Endosement Day!

Huckster79

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Nov 22, 2018
Messages
2,322
Display Name

Display name:
Huckster79
Well at last I got a chance to fly my new bird solo... I bought a Cessna 140 the end of November after a 4 year hiadus from flying and never had touched a tail wheel... Most of December was lost with weather and holidays, but today Larry said, "why dont you stop, Im bored sitting here Ill meet you back at the terminal after you go around the patch a few times" Notably different plane solo. Four times around the patch, including a go round, I touched with not enough finesse and had a bounce that an experienced TW pilot would have fixed, and I have but with Larry at my side, being first time on my own I decided to let all those Continental Ponies go again and just get otta there...Was bummed too because the approach right to the last second there had been as spot on as I could do one.

Learning tailwheel was the most fun Ive had flying yet. I still have lots to learn and intend on still getting some more advanced instruction here and there as I go. Im very lucky both local instructors are great and both are seasoned TW pilots themselves... Even with the limited time I have in tailwheel I completly see why TW fliers always say it just makes a better pilot out of you...

Now for 5 solo hours required for insurance, going to spend em all at the patch, round and round and round. Though I may take one to go see some new scenery a minute! I figure though those 5 hours are best spent towards beginning honing the basic skills i have learned before passengers. My 13 year old son will be my first co-pilot.
 
Last edited:
This is awesome! I'm so happy with you!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 
Nice. Getting my tw endorsement next month.

If you have not begun it at all, let me tell ya its a great adventure, my best newbie advice would be find a seasoned TW pilot thats also an instructor... Not an instructor whose TW experience is just from him/her learning just enough to instruct it. Once the lightbulb pops on, its not completly different skills from nosedragger flying but you just gotta do it with increased accuracy, directional control, etc. Everything in basic form you have done before just now better, more accurate and proactive. Honestly in hindsight i beleive we were taught backwards, as blank slate student pilots had we learned TW first we wouldnt have come to rely on the plane to "help" us in poorly performed landings. We wouldnt have had to unlearn that crazy notion that an airplane wants to go straight in anyway on ground.

Congrats! Welcome to the taildragger club... The best group there is!

Thanks, its just fun, plus I love nostalgia and I love knowing Im flying a vintage craft that was shiny and new in my grandpa/hero's days of being fresh back from the war starting his family... frankly i think too theres a bit of adrenaline rush knowing that my piloting skills are 110% necessary every time she leaves and comes back to earth safetly. That left to her own once on the ground she would go any direction but the desired direction without me making her...

Congrats on the endorsement and the new plane!

I wonder if the 4 year break made it easier since you had no recent bad trike habits.

I kind of wondered the same thing. I wasnt a complete blank slate, but being i was rusty I knew i had rust to knock off so maybe it was easier accepting the new touch vs being a proficient and current pilot who would have harder time changing current habits that worked just fine yesterday in the 172, Bonanza, etc...
 
Last edited:
Nice! I remember when I started training for my TW (I had about 400 hours in tri gear at the time) it seemed absolutely impossible at first...then when you finally get it, it feels great.
You're in Michigan, right? Did you get any of that snow? We got quite a bit more than expected over my way (SE).
 
Nice! I remember when I started training for my TW (I had about 400 hours in tri gear at the time) it seemed absolutely impossible at first...then when you finally get it, it feels great.
You're in Michigan, right? Did you get any of that snow? We got quite a bit more than expected over my way (SE).

Turf i found really simple, I was thinking man this TW being a big adjustment Im just not seeing... then we went to pavement! Yup if you had been sitting at end of runway you would have thought it was a drunk driving down the runway for a solid lesson. Next day it came together...

Yea we got 4 or 5 inches, light and powdery luckly... Im NE of Grand Rapids...
 
Back
Top