Rob's Tailwheel Training Experience | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Rob's Tailwheel Training Experience

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by rob lay, Sep 26, 2007.

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  1. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    7,911
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    Kudos to you. You have brought back the many hours that I enjoyed in the past flying tail draggers. The slips, crosswind landings, chasing buzzards, trying my hand at aerobatics, formation stuff, and plenty of joy with all the airplanes with whom I made friends. I believe that you now have all three axies in operation and have the total feel of the aircraft that you fly.
     
  2. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,406
    Southlake, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Lay
    well, proof is in without a sliver of a doubt that tailwheel has made me a better all around pilot!!!

    I haven't flown a Skyhawk for 20 days as I finished up my tailwheel. Last time I flew the Skyhawk I only had 2 tailwheel lessons. I went up today mainly to scout duck hunting ponds, but made it back to Northwest in time for 3 landings. First one was just a poor setup and instead of forcing a severe slip, I decided to do about the tamest low pass you can do. :) Around the pattern setup for no flaps, perfect approach, but I didn't have the old bad tendency to start a gradual flare up high!!! I held my target 65-70 down and had a sharper flare later, but no balloon! Nose high a few feet above and I kept bringing it back and it just settled nicely loosing flight. One of my best landings ever, I'm not sure I could do anything better, but will give it a 9 because they were perfect conditions. Next time around went for the 30 degrees. Good setup again, but didn't get the power back in a tad after flare, so settled too hard. Not really a bounce in the air, but I could feel the plane unload and then settle again. So not great, but average with most of my landings before. Last time around for full stop with 30 degrees all was perfect. Short final was high 50's, but I was comfortable with that because I had altitude and calm conditions. Flared it sharply and again like the good no flap it didn't balloon, but didn't keep dropping like the previous. It just hung off and I settled it in nicely. Don't know the distance, but landing on 35 I could have been well stopped by NTFS. Put a little power in and made it down to the pumps which seemed like forever.

    OK, so perfect conditions and I know there will be many bad landings to come, but heck, I had 200 landings in the Skyhawk before tailwheel and 10 hours of tailwheel has helped me more than all of those landings combined.
     
  3. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    Congrats on the endorsement!!

    I always told folks I may have gotten my license from the FAA in a 172, but I learned to really fly later in a Champ.

    Good luck and have fun!
     

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