[N941WR]

It was time to do my bi-annual and when I called the instructor recommended by a friend I was expecting to do it in a champ, since my -9 still isn't flying.

When the CFI and I spoke on the phone about my TW experience he said, "Oh great, we can do the BFR in my Chipmunk."

Without the TW time I have, I would never have the opportunity to fly such a cool plane.

Nice plane but the rudder bar – brake thing was odd as was the hand brake. Landing with one brake on beasue of the rudder bar / brake interconnect and minor cross wind was odd and took some getting used to.

Any of the two seat RV’s, including my –9, are better handling airplanes than the DHC-1. Compared to its contemporaries, the Chipmunk is a delight but it reminded me how spoiled us RV pilots are.

 

[apkp777]

Yep, the tail wheel endorsement can take you back to the roots of aviation. 500 hours tail wheel time and no one will question your ability to fly a Chipmunk or any other tail wheel plane (except a Mustang maybe). However, 5000 hours all nose wheel and you'll be a Newbie all over again with the "wheel in the back".

 

[n5lp]

I have long thought this is a big reason to be tailwheel qualified, if not necessarily to own a tailwheel airplane.

Say you get a chance to fly a J-3 or an AN-2 or a Mustang or a Cessna 120 or a Champ or a Luscombe or a Staggerwing or a 195. I can tell you it is really really great to be able to take the offer up, although I haven't had the offer yet on a number of those aircraft.

 

[Frank Smidler]

Building tail wheel time is great

One of the biggest reasons I built an RV-6 is so I could build up tail wheel time and in the future have the opportunity to fly some of the great classic airplanes in the future. I've already discussed trading rides with a few pilots with classic airplanes (chipmunk & Luscombe). I love old classic planes as much as I love my RV.

 

[L.Adamson]

I like classic tailwheeled planes too. But I was a bit jealous of the Cessna Citation X, that I passed going to the hangar yesterday. Even though it was a nosewheel............I wished it was mine!

L.Adamson --- RV6A