Tailwheel Endorsement

Ventucky Red

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Jon
Been pinning to do this for a while now, and I'm probably going to spend a week at this year for vacation..

What little nuances should I be prepared for... The syllabus is pretty straight forward... couple of hours of ground and about 10 hours in the air... We'll be flying a Citraba 7ECA.

Any pointers?

Thanks
 
Snow big deal.
Priority one: Keep it straight when you are on the runway.
There is no priority two.

To accomplish this all you have to do is use your feet and (on takeoff) not get distracted by all the buttons and dials on the panel - so no need for all that silly "airspeed alive", "xx knots", "rotate" stuff - the airplane will tell you when it's ready to fly (I have no idea what speed I lift off at) - look down the runway if you can (and you can in a Champ ;-) ), or watch the edges of the runway. Check oil pressure before you shove the throttle in, not after. Now, after it becomes second nature, and you are flying that Beach 18, then, yea, you can glance down at the panel, but before that, eyes outside. 101% of the time.
Landing - get it straight and keep it straight. Otherwise it's not that different except that you can wheel land if you feel like it.
Wheel landings - touch down softly and a little forward stick to prevent momentum from pulling the tail down and putting you back in the air (the cg is behind the mains, so the tail likes to keep coming down).
 
Oh - forgot. P factor, or gyro stuff, or whatever it is that is supposed to make the airplane turn some direction (I forget which) when the tail comes up. Fuhgetaboutit. You are flying a Citabria, not a P-51 or Corsair. Don't get psyched up thinking something will happen when the tail comes up - wind gusts will have more effect than picking up the tail. Just look at the end of the runway and keep the nose pointed straight. Don't look at the panel until after you lift off.
 
What are you going to do after you get it?

I got the endorsement years ago for no reason in particular. While some valuable lessons stuck with me (a full-deflection slip on final won't kill you... the plane flies fine with the ASI covered up...), the t/w skills themselves atrophied quickly. I bought a t/w aircraft recently and have basically needed to relearn everything, and it seems even harder now because new owners don't want to prang their new toy.
 
Do it in a Champ. Learn to love full deflection slips. Keep the stick in your lap when fully on the ground, not before.

Have fun.

Cheers
 
7ECA is a great airplane to get your endorsement in. A lot of tailwheel aircraft are less forgiving than the 7ECA. But, its a great intro to the concept of tailwheel flying. First off, loosen up. If you're tense, you'll waddle down the runway like a drunk Donald Duck. Not to mention, you're more apt to find out how well those heel brakes work, at the worst possible time! Speaking of that, get a decent pair of mininalist style footwear. It has to be a closed toe style shoe. But, it should have minimal tread so can feel with your feet. Its not neccesary to buy the expensive racing shoes that some people recommend. But, something that will help you learn to place your feet precisely on the rudder pedals and feel the airplane through them will help you learn faster.

Some guys will tell you they learned in a tailwheel aircraft in Alaska, wearing mukluks, that's all fine and well. But, I really like thin outsoles when flying tailwheel airplanes with small footwells and rudder pedals; especially small airplanes with heel brakes!
 
Crosswind landings are what get you.
Crosswinds never bothered me, but transitioning to brakes was a major problem. Everything was being peachy until I had to turn the feet. Then the airplane starts walking on the runway. I even get this effect in my Carlson, which has toe brakes. I pretty much resigned to the need to add power against the brakes when I am slowing down.
 
Snow big deal.
Priority one: Keep it straight when you are on the runway.
There is no priority two.

To accomplish this all you have to do is use your feet and (on takeoff) not get distracted by all the buttons and dials on the panel - so no need for all that silly "airspeed alive", "xx knots", "rotate" stuff - the airplane will tell you when it's ready to fly (I have no idea what speed I lift off at) - look down the runway if you can (and you can in a Champ ;-) ), or watch the edges of the runway. Check oil pressure before you shove the throttle in, not after. Now, after it becomes second nature, and you are flying that Beach 18, then, yea, you can glance down at the panel, but before that, eyes outside. 101% of the time.
Landing - get it straight and keep it straight. Otherwise it's not that different except that you can wheel land if you feel like it.
Wheel landings - touch down softly and a little forward stick to prevent momentum from pulling the tail down and putting you back in the air (the cg is behind the mains, so the tail likes to keep coming down).
This man speaks the truth. This is the funnest machine I've ever owned. Simple as a wood stove and "easy" to fly - if walking away without soiling yourself is considered acceptable. But to grease a landing you earn it the old fashioned way.
 
