Need tail wheel endorsement

T

tmdarkansas

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I really would like to fly the plane I bought. The problem is that I have a sonex tail dragger and no experience. Can anyone recommend a td school in or around arkansas? It's frustrating to have a plane for months no can't fly it.
 
AG Flight in bainbridge, GA. It's a AG pilot school, all the CFIs are/were multi thousand hour WORKING tailwheels pilots.

Not sure of anyone good who is closer.
 
Welcome to POA, but why did you buy a plane you couldn't fly? Why has it taken you months to look for a TD CFI? Seems to me a phone call or two and you would have been in contact with several.
 
I can't recomend a CFI in arkansas for you but I can tell you that I was in a very similar position a few months ago. I just finished building a Sonex and needed to get a taildragger endorsement. I did mine in a cub and another person I know did theirs in a citabria. The best advice I can give you is to go do the Sonex Transition training at the factory in Oshkosh once you get your taildragger endorsement. I just got back last week and it was worth every penny. The sonex handles much differently in the takeoff and landing phases than a cub or citabria does. It is very sensative in pitch and with the direct steering tailwheel you need to be soft on the rudders. It only takes a few hours to get used to but if you hop right into a sonex from a normal taildragger you might be in for a wild ride on that first landing.

Keith
 
Just do it in something with the same type of gear, spring, oleo etc
 
There isn't much else out there that has the same landing gear as a sonex. The main gear are made up of solid titanium rods and the tail wheel is directly hooked to the rudder pedals with no springs in between

Keith.
 
Geico266 said:
Welcome to POA, but why did you buy a plane you couldn't fly? Why has it taken you months to look for a TD CFI? Seems to me a phone call or two and you would have been in contact with several.
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His /Her Joined Date was 2007 and first post today. Long time lurker I guess. :dunno:
 
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kmacht said:
There isn't much else out there that has the same landing gear as a sonex. The main gear are made up of solid titanium rods and the tail wheel is directly hooked to the rudder pedals with no springs in between

Keith.
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Id find a spring gear Citabria, or even better a cessna 120 140.
 
evapilotaz said:
His /Her Joined Date was 2007 and first post today. Long time lurker I guess. :dunno:
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How some treat others its a wonder anyone posts at all.

Get in your airplane and taxi her. When you can taxi her the complete runway length with the tail wheel up you are ready to fly her.

But I guess you need a CFI to do this. One can not learn these skills on there own...:nono:

I wonder who signed off the wright brothers or Bob Hoover.....I would like to see their log books....
 
Please don't take that advice. High speed taxi tests in a sonex for someone who never flew a taildragger before is a recipe for disaster. The sonex does not like to go down the runway with the tail up. As soon as you have enough speed to raise the tail it instantly is ready to fly. Wheel takeoffs and landings can be done in a sonex with a lot of practice but it really is a 3 point airplane.

Ill repeat my earlier advice. Go get a tailwhe endorsement in whatever you can find available and then go so the transition training at sonex

Keith
 
kmacht said:
Please don't take that advice. High speed taxi tests in a sonex for someone who never flew a taildragger before is a recipe for disaster. The sonex does not like to go down the runway with the tail up. As soon as you have enough speed to raise the tail it instantly is ready to fly. Wheel takeoffs and landings can be done in a sonex with a lot of practice but it really is a 3 point airplane.

Ill repeat my earlier advice. Go get a tailwhe endorsement in whatever you can find available and then go so the transition training at sonex

Keith
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Its one of those airplanes. You fly it off the ground and three point land it. Don't listen to what I posted, very bad advice in an airplane such as this.

It would be one of these moments.....:hairraise:
 
Geico266 said:
Welcome to POA, but why did you buy a plane you couldn't fly?
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Hey, Geico, I resemble that remark! I bought my RV-8 before I got a TW endorsement, and I'm just now crossing the line where I think I've had enough TW instruction to fly her. And I can't wait!
 
tmdarkansas said:
I really would like to fly the plane I bought. The problem is that I have a sonex tail dragger and no experience. Can anyone recommend a td school in or around arkansas? It's frustrating to have a plane for months no can't fly it.
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Here you go...

http://www.iacusn.org/schools/

While you're at it, do yourself a huge favor and piggyback the TW training with some basic aerobatic training.
 
I have a friend who built a Sonex in his garage and first flew it this summer. He did a magnificent job! he had about 2-300 hours in a taylorcraft before this. He said the Sonex handled very well, no problems on the ground or in the air, quite stable. Please do not fast taxi it. Fing a good tail wheel CFI and they will have you flying it in no time. A few years ago a doctor I know bought a very nice mooney. Had no idea how to fly. Within 3 months he was flying it well , 2 years later bought an aerostar! Have at it!
 
Welcome FrequentFlyer. Where in Arkansas are you? I am in West Memphis. There is a good TD school just across the river at M01.
 
Geico266 said:
Welcome to POA, but why did you buy a plane you couldn't fly? Why has it taken you months to look for a TD CFI? Seems to me a phone call or two and you would have been in contact with several.
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I own a Cessna that I love to fly. I have been wanting a Sonex for a long time, so I had been looking for the right one that and found one, so I bought it. My plan was to transition to the Sonex and sell the Cessna. The insurance company requires a CFI with time in Sonex. I live in a place that has only one tw instructor, but no time in Sonex and no tw airplane. I have contacted some within, say, 100 miles, but they don't have time in a Sonex. I decided just to get a tw endorsement in another airplane, but some of the CFI's don't have tw airplane and I can't use mine because of insurance requirement. So you see...I have been trying, but was hoping that someone may know someone that had Sonex time and tw cfi. I guess some of it is a matter of convenience...I just didn't want to have to go a long distance to get all this done. I didn't realize how difficult it was going to be when I bought the plane.

