Tailwheel ownership
Posted by htxpilot@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Hello everyone, I’m looking to get into owning my own plane and I think I‘ve found a beautiful Cessna 140 for a good price. This has been a dream of mine for years and after saving for a while it may become a reality soon. There is one small issue all my time is in tricycle gear aircraft and I‘m wondering if I should get my endorsement before buying the plane or find an instructor and get my endorsement in the aircraft after I purchase. If anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated, and If anyone has any insight into the buying process or owning a 140 that would also be much appreciated. Thank you!
segelflugzeugdriver@reddit
Take a tape measure and check the toe in or toe out. You'll thank me later!
htxpilot@reddit (OP)
Good advice, I’ll check it out during the prebuy
segelflugzeugdriver@reddit
It's an amazingly easy fix, but any time someone claims they have a bitchy airplane to land it always has toe out when you measure with a tape!
AWACS_Bandog@reddit
We owned a 140 Growing Up, and later on I helped a buddy on his.
Wonderful Aircraft, You wont go fast, you wont go far, but its some of the most fun I've had flying, and they're damn simple to work on and around.
If I ever get another one, theres a few quality of life STC's I'd throw on (Harnesses, 150 Seats, Integrated Landing light, Oil Filter) but thats about it. Just take care of the Fabric is the biggest thing
htxpilot@reddit (OP)
Definitely not trying to go fast or far, luckily this one has metal wings so that’s one less thing to worry about.
AWACS_Bandog@reddit
the 140A's I understand have their own quirks, but I wont speak to them since I've only ever seen one in person, and never flew it.
BrtFrkwr@reddit
The whole tailwheel endorsement thing is a crock of shit. You can check yourself out on it in a few minutes. It's just the insurance requirement that may be a factor.
Tman3355@reddit
Say you've never flown a tailwheel without saying you've never flown a tailwheel smh
BrtFrkwr@reddit
700+ hours mostly bush. All G1000 pilots who can't fly without their iPad downvote here.
BrtFrkwr@reddit
720 hours, mostly bush. LOL.
7w4773r@reddit
lol. Lmao, even.
htxpilot@reddit (OP)
Yeah that’s another big factor I forgot to mention. I don’t expect the transition to be too difficult.
minfremi@reddit
Say that after you’ve flown a tailwheel aircraft
x4457@reddit
This might be one of your all-time worst takes.
redcatjoe@reddit
“Uh, huh. Sure.” - FAA
Tman3355@reddit
Got my tailwheel endoresment in a 140. Man what a ride, its definitely a different kind of handling on the ground. When you start out youll feel like a student pilot all over again having trouble even taxing. which is great because you get to have that Ahaa moment when it clicks.
SSMDive@reddit
Go get your TW endorsement first. Heck you may not like flying a TW and if you have never flown a 140 you may hate it. I'd also try flying a few different planes before you "fall in love" with any type. I personally liked Citabria's better than Cubs, and Cubs better than 140's, etc. That is a preference, but I had time in each before I came to that conclusion.
When you go shopping for insurance it will be easier to get if you are qualified to fly the plane and might only need a checkout. When I bought my 7ECA I think I only needed only a checkout with a CFI since I already had my endorsement. Same with my Bonanza, I had 10 hours in a Bo and my HP and Complex 10 years before I bought mine and the insurance didn't even want a checkout - Just hop in and fly it away. (I didn't, but they didn't have any requirements).
Most importantly... NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH ANY PLANE, especially before you own it, and for the love of Orville if you have never flown one don't consider it the one! That "beautiful" plane could be a POS, you may hate flying it (I hated not being able to put two reasonably sized guys in it without one of them having to try and twist to keep their shoulder out of the way of the one flying), etc.
BELFORD16@reddit
Call your insurance company first. Getting your endorsement first MIGHT make it cheaper. Or they will want you to have X time in type, and you could have done it in the plane for cheaper total price.
A tailwheel endorsement “can usually be had in 10-15 hours.” I’ll be honest and say I’ve signed off endorsements in as little as 2 flights and in as many as “over 30 hours”. Some people get it quick, some don’t. Doing it in your own plane should be cheaper per hour (since you’re only paying for the instructor and fuel). But insurance will be higher.
My schools policy requires something like 25 in type and check out to walk in, OR doing your initial training with the school. I could be a little off, our plane has been gone for fabric for…a while.
Various-Blood-3902@reddit
It’s getting refabriced at the farm upstate
Cessnateur@reddit
It's a lot easier to get your tailwheel endorsement than it is to find the perfect airplane to purchase.
If that 140 checks all of your boxes and passes the prepurchase inspection, get it while you can and hire an instructor to ferry it home with you. If, for some reason, you can't use it to get your endorsement, you can go knock that out in a week or two elsewhere.
retiredaaer@reddit
You will love flying a tailwheel aircraft. It will make a better pilot out of you. Find an experienced instructor and learn how to use your feet.
unnecessary_overhead@reddit
The 140 is a great plane to do the endorsement in. It's also an excellent first airplane. Easy to fly, relatively cheap to insure, sips gas, good parts availability for a 75 year old airframe. The main limitation is useful load.
The 120/140 Association is an excellent resource for a prospective buyer. I think membership is about $50 a year (let mine lapse a while back) and if it saves you even an hour of mechanics time it's paid for itself.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Hello everyone, I’m looking to get into owning my own plane and I think I‘ve found a beautiful Cessna 140 for a good price. This has been a dream of mine for years and after saving for a while it may become a reality soon. There is one small issue all my time is in tricycle gear aircraft and I‘m wondering if I should get my endorsement before buying the plane or find an instructor and get my endorsement in the aircraft after I purchase. If anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated, and If anyone has any insight into the buying process or owning a 140 that would also be much appreciated. Thank you!
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