If it is a direct crosswind, takeoff with the crosswind from the right. P-factor, torque will want to make you go left, and the crosswind right. The two tend to cancel each other out, rather than being additive.
 
I got my endorsement in a Citraba 7ECA also...pretty straight forward. I was a some-what new pilot, maybe 100 hours total, 50 hours in a C150, the other 50 hours in a traumahawk. My memories were:
1) first 2 hours, seemed like I was learning to taxi/steer on the ground all over again
2) next 2 hours, getting the hang of this...until wheel landings, crap, starting over again.
3) next 2 hours, got the hang of it all.

Mine was 6.5 hours total. I you have 10 hours it should be a breeze.
 
This man speaks the truth. This is the funnest machine I've ever owned. Simple as a wood stove and "easy" to fly - if walking away without soiling yourself is considered acceptable. But to grease a landing you earn it the old fashioned way.

Nice slip!
 
I am not super experienced. I got my endorsement a few years ago so it is still pretty fresh. Since then I have a little over 75 hours (306 landings) in a Chief, a Champ and most of my time is in a J5. So pretty new at this still. It has already been said but KEEP IT STRAIGHT, make very small corrections when you see them DON'T wait to see what happens. If you do you will see what happens and it probably wont be good.

My endorsement was 4.5 hours. In the first 5 or 6 landings there was one HELP! call to the instructor. In the Chief he didn't have brakes on his side but I managed to salvage it. After that it started to click. Wheel landings take a bit to figure out I got better at them with some practice. I was originally taught to land it like normal but a little fast and when the wheels touch push the stick forward. Since then I find it easier to just think more about getting it in the right attitude and use a minimum sink rate to slowly lower it on and when the wheels touch push forward a little. Maybe that is just semantics but it works for me.

For me at this stage in the game I still feel like pavement is my enemy. Everything happens faster on the pavement. Honestly I know it is mostly psychological but I still avoid landing on pavement if I can. I think it stems from the fact the J5 I was flying had a tailwheel shimmy that made you think the plane was coming apart on pavement especially with a heavier person in back. I do need to get more comfortable with it and plan to do a bunch of pattern work this summer on some paved runways. The Champ I am flying needs a little TW adjustment first though and I think and that makes me more apprehensive still. I replaced the lock ring a few weeks ago and it at least is steering now it was essentially full swivel full time as the lock pin would just pop out of the lock ring which was interesting and you had to use brakes when you got slow. With a new ring the steering is better now but seems to be in a small band and it doesn't take much rudder deflection to pop out and go full swivel. Wondering if the springs need adjustment?

Good luck have fun.
 
95% of my time is tailwheel. I've never ground looped a plane and I've flown some that people consider tough to fly. Don't let the old timers scare you when they say there are those that have and those that will.

Keep the nose pointed forward and the centerline in the center. If the centerline is moving to the left, you're moving to the right. Make an adjustment. Don't hit the ground without the nose being straight. A lot of nosewheel guys do this and the plane straightens out for them. A tailwheel will not. It's all about practice. Practice a lot and do it days where there is some wind, some crosswind, etc. Enjoy it and realize it opens up a whole new set of aircraft to you. You'll love it.
 
One more fun fact.
With a nose wheel, to turn, you press one of the foot rests and hold it until you are done turning, then let the foot things center themselves. (I think).
With a tailwheel, you start the turn, pretty much let go (it keeps turning on it's own), then stop the turn with the opposite foot rest.
 
The Champ I am flying needs a little TW adjustment first though and I think and that makes me more apprehensive still. I replaced the lock ring a few weeks ago and it at least is steering now it was essentially full swivel full time as the lock pin would just pop out of the lock ring which was interesting and you had to use brakes when you got slow. With a new ring the steering is better now but seems to be in a small band and it doesn't take much rudder deflection to pop out and go full swivel. Wondering if the springs need adjustment?

The biggest mistake people make is tightening the tailwheel chains too much (or as you say adjusting the springs). They take out all of the slack. On most tailwheels you want about 1/2" of slack in both chains when the tailwheel is straight. Make sure to read up on your exact tailwheel before making adjustments.
 
