[Sierra Papa]

Hi All,

What's exactly involved in tail wheel convertion. How many hours mininum does one have to fly and does it have to be with an instructor or another, tail experienced pilot, would do??? Thank you.

Regards S.P.

[Rudy]

S.P.
Tailwheel differences training takes about 6 hours and because it's training it needs to be through an RTF or FTO. Once completed the instructor makes an entry in your logbook.
It's well worth it as it opens up a whole new fleet of aircraft to you.

Rudy

[Sierra Papa]

Thanks Rudy,

Do you know if an instructor with a UK licence can sign me of if I do my tail wheel up the North, I have an Irish PPL.

Regards SP

[Rudy]

S.P.
On the assumption that both you and he operate on JAR licenses then there is no problem.

[OnTheNumbers]

My tailwheel signoff was done in the UK with a UK instructor. As long as they're entitled to do the signoff, the the fact that they are a UK instructor doesn't matter.

David

[Sierra Papa]

Thanks a lot for all your replies.
Had my first 1.5 hrs on a Piper Cub, LOTS OF FUN!!!

Regards SP

[737DRIVER]

I am hoping to do a tailwheel checkout when I have a bit more time. What clubs/schools currently do tailwheel checkouts?

[Nanolight]

Check out www.irishaerosports.com they do tailwheel flying and are based in Kilkenny.

[michael747]

Check out http://www.irishaerosports.com they do tailwheel flying and are based in Kilkenny.

Yep, I done an intro to tailwheel flying with Vince down there, Its a beautiful Citabria they have.
Highly recommend them

[737DRIVER]

I have been in contact with Vincent and it sounds like a good set up there, hopefully I will get it done in a few months when the type rating is out of the way

[JimC]

Sierra Papa, I've got about 1500 hours in a J3 Cub and have enjoyed every one of them.
Have fun and happy flying,
JimC

[MCRO]

If there were enough tail-draggers around so that everyone could be trained to First Solo in such an one how much more complete and comprehensive and less costly would be our training.

Conversions later to nosegearare simple as the taildragger isn't required to do anything which to him seems against instinct

Not so v/v

The philosophy is odd : why should recreational pilot be keen to confine themselves to runways as opposed to fields - there are many more of te latter to choose from

Maurice

[JimC]

.....If there were enough tail-draggers around so that everyone could be trained to First Solo in such an one how much more complete and comprehensive and less costly would be our training.

I agree with the less costly part (am not so sure about the more complete and comprehensive).

I bought a J3 Cub in order to learn to fly in 1965. Still have it (I love J3's). Average time to solo back then was about 7 hours. Seems to take longer these days, so I suspect on average, the pilots are a bit more competent now.
JimC

[OnTheNumbers]

Hi Jimc,

I think you may have a point about the the more comprehensive part but mostly in relation to safety and procedural elements. Having just switched to the joys (fraught footwork) of tailwheel flying I do think that tailwheel trained pilot are probably more more complete pilots from a pure stick and rudder perspective.

Maybe first soloes had less on their plates too - less airspace, non-radios, simler airplanes?

David
Luscombe 8

[JimC]

David, we did have a lot less on our plates back then. I learned in a J3 and most of my time to this day is in taildraggers, so I never got into the habit of using much rudder in one. I just put in a rudder deflection for the average crosswind and modulate that as required by the gusts, so I generally don't have a lot of rudder activity. I'm not a particularly high time pilot -- most of my time is in a J3 (about 1500 hours), followed by PA-11, PA-12, PA-18, Stearman, Great Lakes (I love the 440 Ranger engine), Luscombe, Cessna 140, Cessna 170, Cessna 180, and Champ. I'm a whole lot more comfortable in the J3 than I am in my Cherokee.
All the best (and happy flying),
JimC