Taildragger certification?

[boingk]

Hey guys just wondering whats needed for a taildragger certification in RA?

 

I do not currently have one and would like to add it to the list of 'can dos'.

 

Cheers - boingk

 

 

[Louis Moore]

Ride a bike, memorize the motion, repeat learnt foot work on landing!!!

 

Just like any other endorsement, it takes finding a T/W airplane to be instructed on and doing the hours with the instructor. Not a difficult one to get, but harder to become really proficient than most other!

 

 

[facthunter]

You can put it off till you need it. If you do the conversion and don't follow up, (consolidate), you will go stale and have to do a bit more dual before you fly one again. All dual is good experience and you will learn how to use the rudder more positively in any case, but without some considerable time, Say 20 hours minimum, of good solid solo practice, you will not be there. (Unless you have exceptional natural skills). Nev

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Biggest difference.............taxiing, especially with a following wind.

 

 

[Tomo]

Hey guys just wondering whats needed for a taildragger certification in RA?

Patience and dedication!

 

Seriously though, if you have a few dollars to spare and want to learn something new, do it! It will make you a better pilot.

 

 

[Doug Evans]

Reccommend it

 

"Real pilots fly tail draggers "

 

 

[Blueadventures]

You can put it off till you need it. If you do the conversion and don't follow up, (consolidate), you will go stale and have to do a bit more dual before you fly one again. All dual is good experience and you will learn how to use the rudder more positively in any case, but without some considerable time, Say 20 hours minimum, of good solid solo practice, you will not be there. (Unless you have exceptional natural skills). Nev

Hi Good advice. May consdier doing the endorsement and then getting refresher instruction when the need arises. I found tail draggers a work out at first but a worthwhile skill.

 

Cheers

 

mike

 

 

[davebmooney]

Idid mine not that long ago and have found that being a low hour pilot,if I leave it more than 4 or 5 weeks ,I need to do some circuits with my instructor to get back in the groove.They're right about the foot work, I folowed my taildrager staight up with my X-country as if they were one ,and upon returning from my first solo nav right on time and feeling pretty pleased with my self and relaxing just that little bit,upon touchdown Ijoined the groundloop club infront of the entire gliding club.

 

 

[kaz3g]

Idid mine not that long ago and ....snip....feeling pretty pleased with my self and relaxing just that little bit,upon touchdown Ijoined the groundloop club infront of the entire gliding club.

Hi Dave

 

Must be something about gliding clubs!

 

A couple of summers ago I went up to the Riverina to visit my sister and landed at Corowa. The gliders were all using the north south strip and there were a heap of them lined up at the end of the active runway with a couple of tugs.

 

I saw a C172 take off using the x-wind strip to avoid the congestion and I thought I'd do the right thing and follow suit.

 

I had it on the ground quite nicely and the x-wind was not proving too much of a problem as I comenced a 3 point roll out. I then

 

passed two large hangars to windward while still travelling at speed. The into wind wing started to lift and I corrected only to be hit by a timely dust devil as I came clear of the shelter provided by the hangar.

 

Everything went to crap!

 

I found myself with a wing tip inches from the ground and an Auster seemingly determined to check out where it had just come from. Somehow or other it all came good again and I managed to salvage a very small part of my dignity as I parked outside the gliding club where a LOT of interested spectators were scoring my arrival.

 

Kaz

 

 

[facthunter]

You're excused if you are involved with a dust devil. All the armchair critics should realise that too.. Nev

 

 

[Guernsey]

Idid mine not that long ago and have found that being a low hour pilot,if I leave it more than 4 or 5 weeks ,I need to do some circuits with my instructor to get back in the groove.They're right about the foot work, I folowed my taildrager staight up with my X-country as if they were one ,and upon returning from my first solo nav right on time and feeling pretty pleased with my self and relaxing just that little bit,upon touchdown Ijoined the groundloop club infront of the entire gliding club.

You are now endorsed to do 'Groundobatics'

 

Alan.

 

 

[davebmooney]

[boingk]

Thanks for the advice, guys, and the story Kaz!

 

All up right now I don't think I can do my training for taildragger locally, but would certainly be up for it sometime in the future. I am reasonably familiar with the operation of a taildragger on takeoff and landing as I'm a bit of a nut for flight sims and also RC models.

