Tailwheel Endorsement Next Week

Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
After you leave the ground, it's no different...
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Not if it's a Citabria and you're used to a 150 or 172. Lots more adverse yaw in the Citabria. Takes more rudder to keep it coordinated; can't fly feet-flat-on-the-floor like some trike pilots we've encountered. And a skidding turn is much less forgiving, too...

Dan
 
Henning said:
Most taildragger pilots fly like monkeys anyway so I figure a chimp should be ok in one....

I used to fly out of Lilydale, Coldspring and Moorabin and worked a fire out of LaTrobe Valley about 6 years ago.

The fact that you remain to reside in Melbourne, a city in competition for "crappiest weather year round" brings into question any judgement calls you may make...:D;)
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I simply have no argument for that, it has been really nice for about 8 hours now so I'm preparing a rebuttal, ,,,if we can get through the arvo that is!!!
cheers Mat:rolleyes:
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
It ain't hard. Just use your feet to keep it straight on the runway. After you leave the ground, it's no different...

Landing is easier with a tailwheel. Keeping it straight after the landing is a little more effort- you have to pay atttention and use your feet.
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You know, this reminded me of something interesting and maybe useful here.

When I was flying 20 years ago, one of my customers found out I was flying and we had the normal bull session telling about our experiences. This guy was about 5' 2" or so and had only flown nose wheel airplanes.

He said that when he first solo'd he discovered that all this time the instructor had been manipulating the rudder pedals. He had to have at least used them enough to taxi out for take off, so this all didn't totally add up. He managed to get the plane on the ground somehow and taxi it in.

The reason I was reminded of this is it made me think about the possibility of flying a nose wheel airplane with minimal rudder practice. This could NOT happen with a tailwheeler. For anyone who is lacadaisical with rudder pedals from nose dragger flying, they will soon get keen feet in a tail dragger.

My $0.02,
Doc
 
MBDiagMan said:
For anyone who is lacadaisical with rudder pedals from nose dragger flying, they will soon get keen feet in a tail dragger.
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Or else they'll break the airplane. That's the fantastic thing about the taildragger: it forces you to learn to use all the controls all the time, and it makes you a better trike pilot.

Dan
 
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