Taildragger Training
Contact us at 414-758-0759 or by email at
There are many reasons people choose to fly tailwheel aircraft. For some, it affords the ability to fly low and slow. For others it is the only type of aircraft that can access remote or rough surfaced runways. For some it brings their mentality back to an earlier age of aviation when flying was not about ATC, and GPS, autopilots, TFRs and FARs, but about stick and rudder skills and being totally connected to the aircraft being flown. No matter what your reason, learning to fly a tailwheel aircraft will make you a better pilot! In fact the AVEMCO Insurance Company is so convinced of this that they offer a 5% discount, to those pilots that insure with them, that obtain tailwheel training
It is said that when “flying” a tailwheel airplane you are not done flying until the engine is shut down and the tie down ropes are attached, and we will attest to that. Some of the most important lessons to be learned in a tail dragger are those lessons on the ground, especially when the wind is blowing. In a tailwheel aircraft the center of gravity is located behind the main gear, not in front of it as in tricycle geared aircraft. This rearward CG aids and abets any crosswind to try and make the aircraft swap ends when it is on the ground. The way we keep this from happening is by deft use of our feet on the rudder pedals.
Learning to fly tailwheel aircraft will not only awaken your feet on the ground but in the air as well. Most tailwheel aircraft have large ailerons and when they are deflected (to roll into or out of a turn) they create more adverse yaw than your average tri-gear. If your feet have atrophied from flying with them flat on the floor (perhaps you fly an airplane with interconnected ailerons and rudders like the Malibu or Bonanza), flying a taildragger will wake them back up.
We offer tailwheel transition training in Piper J3 Cub. For most pilots of average skills the training will take approximately 5 - 10 hours, before sufficient proficiency is gained for the tailwheel endorsement.
The training will include:
You must have a pilot certificate to solo in this airplane. No students may solo. This means you must be at least a Sport or private pilot to solo.
There are many reasons people choose to fly tailwheel aircraft. For some, it affords the ability to fly low and slow. For others it is the only type of aircraft that can access remote or rough surfaced runways. For some it brings their mentality back to an earlier age of aviation when flying was not about ATC, and GPS, autopilots, TFRs and FARs, but about stick and rudder skills and being totally connected to the aircraft being flown. No matter what your reason, learning to fly a tailwheel aircraft will make you a better pilot! In fact the AVEMCO Insurance Company is so convinced of this that they offer a 5% discount, to those pilots that insure with them, that obtain tailwheel training
It is said that when “flying” a tailwheel airplane you are not done flying until the engine is shut down and the tie down ropes are attached, and we will attest to that. Some of the most important lessons to be learned in a tail dragger are those lessons on the ground, especially when the wind is blowing. In a tailwheel aircraft the center of gravity is located behind the main gear, not in front of it as in tricycle geared aircraft. This rearward CG aids and abets any crosswind to try and make the aircraft swap ends when it is on the ground. The way we keep this from happening is by deft use of our feet on the rudder pedals.
Learning to fly tailwheel aircraft will not only awaken your feet on the ground but in the air as well. Most tailwheel aircraft have large ailerons and when they are deflected (to roll into or out of a turn) they create more adverse yaw than your average tri-gear. If your feet have atrophied from flying with them flat on the floor (perhaps you fly an airplane with interconnected ailerons and rudders like the Malibu or Bonanza), flying a taildragger will wake them back up.
We offer tailwheel transition training in Piper J3 Cub. For most pilots of average skills the training will take approximately 5 - 10 hours, before sufficient proficiency is gained for the tailwheel endorsement.
The training will include:
- three-point landings
- wheel landings
- forward slips to a landing
- bounce recoveries
- go-arounds
You must have a pilot certificate to solo in this airplane. No students may solo. This means you must be at least a Sport or private pilot to solo.