Someone special on this forum...

JaceTheAce

Well-Known Member
...just earned his tailwheel endorsement! Congratulations to my Dad, known as "JaceTheAce'sDad" on this forum, for adding a tailwheel endorsement to his Airline Transport Pilot certificate.
 
Outstanding. Everything else will suck for him now though. You know what they say, "Once you have had tailwheel, you never go back".
 
Gosh Jas, thanks for the nice remarks.

Yes, it was a first in many ways, first to be actually lined up with the aircraft's center-line, first to use a "stick" and first time in a tail wheel airplane (Citabria). It was all very cool. The Citabria tells you when you are not coordinated. When you power down the balls swings left way more than a Cessna, power up and out it goes right. Then there is the normal tail wheel take off and landing stuff. I would recommend to every pilot to take the time and effort to get this endorsement from the best instructor you can find. My guy flies a T-6 like my father and Jas' grandfather did and a huge assortment of tail wheel, conventional and rotor driven aircraft. He flies out of Auburn, CA a great little going concern of an airport with the likes of Chuck Yeager and Bud Anderson hanging out at the restaurant. We may or may not have flying jobs, but we have drunk the cool-aid and we are hooked.
 
How long did it take to get the endorsement? I've read somewhere that on average it takes 8-10 hrs., but I guess it also depends on the person and the CFI.
 
How long did it take to get the endorsement? I've read somewhere that on average it takes 8-10 hrs., but I guess it also depends on the person and the CFI.

It took about 6 hours. We used the tach time which was a little over 5 hours because the plane has no Hobbs meter so I'm guessing about 6 on a Hobbs. That includes some spins and trips from Auburn to McClellan (about 12 minutes) to use the long runway for a lot of practice on the ground. The long fast taxis really teach you directional control. You get to have more practice than if you flew t.o.'s and landings on a short runway. The wheel landings were the hardest for me with the springy gear on the Citabria wanting to launch it back into the air. I still need more practice with those, but they tell me that is normal.
 
The wheel landings were the hardest for me with the springy gear on the Citabria wanting to launch it back into the air. I still need more practice with those, but they tell me that is normal.

Luscombes are the same way. Were you flying off of grass or concrete? If possible, when you go to get some more practice, try and find a grass strip if you haven't already. It is more forgiving than concrete on crosswinds, and just a heck of a lot funner too!

Anyway for becoming a real pilot now: :clap::beer:
 
Luscombes are the same way. Were you flying off of grass or concrete? If possible, when you go to get some more practice, try and find a grass strip if you haven't already. It is more forgiving than concrete on crosswinds, and just a heck of a lot funner too!

Anyway for becoming a real pilot now: :clap::beer:
Thanks for the cheers and I like things that are funner. All my landings were on concrete so I'll be doing some more training on grass. They tell me that oleo struts are more forgiving than the spring steel struts on the Citabria and I guess on the Luscombes too. I'd like to take a seminar here:
http://www.mountaincanyonflying.com/
 
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