Tailwheel training in WA

Anyone have any good recommendations for tailwheel training in Washington? If not immediately local, I'd probably like to do it with someone who can do it in a 3-day type program. Anyone especially around Everett/AWO area or, alternatively, Spokane or Olympia?
Thanks.

Mike Seager is just a bit south of your location, west of Portland, and almost to the state line in north part of Oregon.

Contact Vans for info on flying with Mike.

I thought I remembered that Mike indicates he prefers people to come to him fully tailwheel proficient. Is this not the case? Anyone have experience having Mike teach you to fly tailwheel and/or tailwheel and RV at the same time? If so, that might be a good alternative!

alpinelakespilot2000 said:

I thought I remembered that Mike indicates he prefers people to come to him fully tailwheel proficient.

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I had not heard that, but I can certainly see where it would make sense.

Still best to talk to him directly, IMHO.

Here is some info from Vans.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/trainfly.htm

Champs

Both Snohomish Flying Service at Snohomish (0S9) and out of the Blue at Arlington (AWO) have Champs and do tail wheel training. The Champ at Snohomish is an 85 horse and the one at Arlington is a 65.

I got my tail wheel endorsement at Snohomish about 10 years ago. They're good people, but so are the folks at Out of the Blue.

As a completely useless aside, the one at Arlington is interesting becuase it is a 7AC painted to look like an L-16 while right outside on the ramp is an L-16 painted to look like a 7AC.

Also Dave Wheeler up at AWO. Between Harvey and AWO you should be able to do this locally.

Who's Dave?

Who is Dave Wheeler upat at AWO? What does in teach in and for whom?

Thanks

Dave Wheeler

http://nwac.aero/

He offers scenic tours, rentals, and instruction. His tail wheel plane is a good ol' J3.

Oh yeah

I seem to remeber you, or someone who looked a lot like you, saying that before (moved from Paine, that is). As far as getting out of the hangar, it's scary out there.

alpinelakespilot2000 said:

Anyone have any good recommendations for tailwheel training in Washington? If not immediately local, I'd probably like to do it with someone who can do it in a 3-day type program. Anyone especially around Everett/AWO area or, alternatively, Spokane or Olympia?
Thanks.

Click to expand...

I teach (among other things) tailwheel in a J3 cub at Safety In Motion flight Center in Puyallup (KPLU) (As of this month, the new owner of Spencer's)

253.840.5758 ask for Joe or Brandon.

on a related note, i'd sure like to buy a little training in an RV. any suggestions in the south sound area?

TW training with Mike S

I had a wee bit of dated tailwheel time, and it had been a number of years since I had done any significant amount of flying at all before doing my transition training with Mike. Talked to him before booking the training and the only comment was that it would take me a little more time - ended up doing about 12 hours of dual before I got straightened out.

Maybe that is why he doesn't want to do it anymore!

Suggest you give Mike a call and talk it over with him directly. His number is on Vans web site http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/trainfly.htm

The new owner of Spencer Aircraft at Pierce County Thun Field (KPLU) has a J-3 cub that they provide training in.

Let's Not Forget...

For those who may not want to train in a tandem seat airplane there is also Wild Blue Aviation at AWO that has a C-140 for training.

I got my tailwheel endorsement from a fellow Boeing employee here at Paine Field. He says he gets most of his CFI work by word-of-mouth, i.e. I don't know whether he advertises his services publicly at all, so I'll omit his name and invite you to send me a Private Message if you'd like me to get you in touch with him. But if you're in the Seattle area and want a tailwheel endorsement, I would highly recommend him.

He owns a Cessna 170 (as well as an RV-4). He's apparently quite active in the Cessna taildragger community (or so he tells me) and helps a few people per year transition to these old Cessnas. His 170 is docile and straightforward and easy to fly... and, most importantly, easy to taxi and take off and land. It is my current go-to rental airplane when I want to fly more than just one other person.

(I got tailwheel training from him when I thought I was going to buy a taildragger RV. Ended up buying an RV-6A with a nosewheel, but still glad to have gotten my tailwheel endorsement: it made me a better pilot, it gave me access to a nice four-seater when I need it, and it allowed me to experience flying a sixty-year-old airplane: Once you've left the ground, the 170 is not really any different from a 172. But landing a taildragger requires you to develop a very sharp sense for exactly which way the airplane is pointing, and that will make all your landings smoother, in any airplane. And it's always good to spend some time with a CFI who really emphasizes looking outside at where the horizon is and listening to the engine, rather than looking inside at the numbers. I can now land an airplane at night with no lights/instruments in the panel, which is a nice skill to have).