pilot602
If specified, this will replace the title that
Don't know why I didn't post this earlier ...
I got my Tailwheel endorsement last Saturday (doing the aircraft checkout tomorrow) after an ok last flight. We were working with a tailwind and at 5-7 knots it's not a big deal. When it got up to 9 things started getting bouncy. Then we started chasing the wind. Ended up switching from 4, to 22, then back to 4.
But ... before the wind started acting up, we did a few excersies that I pulled off fairly well. They involved staying at pattern altitude till final (slip it down as it has no flaps) to a wheel landing, transition to a threepoint attitude, transition back to a wheel landing then add power and go around. Next one around was a wheel landing followed by a takeoff and recover back into a wheel landing the another takeoff (on the same runway ... essentially land it twice, in a wheel landing)a nd a few other excercises. Also rolled it on one wheel for awhile (have done this several times actually).
The great thing about a tailwheel aircraft is the second you think you have the hang of things it kicks you in the butt and you go bouncing down the runway.
I.E. this last flight after those excersises I bounced two of the last three wheel landings and recovered to a three point.
It's a very humbling experience ... but fun as hell!
Seriously, I don't care how many hours you have if you have never flown a tailwheel you really need to get out and do it. You'd be absoloutely amazed at how a measly ten hours or so will sharpen your stick andrudder skills. And, besides that, it's just friggin' fun!
I got my Tailwheel endorsement last Saturday (doing the aircraft checkout tomorrow) after an ok last flight. We were working with a tailwind and at 5-7 knots it's not a big deal. When it got up to 9 things started getting bouncy. Then we started chasing the wind. Ended up switching from 4, to 22, then back to 4.
But ... before the wind started acting up, we did a few excersies that I pulled off fairly well. They involved staying at pattern altitude till final (slip it down as it has no flaps) to a wheel landing, transition to a threepoint attitude, transition back to a wheel landing then add power and go around. Next one around was a wheel landing followed by a takeoff and recover back into a wheel landing the another takeoff (on the same runway ... essentially land it twice, in a wheel landing)a nd a few other excercises. Also rolled it on one wheel for awhile (have done this several times actually).
The great thing about a tailwheel aircraft is the second you think you have the hang of things it kicks you in the butt and you go bouncing down the runway.
It's a very humbling experience ... but fun as hell!
Seriously, I don't care how many hours you have if you have never flown a tailwheel you really need to get out and do it. You'd be absoloutely amazed at how a measly ten hours or so will sharpen your stick andrudder skills. And, besides that, it's just friggin' fun!