I was just asking for some help. When I bought my Cessna I couldn't fly in it either, but learned in it. I suspect others have done the same.
 
evapilotaz said:
His /Her Joined Date was 2007 and first post today. Long time lurker I guess. :dunno:
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Yes I have been lurking. I like to read others experience and learn all I can by reading. I didn't take offense to this, but the first Geico was kind of mean :(
 
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kmacht said:
I can't recomend a CFI in arkansas for you but I can tell you that I was in a very similar position a few months ago. I just finished building a Sonex and needed to get a taildragger endorsement. I did mine in a cub and another person I know did theirs in a citabria. The best advice I can give you is to go do the Sonex Transition training at the factory in Oshkosh once you get your taildragger endorsement. I just got back last week and it was worth every penny. The sonex handles much differently in the takeoff and landing phases than a cub or citabria does. It is very sensative in pitch and with the direct steering tailwheel you need to be soft on the rudders. It only takes a few hours to get used to but if you hop right into a sonex from a normal taildragger you might be in for a wild ride on that first landing.

Keith
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Thanks for replying. I have decided that the only way to get this done is to do just what you suggest. Get a tw endorsment in something else then transition to Sonex. Insurance requires 10 hours dual with CFI.
 
somorris said:
Welcome FrequentFlyer. Where in Arkansas are you? I am in West Memphis. There is a good TD school just across the river at M01.
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I'm in El Dorado (near Louisiana). I will check out your suggestion and see what pans out. I just wish it wasn't so dang difficult to get this done. I'm thinking that tail wheel piloting is becoming a thing of the past. Some people I contact have no tail wheel endorsement. Some of the ones that do, have no tail wheel airplane to teach in. It's kinda frustrating when you want to fly really badly.
 
colojo said:
Hey, Geico, I resemble that remark! I bought my RV-8 before I got a TW endorsement, and I'm just now crossing the line where I think I've had enough TW instruction to fly her. And I can't wait!
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Geico was mean...made me :sad:
 
Get the transition training. A good friend died learning to fly one of those things. Be safe.
 
I worked hard, hard I tell you, trying to find someone, checking the Internet, and calling FBOs from Jonesboro, Arkansas north to Hannibal Missouri, west to Marshall Missouri, and East to Peoria.

Nearly impossible. I did get a few hours here and there, but no one actually seemed interested in giving a tail wheel endorsement. Those with new planes were scared spitless of wheel landings (something I needed to fly my Fly Baby). None agreed to land on concrete -- all wanted to land on grass. And my home airport has only a concrete runway.
 
I couldn't fly the wagon INSURED until I had ten hours dual in it. I had my TW ticket.

So it's not uncommon to buy before you fly.

It was buy it or lose it.
 
tinerj said:
I worked hard, hard I tell you, trying to find someone, checking the Internet, and calling FBOs from Jonesboro, Arkansas north to Hannibal Missouri, west to Marshall Missouri, and East to Peoria.

Nearly impossible. I did get a few hours here and there, but no one actually seemed interested in giving a tail wheel endorsement. Those with new planes were scared spitless of wheel landings (something I needed to fly my Fly Baby). None agreed to land on concrete -- all wanted to land on grass. And my home airport has only a concrete runway.
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Similar here. I asked the local flight instructor, and he said insurance was the biggest headache with tailwheel instruction. Basically, you could get a plane but couldn't get coverage for teaching.
 
1600vw said:
How some treat others its a wonder anyone posts at all.

Get in your airplane and taxi her. When you can taxi her the complete runway length with the tail wheel up you are ready to fly her.

But I guess you need a CFI to do this. One can not learn these skills on there own...:nono:

I wonder who signed off the wright brothers or Bob Hoover.....I would like to see their log books....
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For the purpose of flight....

When I finally succumbed to needing the TW endorsement I had about 150 TT TW. I'm not a scofflaw, those flight hours were with pilots who preceded the endorsement. However, nothing prohibited me from operations which were NOT for the purpose of flight, which would include taking the active at non-towered field.

Yes, one does need a CFI to provide the logbook endorsement.

To address the comment of getting WORKING TW pilots...I did that for a few hours. You know, other than a few falling leafs and T&Gs they weren't worth much. Just because they are WORKING doesn't mean they know how to teach nor be able to provide the endorsement.

I suggest someone away from your home field. With winter nigh, upon skies? Broaden your horizons aviator.
 
rbridges said:
Similar here. I asked the local flight instructor, and he said insurance was the biggest headache with tailwheel instruction. Basically, you could get a plane but couldn't get coverage for teaching.
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One CFI I used was an active 135 charter pilot. He had a beautiful Super D in his hanger. He said to provide dual instruction in it, None solo, cost $6,000/yr. That was in 2005. He dropped that coverage soon after.
 
tmdarkansas said:
Thanks. I'm taking a look at this now.
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If you can mix a 10hr aerobatic course in with your TW training, you will be far ahead as a pilot when you complete it. That's where you really learn what a plane can do and how to manage your energy.
 
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