Taildragger Training

[sandifer]

3-pointers? I get best results by breaking the glide earlier than for a wheelie (above ground effect) and trying for a single smooth, progressive pull to 3-point attitude. If done right, you'll arrive at the runway with no energy left for the floating, ballooning, or bouncing that make a good 3-point difficult when you enter ground effect at too high an airspeed with too much attitude change required. Just use good judgment when wind/turbulence picks up.

[Geico266]

Originally Posted by pierre smith

Hi Larry,
The next time you taxi out onto the runway, look at the relationship between the cowl and the trees or whatever is on the far end. I mean the height of trees or buildings in relation to the cowl. My buddy's -4 will have the trees about two inches below the top of the cowl...this way, during the flare to land, you know when you've put the airplane in the same attitude it was in on the ground and all three wheels should touch down together.

Yep...practise, practise,

Great advice! I just completed lesson #3. Brushed up on all skills and tackled 3 pointers. They are pretty straight forward. I had several dead on, tail wheel touched 1/2 second before the mains. Felt really good & solid, no lift left. This has to be one of the best things I learned flying.
Definatly makes you a better all around pilot, and I won't look at tail draggers with a sense of dread anymore. I can fly taildraggers! Yahoo!

[Geico266]

Originally Posted by sandifer

3-pointers? I get best results by breaking the glide earlier than for a wheelie (above ground effect) and trying for a single smooth, progressive pull to 3-point attitude. If done right, you'll arrive at the runway with no energy left for the floating, ballooning, or bouncing that make a good 3-point difficult when you enter ground effect at too high an airspeed with too much attitude change required. Just use good judgment when wind/turbulence picks up.

Great technique to try next time I go up in a TG.

Thanks all for your advice, and encouragement. For anyone else sitting on the fence about getting your TG endorsement, just do it. You'll be a better pilot for it.

[Geico266]

Well boys & girls, I am the worlds newest Tail Dragger Endorsed Pilot. After 8.5 hours of doing pattern work I was signed off this AM. We finally got enough good winds of 5-12 MPH to get the conditions right for good cross wind training. He was tough, but I feel ready to transition to another TD, and fly in cross wind conditions. This is Nebraska, and the winds do blow.

Thanks again for all your encouragement and advice. I read every post and mentally took note of several tips, they came in very handy.