Rob's Tailwheel Training Experience

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.