Transition Training to a TD?

[riobison]

Transition Training

I have pretty much bought my 1st RV and it?s a 4 so now I need to be checked out in this thing before I can fly it. There is not much up here in the great white north so I?m looking to come south to do this. Oh it does not have pedals nor throttle in the back seat so I can?t use it.

On Vans web site there are only a couple of guys listed for doing transition training to the Tail Draggers. Is there anyone else around that I can travel to and get checked out in their TD?

Thanks

Tim
Red Deer Alberta Canada

[tkatc]

Jan Bussell does this training in Florida. I believe you have to have at least STARTED your tail wheel endorsement before he can help you. Google him, he has a web site. Very good instructor.

[JonJay]

I highly encourage anyone transitioning into a tailwheel airplane to do it in an antique, Cub, Champ, etc... before doing it in an RV. Simply put, RV's are too easy, right up to the point they bite you. A local friend just returned from a trip back east to rebuild the tail section of a new 8 that "got away" from the pilot on landing, after two years of flying it. The 8 was his first tailwheel airplane and his report was a classic "lack of attention" on roll out and departure from the runway.

Antique aircraft will help you develop much better basic instincts in stick and rudder flying. They require much more attention on roll out especially in windy and cross wind conditions. Build your time there and get your TW endorsement. The RV transition will be a piece of cake after that and you wont be worrying about the tailwheel aspect of the training so much.

Its fun, relatively cheap, and many more avialable aircraft and CFI's to get you going.

My two cents.

[walkman]

Originally Posted by JonJay

I highly encourage anyone transitioning into a tailwheel airplane to do it in an antique, Cub, Champ, etc... before doing it in an RV. Simply put, RV's are too easy, right up to the point they bite you. A local friend just returned from a trip back east to rebuild the tail section of a new 8 that "got away" from the pilot on landing, after two years of flying it. The 8 was his first tailwheel airplane and his report was a classic "lack of attention" on roll out and departure from the runway.

Antique aircraft will help you develop much better basic instincts in stick and rudder flying. They require much more attention on roll out especially in windy and cross wind conditions. Build your time there and get your TW endorsement. The RV transition will be a piece of cake after that and you wont be worrying about the tailwheel aspect of the training so much.

Its fun, relatively cheap, and many more avialable aircraft and CFI's to get you going.

My two cents.

It ain't cheap around here! When I went through this last year I could only find one TD aircraft for rent anywhere near hear. A Citabria and very expensive. Further, even though I had my TW endorsement, I needed 25 hrs of dual from the school before I could take it solo. Oh did I say that the rental rate and instructor rate was way high?

Back in the day I got about an hour instruction in a Cub and then rented it for $25/hr wet. Those days are long gone :-(

I just found an instructor with a 6 nearby and did the transition in it.

[kinger]

$139 ? TRAINING AVAILABLE ? Tailwheel endorsement in an AERONCA CHAMP PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTOR not time builder CFI ? ? Contact John Lumley located Delray Beach, FL USA ? Telephone: 561-271-7638 . 561-499-1115

If needed he has housing available at low cost too. I would highly recommend John. He operates out of a private grass 5100' strip. I would offer my services but I have no TW available to reach in.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

[Master Designs]

I'm in the same boat.....just got my PPL last month (yippee) in a C-172. Ready to get my TW endorsement, but can't find a taildragger to rent.

My RV-4 needs backseat controls and the lower weldments replaced before I can fly it, so that's not an option right now.

The local flight school has four Cubs, but they want $170 an hour dual and a minimum of 10 hours for a TW endorsement! They won't rent a Cub to an outside instructor, you have to use one of their instructors (I have my own CFII/MEI Tailwheel instructor).

I really want to fly to Oshkosh this year with my father, so I thought of buying an RV-6 for a year to get my TW endorsement and allow me to fly to Oshkosh while I work on my RV-4 this summer, but I've been told by several people that it's best to get a TW endorsement in something other than a RV (mimics what JonJay was saying above). Also thought of buying a C-140 or Champ to get my TW endorsement, but couldn't fly from AZ to Oshkosh in that.

Ugh....what to do. Never figured living in Phoenix, one of the best flying weather states, would be so hard to get my TW endorsement without paying a fortune.

[JonJay]

Well, sorry, it used to be cheap. Showing my age I guess.
One of the local fields rents a CC Sport Cub for $114 wet, total for 10 hour tailwheel $1550 with instructor.
Still cheap if it keeps you from running your RV into the weeds I guess.

[gib]

Hey Robert you might try Classic Air at Falcon They have a C-120 for $85/hr and instructor $40/hr

classicairaviation@yahoo.com

[Toobuilder]

Or Budd Davisson out of Scottsdale

[flyboy1963]

Originally Posted by riobison

Transition Training

There is not much up here in the great white north so I’m looking to come south to do this.

Tim, found this link by accident...might be useful. 'sort' by country and you'll see a few in BC and ON. Not sure if you can 'log' time in the U.S.

http://www.taildraggers.com/CFI.aspx

good luck!