ab-initio tail wheel training

[Flyfshr]

I'm a big t-dragger fan but I honestly think a conscientious flight instructor turns students into good pilots, not the equipment.

I was fortunate and had both a great instructor in a citabria... which means I should be awesome...

Come to think of it, I guess it's no guarantee...

[flyguy]

Real aviators fly tail draggers. Period!

I would venture to say there are "MANY" real aviators who fly many different styles of aircraft. We who "fly" for the rare enjoyment will fly almost anything we can wrangle a ride in. Deana, my love of almost 50 years, owns her own C150 and I consider her a REAL aviator along with her many other great talents. She has traveled solo on several long trips and has little interest in holding any records in the number of planes she has soloed. She just loves to be up there with the clouds and birds.

Summer of 1954 I started putting around airports in a 1938 Taylor Craft ( made in the same year as me ) The first OTHER kind of airplane I got to fly was a Piper PA11, then a Cub then etc etc etc. Needless to say all those old tail draggers had slow touch down speeds but even then steering was not really easy if you had crosswinds. First time I got in an Ercoupe with positive nose wheel steering I almost went nuts. No rudder pedals! What the heck do I do with my feet? One little brake pedal and a goofy crosswind gear that tightened the pucker string into a high E when you were looking down the runway out the left window on final approach with a 20 knot gale right across the runway ! When those little knuckles boinked around and the nose wheel steering took me right down the centerline I began a real understanding of why nose wheel planes were well on the way to becoming the norm. I didn't shed too many tears either. So don't be too handy with the "PERIOD" for you will jump with joy if someone ever offers you a chance to fly the Brokaw Bullet or a Mooney Mustang and find out the thrill of having your body press back into the seat with 400hp dragging you at 4000' per minute toward the edge of the atmosphere . Of course there are some tailweel airplanes that will give you close to that thrill but they cost mucho dinero.

[n3437d]

Two awesome aircraft - thanks for sharing.


Joel
N3437D

[flyguy]

Can you imagine either of these with a nosewheel?

Or this one with a tailwheel?

[GAHorn]

You got me on this one! Hard to argue that Bob Hoover wasn't a "real aviator" in his P-38. Also, after really thinking about it, I'm not ready to face any pilots of the following and tell them they aren't real aviators:

B-24, B-25, B-29, B-36, etc...

So, you have me convinced...real aviators fly taildraggers/nosedraggers...as long as it flies right??

I guess nose gear aircraft are ok...as long as you land them backwards

Bob Hoover didn't fly P-38's as far as I know. He flew P-51s. And tri-cycle gear Aero Commanders and Sabrejets (when he wasn't grounded for anger-management issues.)

[.... It's just my opinion, and a biased one at that. My dad was an instructor at Amelia Reid's flight school in San Jose, and the "Real Aviators Fly Taildraggers" was the slogan of the school. Amelia was certainly a real aviator and aruguably the best Cessna 150 pilot to have ever performed at airshows. Her low level "butterfly" routine in a 150 Aerobat was amazing, ....]

Last time I looked....unless modified.... C-150s and Aerobats were tricycle gear.

It's my belief that REAL AVIATORS can fly any type of landing-gear. [/quote]

[flyguy]

GORGY U MEENNYTYME MODRATER WHY JU POST URE LONGY WINDER ARCIKLE TREE TIME? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? U BETR GITS TOO UVEM GONE FORE BRUCH FINE OUT AN FINE U A HUNNERT BUKS EACH OFERKILL POSTIN

[cessna170bdriver]

GORGY U MEENNYTYME MODRATER WHY JU POST URE LONGY WINDER ARCIKLE TREE TIME? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? U BETR GITS TOO UVEM GONE FORE BRUCH FINE OUT AN FINE U A HUNNERT BUKS EACH OFERKILL POSTIN

HOW ELZ CUD 'E GIT MOR'N TWELF TOWSUN POSTS? 'E MEBBE LONGY WINDY, BUT 'E AIN GOT DAT MUCH TA SAY!

[GAHorn]

The first "Type A" personality around here don't stand a chance!

(I think it's one of those cases where the <Enter> key didn't appear to take effect so it was <Entered> again...and again....(something I've been known to do ever since puberty hit me.....)

[cessna170bdriver]

...(I think it's one of those cases where the <Enter> key didn't appear to take effect so it was <Entered> again...and again....(something I've been known to do ever since puberty hit me.....)

Typing Under the Influence again George?

[flyguy]

HAY MILES - - EETS DA BUFALOW THINGY CLIFFY IS TOLE N TU NORM 1 NITE IN CHEERS . . DRINK LOTSA BEER IS KILL OF THEM WEEKEST BRAIN CELS SO THATSA WHY AFTER LOTSA BEERS A FEELLER FEEL SMARTER

[flyguy]

HOW ELZ CUD 'E GIT MOR'N TWELF TOWSUN POSTS? 'E MEBBE LONGY WINDY, BUT 'E AIN GOT DAT MUCH TA SAY!

GOOD-ERIN MILES - - - WISHT WE HAD WONA DEM "LIKE" BUTTINS AN IDA PUSH IT 12000 TIME

[flyguy]

flyguy mentioned that his wife flies a 150 and the root of my "Real Aviators Fly Taildraggers" comment was Amelia Reid...who chose the 150 as her airshow performer. So although not a taildragger, I could spend the rest of my life trying to be half the pilot Amelia was in a 150 and I would fail. Although I love taildraggers, I am certainly in no position to judge others and want to be respectful of everyone who enjoys flying!

Aryana - - you have the personality and opportunity to be one great aviator and I for one wish you well. And if no one has been "on the ball*" enough to welcome you here and to our Association I want to be the " fill in the blank _____ " do do so. ( * went back and found your first post ) Puts me down as "not on the ball" but it doesn't diminish my enthusiastic "WELCOME"! Gary ( aka; OLE GAR)

ASFARAS RESPEKTIN SUM OF US DOANT TRY TOOHARD ER WE MITE GIT AS BIGHED AS SUM MODYRATERS AOUND HYEAR - - SPIK OLE GAR