The biggest mistake people make is tightening the tailwheel chains too much (or as you say adjusting the springs). They take out all of the slack. On most tailwheels you want about 1/2" of slack in both chains when the tailwheel is straight. Make sure to read up on your exact tailwheel before making adjustments.

When I say adjust I am thinking it might need more slack. Or squishier springs. I could be thinking this all wrong but what I would like more travel in the rudder pedals with less affect on the tailwheel.
 
When I say adjust I am thinking it might need more slack. Or squishier springs. I could be thinking this all wrong but what I would like more travel in the rudder pedals with less affect on the tailwheel.
Yeah, so most likely the springs are to tight. Do they sag at all with the tailwheel entirely straight?
 
Not much if at all. This is a fairly new to me airplane (6.7 hours) so at this point I am happy it is steering at all the first few flights with a bad lock ring (Maule TW) were no fun when the plane got slow. I will talk to the A&P where i fly and see what he thinks about making some adjustments.
 
Not much if at all. This is a fairly new to me airplane (6.7 hours) so at this point I am happy it is steering at all the first few flights with a bad lock ring (Maule TW) were no fun when the plane got slow. I will talk to the A&P where i fly and see what he thinks about making some adjustments.
Yeah, have them take a look at it. Too tight is not your friend!
 
Step 1: Review taxi procedures for wind conditions.
Step 2: Practice taxiing at various speeds implementing Step 1 proceedures.
Step 3: Learn to interpret winds on approach.
Step 4: Learn 3 point landings knowing what you've learned above.
Step 5: Learn wheel landings.

Sign off.
 
After reading about lengthy tailwheel checkouts with syllabuses and whatnot, I think back to my tailwheel checkout; 1 hour dual in a Champ, 1987. This was prior to needing the endorsement, so I was good to go! At the time, I'm sure I didn't even know all that I didn't know, but so far after 30 years and roughly 2000 hrs t/w time, it seems to be working out. I've been lucky enough to fly a range from Champ/Cub/Tcraft up through RVs, T-6, Beech 18, Lockheed Lodestar, B-17... but I'm still learning. Yep, I dig taildraggers.
 
The biggest mistake people make is tightening the tailwheel chains too much (or as you say adjusting the springs). They take out all of the slack. On most tailwheels you want about 1/2" of slack in both chains when the tailwheel is straight.

There are no rules, it's purely a function of aircraft type and preference. Pilots of airplanes with heavy tails and weak rudder authority in 3-pt attitude may prefer taught (not tight) chains so they don't have to do so much pedal pumping to engage small amounts of tailwheel steering. Pilots of airplanes with light tails and lots of rudder authority down to low speeds may prefer looser chains so the rudder can do more of the work. Set it up however works for you.
 
Oh - forgot. P factor, or gyro stuff, or whatever it is that is supposed to make the airplane turn some direction (I forget which) when the tail comes up. Fuhgetaboutit. You are flying a Citabria, not a P-51 or Corsair. Don't get psyched up thinking something will happen when the tail comes up - wind gusts will have more effect than picking up the tail. Just look at the end of the runway and keep the nose pointed straight. Don't look at the panel until after you lift off.

thats because you need to trade in that snowmobile engine for at least the turbo model. :) my RV-4 with 360 in it will head for the weeds quick if you push the tail up fast with your feet on the floor......

bob
 
Warning: Not claiming to be any kind of expert, had to learn alot of things the hard way, possibly some of my experience is worth sharing. I fly with guys that have over 20,000 hours TW, which makes me but a lowely greenhorn at just over 5000TW.

Don't overthink it! The best thing you can do to get better, is burn alot of gas. Don't be asleep at the wheel, and do not be rigid. When I hear pilots saying to do things one certain way, I can't help but smile, cause that is hilarious; conditions are always changing and you need to be fluid. The plane will tell you what to do, focus on the information you receive from the aircraft and the weather/terrain. Once you get the fundamentals down, there is a world of other things to try and learn, just don't push it too hard, take your time. Don't let anyone push you past your comfort level, or be over eager trying to do what more experienced TW pilots make look easy.

Not sure what the thing about holding the stick back on the ground is about. For some reason that notion bothers me, I don't do that in anything from super cubs to 1200+HP Turbine tailwheel aircraft I fly regularly. Don't do things just be cause people say you should, do what the aircraft requires to keep everything coordinated and moving in the direction you are trying to go. If you have the stick in your gut, and get a unexpected gust from behind, you'll be like the guy I saw that happen to and wind up on your nose.

