Tailwheel time!

[Henning]

But no matter what the wind, you want the stick fully back when you do your runnup. Forget that and you will learn about parking a plane on it's nose. When you have no airspeed and the tail comes more than a little way off the ground with some power on, there's basically nothing you can do to prevent the tail from coming up further besides jumping out and grabbing the tail (not that I'd recommend that).

Huh? You can drag brakes & wheel taxi around all day with the tail off the ground. It'll only go over if you let it. You can control it with the elevator and throttle, no worries, no need to jump out. You can even spin donuts on one wheel.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Well, I didn't get to fly. The plane doesn't have enough useful load for pilot and instructor unless you're both stick people (and I'm not a stick people--6'2" and 260# for me).

http://www.risingup.com/planespecs/info/airplane27.shtml

Useful load on this example was only about 400#. Two 160# people and a little fuel is all you can take.

They're working on getting a Decathlon on the line, but I'm told it doesn't have much more useful load than the Citabria.

What plane would you recommend for a guy my size and a normal instructor to use for tailwheel training?

 

[Henning]

Well, I didn't get to fly. The plane doesn't have enough useful load for pilot and instructor unless you're both stick people (and I'm not a stick people--6'2" and 260# for me).

http://www.risingup.com/planespecs/info/airplane27.shtml

Useful load on this example was only about 400#. Two 160# people and a little fuel is all you can take.

They're working on getting a Decathlon on the line, but I'm told it doesn't have much more useful load than the Citabria.

What plane would you recommend for a guy my size and a normal instructor to use for tailwheel training?

C-185. That'll teach you tailwheel manners, pick up you, your instructor, full fuel, ferry fuel and a moose.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Well, I didn't get to fly. The plane doesn't have enough useful load for pilot and instructor unless you're both stick people (and I'm not a stick people--6'2" and 260# for me).

http://www.risingup.com/planespecs/info/airplane27.shtml

Useful load on this example was only about 400#. Two 160# people and a little fuel is all you can take.

They're working on getting a Decathlon on the line, but I'm told it doesn't have much more useful load than the Citabria.

What plane would you recommend for a guy my size and a normal instructor to use for tailwheel training?

Bummer! Maybe you need to find a 90-lb hottie flight instructor

As a rule, airplanes that are designed for more utilitarian purposes have better useful loads...the AC Scout, which is just another branch of the Champ family (on the same tree as the Citabria and Decathalon) has a pretty good useful load. Unfortunately, they're tough to find on a rental flightline. I think PA-12's have a pretty good useful load, if you could find one of them. There are a couple in MN and WI that I know of, if you're willing to travel.

Obviously, any 4-place taildragger SHOULD be able to do the job. Ray Maule's flight training operation (Maule Flight... http://www.mauleflight.com/Services/services.html) does tailwheel endorsements in a Maule, but my understanding is that they don't generally teach wheel landings. Apparently they feel that they're too hard to do in a Maule, and so they don't recommend them. Personally, I don't agree

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

David

 

[TangoWhiskey]

What do y'all think of this?

http://tailwheel-endorsement.com/

W&B should be fine for a guy my size in a C170. Obviously, I won't get to rent it afterwards, which is the only "bad" thing about this option. The appeal of the Citabria was getting to go fly it myself, solo, after the checkout, affordably.

 

[Henning]

What do y'all think of this?

http://tailwheel-endorsement.com/

W&B should be fine for a guy my size in a C170. Obviously, I won't get to rent it afterwards, which is the only "bad" thing about this option. The appeal of the Citabria was getting to go fly it myself, solo, after the checkout, affordably.

There you go, sounds like the ticket. 170s are fine planes.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Bummer! Maybe you need to find a 90-lb hottie flight instructor

As a rule, airplanes that are designed for more utilitarian purposes have better useful loads...the AC Scout, which is just another branch of the Champ family (on the same tree as the Citabria and Decathalon) has a pretty good useful load. Unfortunately, they're tough to find on a rental flightline. I think PA-12's have a pretty good useful load, if you could find one of them. There are a couple in MN and WI that I know of, if you're willing to travel.

Obviously, any 4-place taildragger SHOULD be able to do the job. Ray Maule's flight training operation (Maule Flight... http://www.mauleflight.com/Services/services.html) does tailwheel endorsements in a Maule, but my understanding is that they don't generally teach wheel landings. Apparently they feel that they're too hard to do in a Maule, and so they don't recommend them. Personally, I don't agree

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

David

You mean people are getting tailwheel endorsements out there without ever doing wheel landings?!? That's cheating, plain and simple

 

[alaskaflyer]

What do y'all think of this?

http://tailwheel-endorsement.com/

W&B should be fine for a guy my size in a C170. Obviously, I won't get to rent it afterwards, which is the only "bad" thing about this option. The appeal of the Citabria was getting to go fly it myself, solo, after the checkout, affordably.

Yeah, but with a 170 you will fall in love and then simply buy one afterwards instead

 

[MauleSkinner]

You mean people are getting tailwheel endorsements out there without ever doing wheel landings?!? That's cheating, plain and simple

Yup...Notice the reg (61.31(i)) requires wheel landings "unless the manufacturer recommends against such landings", or something to that effect. Somewhere I've got a fax from Ray Maule that says Maule recommends against such landings. I still won't do a Maule checkout without 'em, though

I looked at the 170 link that Troy posted, and noticed that he doesn't mention wheel landings either.

Fly safe!

David

 

[poadeleted20]

Notice the reg (61.31(i)) requires wheel landings "unless the manufacturer recommends against such landings", or something to that effect.

That is almost the exact quote: "unless the manufacturer has recommended against such landings."

 

[flykelley]

That is almost the exact quote: "unless the manufacturer has recommended against such landings."

Now that is just plain crazy, my instuctor will not give you a tailwheel endrosment unless you can do both wheel landings and 3 point landings.

Regards Mike

 

[poadeleted20]

Now that is just plain crazy,

I didn't say it was sane, just that it's the rule written by the FAA.

my instuctor will not give you a tailwheel endrosment unless you can do both wheel landings and 3 point landings.

That is indeed his perogative. The FAA can't make any instructor give any endorsement.

 

[Ken Ibold]

Now that is just plain crazy, my instuctor will not give you a tailwheel endrosment unless you can do both wheel landings and 3 point landings.

Regards Mike

Try a wheel landing in my airplane some time. Of course, I won't be with you and I would require a deposit equal to the value of the airplane in cash before you took off.

Maybe it can be done, but I ain't gonna try it. Ever.