Going to learn tail wheel

RoscoeT said:
It's a non-issue anyway. It's not like anyone really ever flies down final specifically planning on converting a wheelie attempt to a 3-pointer and vice versa. It's just something that happens, and it's definitely not a problem.
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It happens to me when I get my speeds a little wrong. :)
 
Fearless Tower said:
I think what JH was trying to say is that you generally shouldn't change your plan while you are on final. Which is very different from doing a 3-point in response to a bounced wheel landing.

To be honest, I tend to agree with JH. When I was a relatively low tailwheel pilot, EVERY time I changed my mind on three point or wheel landing during short final, I screwed the landing up. Have a plan in advance, stick to it, but.... be prepared to handle issues (like a bounced landing) as they come up.
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This is exactly what I was getting at. If you've got lots of time in the seat and you're constantly flying the plane like its an extension of your arms and legs, then please disregard these comments because they're not meant for you. If that's not the case, then decide what kind of landing you're going to do before you ever start down from pattern altitude and then do that kind of landing. If you get to the runway and the landing you planned isn't working out, going around is always an option and usually recommended. No one ever ground looped by staying in the air and going around for another try.

And honestly if you do have lots of time in the seat and you feel like your tailwheel game is tight but you still have landings where you've decided on one type of touch down and end up with the other, then I would argue your game isn't nearly as tight as you think it is and a few hours of practice are probably in order.
 
The way you get to the point of flying like the plane is an extension of your body is by exploring all the corners of the handling envelope. Transitioning back and forth between landing types is part of that. Once you get maybe 25 hours of TW time under your belt, directional control should become intuitive rather than deliberate. At that point, there is no harm in experimenting with how your plane behaves in different situations by playing around in ground effect. Holding runway alignment and center line while you float or change pitch angle and sight picture is great practice. Those skills may come in handy one day when you get a surprise gust on short final or a deer jumps on the runway (happened to me last month), and you gotta change your plan.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Holding runway alignment and center line while you float or change pitch angle and sight picture is great practice. Those skills may come in handy one day when you get a surprise gust on short final or a deer jumps on the runway (happened to me last month), and you gotta change your plan.
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Being able to change your plan? Yes. Sure its handy. But its also something I never had to practice. If you've got enough time in the seat, you'll be able to do it without thinking about it. Not a big deal at all at that point really. But you changing your plan is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about you plan on a wheelie and you end up with a 3pt because you let it get too slow and let the tail get too low before you got the wheels on the ground. If you weren't planning that but that's what you ended up with? Then you need more practice at getting the landing you planned so that you'll get less practice at figuring out how to deal with the landing you ended up with IMO.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
And honestly if you do have lots of time in the seat and you feel like your tailwheel game is tight but you still have landings where you've decided on one type of touch down and end up with the other, then I would argue your game isn't nearly as tight as you think it is and a few hours of practice are probably in order.
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Quite the pedantic soapbox you have going on there. I'm sure you're one of the elite who's never bounced a wheel landing. If you haven't, you could stand to add a lot of new types to your logbook. Recovering bounced landings is a tailwheel 101 skill BTW.
 
All this tight game talk is getting silly. Back to the OP - it ain't nearly as complicated as some of these guys are making out and no need to hang your head in shame if, god forbid, you should bounce. When you get good at it just please don't become an incessant boor bragging of your finely honed skills. Be humble.
 
I guess I have to admit to bouncing a landing once or twice. I have 3100' of runway to work with at the home port so I usually just add a touch of power and three point it.

I really like the wheel landings where I don't feel the wheels touch ... just feel them rolling on. That don't happen nearly as often as I'd like it to ... :dunno:
 
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