If you are lucky, you'll get to fly off-airport with big tires. The world is your oyster when you've got a reliable tailwheel bush plane, big tires, cash to burn, and the guts to chase after adventure. One thing to contemplate on at length when getting into that, is making good decisions.

The most important thing I have learned in aviation, is that you have to be able to make hard decisions, and generally be able to make the right one the first time. I screw up all the time, but always reflect on that and de-brief at the end of the day to try and improve the next time around. Maybe I sound a little too serious, kinda rough around the edges right now from flying so hard for the last few months. We already lost six Ag pilots this year, think there's been 30 reported accidents, and it is just crazy how far I see some really inexperienced pilots pushing their limits. I am one of these young guys that has a long way to go, don't have anything "figured out," but for damn sure not tryin to be number seven on that list.

When trying a new technique out, find a nice big runway/area free of obstacles, just don't do it where there is unnecessary risk. Ideally, find a mentor that has been around the block, and is willing to fly and hangar fly with you. I've wound up in situations that happened so fast, but could hear a friends voice in my head talking about that very situation, and exactly what they would do. That's definitely helped me get outta more than a scrape or two. No replacement for experience, but good advice can go a long way, may even save your life!

I said don't overthink, but something I always think about, is the exit strategy (AKA plan B etc.). What/where is my out if this doesn't go as planned, do I even have an out, and at what point will I have backed myself into a corner?

Well that's enough for now. Good luck, and have fun

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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I never understood why most tailwheel planes have springs and chains. My Sonex has a set of steel cables that connects the pedal to the rudder and then a solid steel tube that connects the rudder to the tailwheel. There are no springs or chains anywhere in the system. The tailwheel is always pointed exactly where the rudder is. The advantage is that once the tailwheel is planted on the ground the plane goes exactly where you point it. There is no lag between rudder input and movement of the plane which makes ground looping it actually pretty hard to do. The only downside I can see is that you can't use a full castering tailwheel. The turning radius is a bit limited. I haven't found this to be an issue, you just have to think and plan your turns on the ramp if it is a tight area. What am I missing here?

Keith
 
Don't overthink it! The best thing you can do to get better, is burn alot of gas. Don't be asleep at the wheel, and do not be rigid.
This is good advice. Coming straight out of the procedure-driven world of the IR, it takes me a lot of effort to be closed-loop all the time and just FTFA (and keep flying it) and make the picture look right.
 
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I never understood why most tailwheel planes have springs and chains. My Sonex has a set of steel cables that connects the pedal to the rudder and then a solid steel tube that connects the rudder to the tailwheel. There are no springs or chains anywhere in the system. The tailwheel is always pointed exactly where the rudder is. The advantage is that once the tailwheel is planted on the ground the plane goes exactly where you point it. There is no lag between rudder input and movement of the plane which makes ground looping it actually pretty hard to do. The only downside I can see is that you can't use a full castering tailwheel. The turning radius is a bit limited. I haven't found this to be an issue, you just have to think and plan your turns on the ramp if it is a tight area. What am I missing here?

Keith

Crosswind take off and landings could be tricky with your setup. On takeoff you will need to be fairly quick on the rudder as the tailwheel lifts off and you lose its effectiveness. On landings if you land with quite a bit of rudder and let the tailwheel down, it could take you for a ride pretty quick. The guys I know with a lot of TW time prefer the opposite, they remove the chains and let the tailwheel free caster. One plane I flew that way actually steered better on the ground than my Citabria with the chains and springs.
 
The guys I know with a lot of TW time prefer the opposite, they remove the chains and let the tailwheel free caster. One plane I flew that way actually steered better on the ground than my Citabria with the chains and springs.

You are correct about why we use chains and springs, but I've never seen anyone remove the chains from their Scott/Lang/Maule tailwheel. That is definitely not common among experienced TW pilots.
 
And the locking tailwheel where the choices are locked straight, or free swivel. No chains, no springs, that you don't need...

Or, just diy...
 
Without a connection you have to use brakes or a lot of throttle to maneuver at low speed. In a J3 you usually have to do s-turns to see when taxiing, you don’t want to use brakes and throttle to do that, it would be a royal pita.
 
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