 

Thanks again - boingk

 

 

[Tomo]

Where abouts do you fly from boingk?

 

 

[boingk]

I fly from Goulburn, NSW (an hour north by car from Canberra) and have clocked up around 60 hours this year so far, mainly in a C150 Aerobat but lately in a SkyFox Gazelle, as I'm working on my RAA ticket. I only have two hours to go till I can get that, loving it so far.

 

Regular trips for me so far are to Crookwell & Taralga (short hops), Bathurst, Maruya and Yass (longer flights). Have been into Wollongong once and enjoyed that as well.

 

I gather you're out West, Tomo?

 

- boingk

 

 

[Guest nunans]

Thanks for the advice, guys, and the story Kaz!All up right now I don't think I can do my training for taildragger locally, but would certainly be up for it sometime in the future. I am reasonably familiar with the operation of a taildragger on takeoff and landing as I'm a bit of a nut for flight sims and also RC models.

 

Thanks again - boingk

G'day, I recently done the TW training and can recommend Aldinga Biplanes in SA. They are really great and teach in sport cubs with bushwheels :) It took me two trips there and back and alot of lucky weather while i was there but managed to get the endorsement after about fifteen hours.

 

I also agree that follow up is really needed and you'd be best to have a TW plane available in Goulburn so you could practice short fields, cross winds etc regularly for a few months on your own to get the feel.

 

Goulburn isn't too far away for me (but lots of tiger country on the way) I might fly over your way for a look on a nice day..

 

 

[Methusala]

G'day All, Hard for me to write this post but - yesterday took a friend for a flight in the local area. Wind was S/E and strip is 090/270 and flat to the West but into wooded terrain and ridge to East. We took off into the East and turned at 50kts and 150 ft t0 stay clear of trees. Flew for 25 mins then approached from the West. All was normal, approaching at 50 and descending at 500fpm. We touched down in 3 point and as I planted the tail the upwind wing lifted and we ground looped! I have about 1500 hrs acquired over more years than I wish to reflect on. Almost all in tail wheel a/c. I am very current in Thruster and this has me worried. I suppose that we got a strong gust from the S/E just as the stall occurred, lifting the wing. Only damage is a bent u/c spring so very lucky there. Don't ever get complacent, especially in a t/w aircraft. Don

 

 

[pudestcon]

G'day All, Hard for me to write this post but - yesterday took a friend for a flight in the local area. Wind was S/E and strip is 090/270 and flat to the West but into wooded terrain and ridge to East. We took off into the East and turned at 50kts and 150 ft t0 stay clear of trees. Flew for 25 mins then approached from the West. All was normal, approaching at 50 and descending at 500fpm. We touched down in 3 point and as I planted the tail the upwind wing lifted and we ground looped! I have about 1500 hrs acquired over more years than I wish to reflect on. Almost all in tail wheel a/c. I am very current in Thruster and this has me worried. I suppose that we got a strong gust from the S/E just as the stall occurred, lifting the wing. Only damage is a bent u/c spring so very lucky there. Don't ever get complacent, especially in a t/w aircraft. Don

I'm hearing you Don, having the starboard wing lift on me in very similar conditions only a couple of weeks ago. Managed to get it down with no dramas in the end.

 

Pud

 

 

[boingk]

G'day, I recently done the TW training and can recommend Aldinga Biplanes in SA. They are really great and teach in sport cubs with bushwheels :) It took me two trips there and back and alot of lucky weather while i was there but managed to get the endorsement after about fifteen hours.I also agree that follow up is really needed and you'd be best to have a TW plane available in Goulburn so you could practice short fields, cross winds etc regularly for a few months on your own to get the feel.

 

Goulburn isn't too far away for me (but lots of tiger country on the way) I might fly over your way for a look on a nice day..

Thanks for the recommendation mate, I might have to look more into it. I'm weighing up purchasing an aircraft in Perth and would be planning on flying it back over say a week or two after familiarisation over a day or two at its home field. Could simply stop in on the way back.

