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Tailwheel endorsement and transition training

Hi Folks.
I am looking to buy an RV-4 in about a year. I have about 600 hours flying Cessnas and other GA planes. I was wondering about transition training and my tailwheel endorsement.

The local airport has a Citabria on line. Should I spend the money and get my endorsement in that or specifically in an RV?

I notice that the transition training is offered in the side by side RV models only. Will that help me with flying an RV-4? Will my first RV-4 flight be solo?

Thanks for any insight you can provide!
Dom
 
my opinion is that the tailwheel art of piloting is a mindset, so you can earn it with every little taildragger airplane.

DC3 and Mustang are not an option. :D
 
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Maj...get you TW endorsement in the Cit and you'll have no problem with the -4. I've given two -4 owners transition training in my -6A and they both already had a lot of TW time, one guy in his Cessna 140.

Guess which airplane now stays parked? :)

Best,
 
I did my TW in a Champ and later got time in a J-3 and Citabria. All three were good experience. I did m transition in an RV-6. Collectively, they made it easy to fly my RV-8.

I'd say "get some Citabria time". It will be good experience.
 
Dom,

You might also find out what your insurance company wants to see before they insure you.

Don
 
I notice that the transition training is offered in the side by side RV models only. Will that help me with flying an RV-4?

Yes it will, stay in the right seat, that way you get used to flying with the stick in your right hand, and thottle with the left. That's the way Alex teaches it, and how he did it with me. As luck would have it though, I eventually bought a 6, so had to get used to flying in the left seat again and using the left hand for the stick. It's a quick transition back to using your other hand on the stick though.
 
i did my TW in the citabria. If you can handle the citabria you will have no problem in an RV.

bob burns

RV-4 N82RB
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. I had been dying to get checked out in the Citabria long before I ever considered owning an RV anyway. I thought the experience would make me a better pilot. Now If I could only fast forward about a year so I could buy my RV:D
 
Woody, I'll have to cross this same bridge when my RV-8 is finished. I WANT to train now but I am going to hold off so my training is fresh.
 
If the question was, "Should I rent an RV and hire a cfi to get my tailwheel endorsement, and transition training, at the same time?" the answer is that this may be difficult.

As you know E-AB aircraft cannot be used for compensation or hire, e.g. Not rented out. The FAA will issue a waiver (LODA) to that rule for transition training; but most FSDOs are limiting the LODA to transition training only, absolutely nothing else. No TW endorsements, no high performance endorsements, no flight reviews. To go this route you will need a very good friend to let you fly his RV for free; or, wait until after you have your own RV, then hire a cfi to give you whatever training you desire.

Citabria for TW endorsement looks like the best choice.
 
If the question was, "Should I rent an RV and hire a cfi to get my tailwheel endorsement, and transition training, at the same time?" the answer is that this may be difficult.

As you know E-AB aircraft cannot be used for compensation or hire, e.g. Not rented out. The FAA will issue a waiver (LODA) to that rule for transition training; but most FSDOs are limiting the LODA to transition training only, absolutely nothing else. No TW endorsements, no high performance endorsements, no flight reviews. To go this route you will need a very good friend to let you fly his RV for free; or, wait until after you have your own RV, then hire a cfi to give you whatever training you desire.

Citabria for TW endorsement looks like the best choice.

Bob you are correct, I'm hoping that someday this will not be the case. I have been working with the FAA in Washington to have this changed. There is no time frame, but I'm glad that at least they are listening. If and when we make this change to the LODA, it will have to be that the person getting the High performance endorsement will need to own an RV10, or, in the future an RV14/A for that matter. Also the person trying to get a TW endorsement will have to own a TW RV. This is the only way the FAA will even consider it. Again, that is my proposal to them and there are no promises. I'm just glad that we are talking and they are listening. It is a beginning.

Alex De Dominicis
www.RVTraining.com
 
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