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YES, WE HAVE
A TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE FOR TRAINING AND RENT!
TAIL WHEEL
ENDORSEMENT:
What are
the requirements for a tailwheel endorsement?
You don't need
a tailwheel endorsement if you've already logged
pilot-in-command (PIC) time in a tailwheel airplane prior to
April 15,
1991. Otherwise, you must now receive a one-time logbook endorsement
to act
as PIC in a tailwheel airplane. The recommended wording for this
endorsement, which is to be signed and dated by your tailwheel
instructor,
is provided in Advisory Circular (AC) 61-65D:
"I certify
that (Pilot's Name), (Pilot's Certificate), (Pilot's Certificate
Number), has received the required training of §61.31(i)
in a (make and
model tailwheel airplane). I have determined that he/she is proficient
in
the operation of a tailwheel airplane."
Federal Aviation
Regulation (FAR) section 61.31(i) elaborates:
"The flight
training must include at least the following maneuvers and
procedures:
(i) Normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings;
(ii) Wheel landings (unless the manufacturer has recommended
against such
landings); and
(iii) Go-around procedures."
How long will
all of that really take?
Most pilots
are competent to solo somewhere between 30 and 60 landings on
paved runways. This usually
translates into 7 to 12 hours of dual, most of which is spent
in the traffic pattern.
One of the major
challenges for tail wheel Pilots is to avoid groundloops.
What is a groundloop?
"Any unwanted
curving of the airplane's path when you're operating on the
ground is a groundloop. The tendency to groundloop, however,
is greatest
while rolling out after touchdown. Groundloops can be either
controlled or
out-of-control maneuvers. The out-of-control kind can be rather
benign--the
airplane drunkenly meandering off the runway, for instance. Or
they can be
severe--a tight pirouette, with the airplane veering hard off
the runway,
poised precariously on one main wheel, wingtip dragging across
the ground
as everyone on the airport watches. High-speed groundloops can
collapse the
landing gear, can bend metal and tear fabric, and might include
carving up
asphalt with the propeller before the dust settles.
Pilots can and
do groundloop tricycle and conventional gear airplanes
alike. But the legend of the taildragger is rooted in its willingness
to
groundloop with minimal provocation. The relationship between
the
airplane's center of gravity (c.g.) and the main landing gear
makes this
so:
For example,
in properly loaded tricycle gear airplanes, the c.g. falls
ahead of the main landing gear. This configuration is directionally
stable
on the ground. Consequently, tricycle gear airplanes inherently
track
nose-first. Properly loaded conventional gear airplanes, on the
other hand,
wind up with the c.g. located aft of the main landing gear. As
a result,
tailwheel airplanes will more readily swap ends on the ground
unless the
pilot continuously intervenes with corrective rudder inputs.
But this groundlooping
tendency isn't necessarily a negative. The fact that
the taildragger doesn't cut the pilot any slack during the landing
phase is
what makes the tailwheel transition so rewarding. Every good
landing in a
tailwheel airplane is due solely to piloting skill. Neither luck
nor
airplane stability can take any credit for it. The objective
of tailwheel
training, of course, is to learn to make more good landings than
bad!
What do the
terms "three-pointer" and "wheel landing"
mean?
Takeoffs and
landings directly into the wind in conventional gear airplanes
come in two basic flavors: three-point and two-point. These terms
refer not
only to the airplane's attitude, but also to the number of wheels
in
contact with the ground as the airplane rotates on takeoff or
as it touches
down on landing.
The three-point
attitude is identical to the attitude the airplane has when
it's parked on the ramp. All other things being equal, the three-point
attitude allows the pilot to operate at slower airspeeds: on
takeoff, the
airplane levitates into ground effect sooner; on landing, the
airplane
touches down slower, resulting in a shorter ground roll. Soft
field
operations usually call for a three-point or tail-low attitude
during
takeoff and landing. Three-pointers may be prescribed for short
field
landings, too. (Three-point landings are sometimes referred to
as full
stall landings, yet the airplane might not actually be stalled
when the
wheels contact the ground.)
The three-point
attitude does have potential disadvantages, though. One is
reduced forward visibility during takeoff and landing in some
taildraggers.
Another may be a false sense during takeoff that an under powered
airplane
(or one that is operating at high density altitude) is capable
of climbing
out of ground effect while still in the nose-high, low speed,
high drag,
three-point attitude. Some airplanes may only be able to wallow
along in
ground effect in this configuration.
The true two-point
attitude, by comparison, corresponds to the attitude the
airplane assumes in level cruise flight. Pilots transitioning
to tailwheel
airplanes might initially fear that the two-point attitude would
bring the
propeller precariously close to striking the ground. This apprehension
can
be alleviated, however, with a simple demonstration: With the
prop of a
parked taildragger positioned vertically (be extremely cautious
when moving
any propeller!), have your instructor pick up the tail of the
airplane
until it's in a level, two-point attitude. Check out the clearance
between
the ground and the prop.
All other things
being equal, two-point takeoffs generally allow the
airplane to accelerate quicker and offer improved forward visibility.
They
also permit the pilot to gain more speed--and hence, have better
control
authority--prior to becoming airborne in gusty wind conditions.
A short
field may command the use of a two-point attitude during takeoff.
