Nose wheel hold off time

[rottydaddy]

We teach that too, but there's a certain danger in it. As in soft-field landings, the wrong amount of power can get the nose much too high as the pilot holds the airplane off too long and the tail ends up striking the pavement when the airplane finally stops flying and drops. The tail tiedown ring doesn't have the shock-absorption capacity of the landing gear (or a tailwheel) and we sometimes find damage as far up as the top rudder hinges after tailstrikes.

Dan

True... and it doesn't even need to be a landing as described above- could just be an "over-flared" landing. I once saw a primary student take the tiedown ring off a 172... ouch!
I've flown many a rented Cessna with a flat spot on that ring, as well... it seems to be a common mistake.