certainly makes me a much better Mooney pilot.
It certainly makes me a better CFI. I'm able to let students take the
172 further towards the weeds with confidence that I can control it.
Non-tailwheel CFIs have to jump in there right away and the students
takes 3 times longer to learn foot work.

It is not your tailwheel background that lets you do that. It is your
experience, pure and simple.

It is awfully hard for a student to run off into the weeds on a 150' wide
runway. I just let them go where they want. They learn pretty quick.

Well...flying a taildragger didn't make me more of a man, thank God, but it
did make my boobs bigger.

That comment and the rest in this particular post is based on ignorance.
Folks fly tailwheel airplanes because they are just plain fun! Anyway, it's
hard to swagger away from a C-172.

Deb

My tail dragger was "put up" for the winter and I wound up flying my wife's
C-172 during that time. I found it made me lazy. No matter if I flaired it,
plunked it or flew it onto the runway the landings always came out the same.
It is amazing how much punishment it would take. If I landed like that in my
"tail" plane I might not walk away. Getting back into it in the spring I got
the "wake up call" and had to start paying attention again during landings.
I also agree; That 172 is good, just boring.
Incidently, I once flew an 8A and found it to be one of the most difficult
ground handling airplanes I ever flew. My hat's off to those who do it well.
Also, this 'bigger boobs' thing is interesting. Does it cause any CG problems?
;-)

Jim (RV-4 driver)

Henry and Debbie McFarland wrote:

Well...flying a taildragger didn't make me more of a man, thank God, but it
did make my boobs bigger.

Details please! Yet another argument I can use to encourage Elisabeth to take flight
training. Not that she needs any improvement in that area, but I've met few women who
didn't *think* they needed improvement there.

George Patterson
I childproofed my house, but they *still* get in.

EDR wrote:

The difference is, I learned to fly from the graybeards who taught me
not to make the mistakes they did.

In other words, you learned from some of the people C.J. is talking about.

George Patterson
I childproofed my house, but they *still* get in.