Taildraggers

just put the 18 on amphibs.............................

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Wait, are you guys flying taildraggers with forward visibility on the ground? You’re not a real pilot until you have flown a plane that blindfolds you during all critical phases of the flight.
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of rolling down the runway while looking at the wingtip :confused:
 
Peripheral vision.

--says the pilot with only about 2 hours embarrassing herself in a C-140, but who found that if her eyes drifted anywhere other than straight ahead, bad things would happen
 
Talk about visibility issues, here's the shot from a Super Cub on 31" bush wheels...

Its not that big a deal, you should keep your eyes moving in anything you fly/land.

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Talk about visibility issues, here's the shot from a Super Cub on 31" bush wheels...

Its not that big a deal, you should keep your eyes moving in anything you fly/land.

Cool plane. Not trying any "one up" BS here, but that's a good bit better vis than most round engine and acro bipes. Everyone has to find what works best for them, but for your peripheral vision to do its job well, ya gotta keep your eyes and head very still, looking straight ahead. Works perfectly in blind airplanes by learning to keep the small triangular slivers of runway on each side of your periphery looking the same.
 
I took my first 5 lessons in a Piper J3 Cub, and was blissfully unaware that there was anything special about taking off and landing them.

Granted, the first takeoff was "keep your hand on your stick, and watch and feel what I do", as was the landing, with a continuous verbal of the technique.

The rest of the take offs and landings were with them lightly holding their stick, and talking me through the sequences, controlling the plane with my stick.

I do not remember using brakes for anything but the run-up.

One of the results of that start in my training is that I assume landings will be made in the near stall region, and the nose wheel held off for increased air drag to save brakes. I put a ding or three in the tail tie down ring with too much elevator in the early days. Lack of visibility down the runway is not an issue, just keep exactly the same amount of runway visible on each side of the cowl, and you are fine. I can also feel a swerve starting, and counter it with rudder as long as I have enough air speed to hold the nose up. That was an ancient Cessna 150, 4th engine, and a couple of hundred hours on the latest engine.

The Cubs were simpler airplanes, no generator, no battery, no lights, no gyro's, no Hobbs meter, no starter but your hand. Tie the tail with a slip knot, chock the right main wheel, and start her up! When it is smooth running, yank the tail tie down rope, fasten your seat belt, grab the chock tether, yank, and you are ready to go. If you are solo, take the chock with you, in case you need to land, and shut down.
 
You need to check the seat cushions. I'm about 5'11" and I never had trouble seeing over the cowling in my 140 for landing or taxi. I'm not trying to be rude, but seriously, you should be able to see over the cowling in a 120/140, Luscombe, etc. Otherwise you would see them all doing S-turns when taxiing.

I am 5' 9" and I have zero forward visibility. Maybe my landing gear has been re-bent ant is taller than usual...

I must do S-Turns while taxiing.

Even when landing a Pitts, which has no forward visibility, I would slip, then straighten out and use my peripheral vision... never looked at the wingtip. I've never heard anyone describe your style and I would warn against teaching it.

OK, let me rephrase it: "Include the areas on both sides from the wingtips forward in your peripheral scan."

It's a habit I picked up from flying helicopters that have terrible forward vis.

Where did this guy look when landing?

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Where did this guy look when landing?
He didn't have to look. :)

But if he had wanted to look, other than the unnecessary periscope he had, I suspect that he had about as good a forward view out the side windows as one gets in a Cessna 195.
 
Lindbergh had years of experience delivering the mail in a DH4, he was already used to not being able to see anything in front of him.

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