Taildragger for Night and IFR flying?

[RV8iator]

Originally Posted by Toobuilder

More skill?

Yes.

More attention once you have said skill?

No.

What he said. Once you know how to handle your craft, your limits and it's limits, then go travel and have fun.

I have never wished I had been in a tricycle gear plane instead of my conventional geared plane because of the wind.

[rzbill]

Originally Posted by Toobuilder

More skill?

Yes.

More attention once you have said skill?

No.

Sorry, not buying that. While a different scale, its like saying an approach to minimums is the same effort as a sunny day landing just because one has the IFR skill.

Originally Posted by RV8iator

I have never wished I had been in a tricycle gear plane instead of my conventional geared plane because of the wind.

Similarly, I have never wished I was in a conventional gear plane vs my trike in the wind.


Pretty obvious this belongs in the never ending debates. I'm not changing my mind and I imagine the tail dragger folks are not either. I'm done.

[newt]

I'm an average-skilled pilot.

I dom better landings at night in my taildragger RV-6 than I do by day.

It isn't an issue. There are more significant considerations about night and IFR ops than landing gear configuration.

- mark

[odens_14]

It would be interesting to know if anyone has switched from tailwheel to tri-gear? or chose tri-gear over a desire for tailwheel with a tailwheel sign off. That is, has anyone had experience to be comfortable with a tailwheel, wanted a tailwheel (as it seems like the OP does), but still went tri-gear for safety/wind/etc.?

As with most never-ending discussions you mostly get people arguing for "their" side or justifying what they chose. From what I see in this thread, you have tailwheel pilots telling you that after your comfortable, you won't even think of it anymore. Which I can honestly say is where I'm at now. On the other hand, you have Tri-gear pilots telling how much safer or less stressful the tri-gear is without actual tailwheel experience to base that on. I could be wrong, it's happened before.

This discussion is not without merit, as you will see when you get tailwheel time later this summer it sounds like. Landing with the wheel in the back is a new skill, and will take additional attention for a while. Just like flying was a new skill when you started, as you gain experience you get more comfortable. The bottom line, IMO, is that if you want a taildragger don't let fear talk you out of it.

[Lote]

A taildragger is always trying to swap ends on you. A nosedragger is always trying to straighten out. Those are just facts of their landing gear geometry.

Both can handle similar crosswind conditions with proper technique (which is essentially the same technique for both if done properly). But a taildragger is inherently less forgiving of a lapse in technique or moment of inattention.

A lapse in technique or moment of inattention is more likely to occur when the pilot is tired after a long or stressful trip, as could certainly occur when IFR or at night. I know I've been tired after some trips.

Insurance is higher on taildraggers for a reason.

That said, to each his/her own with eyes open.

[mbuehler]

I bought a tail wheel because my primary mission is fun. If it had been primarily for transportation, I'd have gone tricycle.

In tricky winds a tail wheel is less forgiving of mistakes, and as others have noted insurance reflects that. I have about 150 hours in TW and still would opt for a tricycle on a really windy day at the end of a long flight!

I rarely "need" to be anywhere at a particular time when I fly, so if crosswinds look sketchy, I just go elsewhere or wait it out. That would be less than ideal if I was on a schedule or had people depending on me / my transportation.

Sort of like cars? Fun car is rear wheel drive, stick shift, squirrely. Daily driver a big heavy automatic with traction control because I just want the best chance to get there

[Smilin' Jack]

Widget
Your 25000 hrs help. may be not. 😂
See you at Osh?
Jack

[RV8iator]

Originally Posted by Smilin' Jack

Widget
Your 25000 hrs help. may be not. 😂
See you at Osh?
Jack

Nah, just dancin feet...

Going to miss my first one in 11 years. Have fun up there..

[Dugaru]

My hangar neighbor is basically the guy you're talking about. He is a very experienced taildragger pilot and owns several aircraft, conventional and tri. He says he prefers to fly a nosedragger if he is traveling somewhere, since he doesn't have to worry as much about what the winds are doing (or might be doing) at his destination.

Also my view, especially since I'm much less experienced in taildraggers.

Again, I think it's a travel and risk-assessment issue, not an IFR/night issue. And certainly reasonable people can differ, especially all the taildragger aces.

But there's a reason many of us see higher insurance rates for taildraggers.

Originally Posted by odens_14

It would be interesting to know if anyone has switched from tailwheel to tri-gear? or chose tri-gear over a desire for tailwheel with a tailwheel sign off. That is, has anyone had experience to be comfortable with a tailwheel, wanted a tailwheel (as it seems like the OP does), but still went tri-gear for safety/wind/etc.?

As with most never-ending discussions you mostly get people arguing for "their" side or justifying what they chose. From what I see in this thread, you have tailwheel pilots telling you that after your comfortable, you won't even think of it anymore. Which I can honestly say is where I'm at now. On the other hand, you have Tri-gear pilots telling how much safer or less stressful the tri-gear is without actual tailwheel experience to base that on. I could be wrong, it's happened before.

This discussion is not without merit, as you will see when you get tailwheel time later this summer it sounds like. Landing with the wheel in the back is a new skill, and will take additional attention for a while. Just like flying was a new skill when you started, as you gain experience you get more comfortable. The bottom line, IMO, is that if you want a taildragger don't let fear talk you out of it.

[ChiefPilot]

When I decided to go for an "A" model, I thought about landing after an instrument approach in windy conditions but the determining factor for me was insurance rates - they were higher for taildraggers than trikes across the board.