Starting to learn Tailwheel, any tips?
Posted by Tradezulu@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 21 comments
I have almost 200 hours across the C150, 152 and 172 and starting my tailwheel course in a week on the Citabria.
Any tips from people who have either flown this plane or tailwheels in general and what the transition feels like?
lnxguy@reddit
Your feet need to think faster than your eyes.
CSGOTRICK@reddit
Citabria with flaps or without? I can give landing tips for flawless ones
Headoutdaplane@reddit
On your.first preflight ask the instructor if you can out the blade of the prop facing straight downward and then together lift the tail.
I know it sounds silly but I do this with all of my students so they get a visual of how high the prop is off the ground even with the tail really high off the ground so they feel more comfortable pushing forward on wheel landings and even the takeoff.
CSGOTRICK@reddit
My instructor did this and it immediately helped with my fear of hitting the prop
johnisom@reddit
eyes down the runway. all the way down, all the time.
ytsur86@reddit
Check out Damian DelGaizo’s Tailwheel 101 and 201 videos on YouTube. They used to be DVDs but they were uploaded a couple of years ago.
RadeZayben@reddit
When you first start learning landings, take a mental snapshot of what your attitude looks like while taxiing for your 3-point landing. For your wheel landings, be on your speed and pay attention to your energy. Avoid large power corrections in ground effect unless you’re going around. Some wheel landings turn into 3-point landings so don’t worry. Be on top of everything. If you feel like you are uncoordinated, you needed rudder 2 seconds ago. I always tell my students you should put in corrections proactively, not reactively. Do small, frequent corrections with rudder instead of large, sweeping corrections for coordination. You have more rudder authority with your tail up then down so keep it up as long as you can without pushing the nose too far forward. That will take time to judge so pay attention to what your instructor says. When you start out, don’t bother saving a landing, just go around and try again it’ll take 5 extra minutes at most. Lastly, have fun!
I started teaching in tailwheels years ago and my favorite part is when I don’t have to hover the rudders or stick anymore. It’s bittersweet; it feels great knowing the student has got it and they earned their endorsement, but it means to end of my time with them
acfoltzer@reddit
Agreed with all, just want to emphasize the point about knowing and being on your speeds. My first few lessons in the 7ECA, I had an mph vs kts mixup and as soon as I switched to the proper (lower) speeds landings got so much easier.
The_Great_Zoltan@reddit
So I am 170 hours in and working on my instrument rating in C172/182 but I did my private in a Citabria and have 92 hours in it currently. The thing I noticed about transitioning FROM the Citabria to the Cessna was how much less rudder authority I had and but also how much easier it was to keep straight on take off & landing. Also, when I first started flying (the Citabria) I would over correct my rudder inputs.
My suggestion would be to a) stay on the rudders and b) small 'stabs' on the rudder is better than a hard, consistent push. And finally c) have fun! Slipping is so much more fun in the Citabria and because you have no flaps you'll do it more often.
There are videos on youtube of people getting in a tailwheel for the first time.
Tradezulu@reddit (OP)
I’m just about to crack open the POH but no flaps on this plane??? This should be fun.
RadeZayben@reddit
Some Citabrias have flaps. The 7GCBC has flaps but the 7ECA and 7GCAA do not
Tradezulu@reddit (OP)
I’m in the 7ECA.
acfoltzer@reddit
Get ready to enjoy your slips!
N546RV@reddit
Honestly, even on the GCBC the flaps aren't doing a lot. That's what I flew for my TW training and even then I was slipping at least half the time on my approaches...though it's also notable that I was flying with an instructor who insisted on having me fly very tight patterns.
N546RV@reddit
Slips are about to become part of your normal repertoire.
Retrolex@reddit
Small corrections are key, particularly after touchdown and on the rollout, otherwise you can end up making a small oscillation much worse and ground loop the aircraft in a worst case scenario. Avoid stomping hard on the brakes for a similar reason. Remember that going around is always an option!
Review your crosswind inputs while taxiing on the ground, and use them! The wing of a taildragger while taxiing meets the airflow at a higher angle of attack then a trike due to the natural nose-up position, and strong winds during taxi can pick up a wing much more readily.
Keep the nose pointed where you want the aircraft to go. Without a steerable nose wheel you’re going to be using the rudder more for steering during takeoff. When the tail comes up you’ll generally notice better rudder control, since by then you have an increased airflow over the tail.
Practice both three-point and wheel landings, and know when to use them. Three-point landings generally give you a slower touchdown speed and thus more stability on the rollout, but the higher speed of wheel landings can give more airflow over the rudder and thus more control over where the nose is pointed during a crosswind landing. It’s all conditional, and both types of landings are just tools in your belt to use when you feel you need them.
Have fun! Taildraggers are a blast. They’re especially fun for ski flying and grass strips!
BrtFrkwr@reddit
That thing in back that's connected to the pedals. Use it.
BigBadPanda@reddit
Make small corrections early.
N70968@reddit
I started flying in Piper Cubs. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that your crosswind correction needs to be much more precise. Any sideways movement on touchdown can cause problems, particularly things like ground loops. You need to pointed straight, but also moving straight.
mild-blue-yonder@reddit
Make sure the nose is pointed down the runway always. If it starts doing something you don’t want it to do, correct it immediately.
Kinda like balancing a broom on your hand. Late corrections have to be really big. Early corrections can be smaller.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I have almost 200 hours across the C150, 152 and 172 and starting my tailwheel course in a week on the Citabria.
Any tips from people who have either flown this plane or tailwheels in general and what the transition feels like?
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