 

As for Oberon -> Goulburn... its a short hop mate, go for it! If the SuperPup II in your infoblock has anything approaching a 'decent' engine in it, it'd be giving a nice 75kt+ cruise and you'd be here in no time. I've done the Bathurst run myself onece or twice and really enjoyed it, even in the flight school's old C150 Aerobat before it got a much needed carbie and magneto overhaul. We've gont some nice scenery down here within 10min of the base (lakes, windfarms, war memorial, Woodlawn mine) and two runways to choose from; 4000ft tarmac and 2000ft grass. You can also hop across to Crookwell or Braidwood which are both nearby and nice to fly from.

 

Methusala - Sorry to hear about the incident but glad to hear the damage was minimal. While I'm here, you fly a Thruster right? What engine has she got and what is she like for cross country? May consider a Thruster if they cruise well, but am unfamiliar with the type as I've only flown C150 and Gazelle (soon to go on to C172).

 

Cheers - boingk

 

 

[pudestcon]

Methusala - Sorry to hear about the incident but glad to hear the damage was minimal. While I'm here, you fly a Thruster right? What engine has she got and what is she like for cross country? May consider a Thruster if they cruise well, but am unfamiliar with the type as I've only flown C150 and Gazelle (soon to go on to C172).Cheers - boingk

I thought I would chip in here boink, with my thoughts on cruising in a Thruster. I have a T500 with a Rotax 582 2-stroke engine. The Thrusters, generally, are not a comfortable aircraft to be sitting in for any length of time - say 2 hours absolute maximum between breaks; you'll be landing to refuel anyway after 2 hours or so. And at a cruise speed of 50 - 55kts you will be doing some long constant hours in the saddle if you need to traverse this continent from West to East - just reading between the lines in your post and assuming stuff here, so don't shoot me if my assumptions are wrong eh. Also, I expect it will take more than a day or 2 to familiarise yourself with flying a Thruster - completely different to the Gazelle, let me tell you!! I really like flying the Thruster, and intend doing a few longer flights, but they are not really a cruising machine - more a fun fly machine. I reckon you would be better to 'trailer' a Thruster for a coupla thousand kilometres, especially if you only have very low hours on type.

 

Anyway, I hope this helps.

 

Pud

 

PS. It would be a great adventure to fly a T500 across Australia..... Hmmm, I'll have to think about that!!

 

 

[Tomo]

I fly from Goulburn, NSW (an hour north by car from Canberra) and have clocked up around 60 hours this year so far, mainly in a C150 Aerobat but lately in a SkyFox Gazelle, as I'm working on my RAA ticket. I only have two hours to go till I can get that, loving it so far.Regular trips for me so far are to Crookwell & Taralga (short hops), Bathurst, Maruya and Yass (longer flights). Have been into Wollongong once and enjoyed that as well.

 

I gather you're out West, Tomo?

 

- boingk

Sweet! yeah I'm north, north west to you, direct west from Brisbane actually about 350klm.

 

I don't want to sound discouraging, but going from a Gazelle or C150 to a thruster is one mighty leap for man!

 

If you're ever up this way I can take you up in an aeroplane or two...

 

 

[Methusala]

G'day All, X country in a Thruster is not really a natural combination. We have done Temora (2.something hrs each way) but a little too long in the saddle. Thruster is a great aircraft for local flying and it will teach you all you need to know about flying. Great fun and built like the proverbial.... I think that the key to the "incident " the other dayn is that I usually carry a little power into the flair as insurance. This day I came in with lots of height in reserve and, with the gusty conditiouns was not conservative enough. We (hopefully), live and learn. Best regards, Don

 

 

[68volksy]

Slightly off-topic but have you thruster boys read a book called "Propellerhead" by Anthony Woodward? My instructor has a copy and lends it out to students. It's a very enteraining tale of the aviation adventures of a man and his learning to fly and then owning a thruster in the UK.

 

 

[robinsm]

Hey Methusala, you can take a thruster, or any rag and tube as far as you like if you have the time. Done plenty of 6hr plus cross countries in the Xair.

 

 

[Methusala]

Hey Robin, maybe an X-Air is more comfortable. Don't like going to Goulburn much - maybe you can come to our place sometime and I can see what flying in a Thruster with a training wheel is like? Regards, Don ( I have done a bit of touring in my VP-2, but it does have more room.)