Two-point landings
are commonly referred to as wheel landings. In fact, any
landing during which the tailwheel is held off the ground--even
if it's
only an inch or two--qualifies as a wheel landing. Wheel landings
in
certain airplanes may offer better forward visibility during
the landing
roll. Some pilots also argue that a wheel landing is preferable
to a
three-pointer when encountering gusty crosswinds. Others claim
that quirks
in a particular taildragger's design may necessitate the use
of wheel
landings for better controllability. Pilots of Stardusters and
Swifts, for
instance, swear by the wheel landing.
But the two-point
attitude has its disadvantages, too. Forcibly raising the
tail on takeoff, for example, adds a sometimes-significant gyroscopic
component to the left-turning effects of torque, P-factor, and
spiral
slipstream. The pilot must anticipate the need for additional
right rudder
as the tail rises. On the other end of the pattern, the wheel
landing
occurs at a higher ground speed than a three-point landing. Consequently,
wheel landings tend to use up more of the available runway. It's
also
easier to instigate a pilot-induced-oscillation (PIO) during
a wheel
landing. If not checked quickly, this can culminate in a prop
strike, a
groundloop, or a little bit of both. Eventually, the wheel landing
is
transitioned into a three-point attitude. The possibility of
a brief lapse
in control authority is greater during this transition.
Keep in mind
we're not necessarily restricted to the two- and three-point
attitudes described above, either. We can set intermediate attitudes
during
takeoff and landing, too. And during takeoff and landing in crosswind
conditions, we might choose a three-point attitude modified with
the
downwind main wheel raised off the ground (i.e.: aileron into
the wind) as
part of our crosswind correction. Similarly, we might choose
a two-point
attitude, but again with the downwind wheel raised off the ground.
Are taildraggers
trickier to handle in windy conditions?
Trickier, no.
Less tolerant of pilot inattentiveness, yes. The pilot must
be acutely aware of wind direction and strength. Make it a habit
to look at
the wind indicators on the airport before taxiing, just before
takeoff, and
on short final. If the windsock is straight out, it's blowing
at least 15
knots.
Taxiing into
the wind? Think "climb into" the headwind: elevator
control
full aft, with left aileron into a left quartering headwind,
right aileron
into a right quartering headwind.
Taxiing downwind?
Think "dive away from" the tailwind: elevator control
full forward if the wind speed is faster than your taxi speed,
and right
aileron with a left quartering tailwind, left aileron with a
right
quartering tailwind.
And don't forget
about the wind generated by the propeller, either. Be sure
to hold the elevator control fully aft before adding run-up power;
otherwise, the prop blast may be sufficient to raise the tail,
possibly
driving the propeller into the ground.
Be sure to adhere
to the crosswind limitations of your taildragger as well.
If the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) fails to list a maximum
demonstrated crosswind, use 20 percent of the airplane's calibrated
stall
speed in the landing configuration (Vso calibrated). Certification
requirements specify that light airplanes shall have no uncontrollable
groundlooping tendency in a 90 degree crosswind up to 0.2Vso
in strength.
Can taildragger
techniques be used in tricycle gear airplanes?
Not only can
they be used, but they should be used. You should fly tricycle
gear airplanes in the pattern as though they were taildraggers.
You'll be
pleasantly surprised how tailwheel techniques thus applied will
improve
your tricycle gear takeoffs and landings. Tailwheel techniques
directly
carry over to floatplane flying, too.
What are some
of the common problems pilots have transitioning to
taildraggers?
The biggest
problem can be summed up in three words: rudder, rudder,
rudder. Too many pilots have grown accustomed to being reactive
with their
rudder inputs--waiting for the airplane to do something, then
responding--or worse, actually bracing their legs against the
rudder
pedals, especially during landing. The key in a taildragger is
to be
proactive with the rudder. To be light, loose, but active on
the rudder
pedals all the way through the takeoff and all the way through
the landing.
The second problem
concerns the elevator. Pilots flying tricycle gear
airplanes tend to relax back elevator pressure instinctively
during the
landing roll out. In a taildragger landing in the three-point
attitude,
relaxing back elevator pressure reduces directional control,
thus making it
more difficult to keep the airplane straight during the roll
out. The key
in a three-point landing is to hold the elevator control fully
aft during
the entire landing roll while actively using the rudder to keep
the
airplane aligned with the runway.
The third problem
appears during wheel landings. The key difference between
the three-point landing and the wheel landing is sink rate. Successful
wheel landings require minimum sink rate. If the airplane at
all settles,
falls, or sinks toward the runway in the last few feet, a wheel
landing
will be difficult or impossible. And if the pilot flinches and
applies back
elevator as the main wheels touch down, the airplane will rebound
into the
air. At this point, the pilot needs to react quickly and
efficiently--either convert the landing to a three-pointer or
add power and
execute a go-around.
Can you recommend
any books on the subject?
My favorite
is "The Compleat Taildragger Pilot" by Harvey S. Plourde.
But
don't forget about the FAA's new "Airplane Flying Handbook,"
which devotes
an entire chapter to tailwheel flying. Combining the information
from these
publications with structured ground and flight instruction will
make for an
enjoyable tailwheel transition experience.
Even if you
don't plan on regularly flying a taildragger, a few hours of
tailwheel training will markedly improve not only your rudder
awareness,
but also the quality of your landings in nosewheel airplanes.
This alone
should be incentive enough to add a tailwheel sign-off to your
"To Do"
list. Find a school that has something fun like a Citabria, Champ,
or J-3
Cub and give it a try!"
USAFLITE TRAINING
OFFERS TAIL WHEEL TRAINING AND ENDORSEMENTS.
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