The Taildragger Checkout
By Gordon R. Reilly

There seems to be quite a bit of commentary of late, regarding obtaining a taildragger checkout, and the FAA required tailwheel log book endorsement. It seems the hardest thing these days is to find a qualified instructor, and a tailwheel airplane that is properly insured for pilot instruction. The hardships of finding a willing instructor, and access to a suitable airplane aside, the actual tailwheel checkout is not as difficult as you may have been lead to believe.

Most of the epic tales bantered around the pilots lounge with regard to taildragger flying, are usually more embellishment than based on material fact. Oh yes, a taildragger will bite the unwary and terrify the ill prepared. However, there are a few simple rules to flying and landing any airplane, once followed with consistency and due diligence, will make takeoffs and landings with the training wheel on the back end of the airplane, a real treat.

1) A good approach makes for a good landing, and the three most important control elements of a good approach are; air speed, air speed, and air speed. Manage that air speed properly, and to the published numbers for your aircraft, and the day will be yours. For all single engine airplanes and light twins, in landing configuration, pitch controls air speed, and power controls the rate of decent. These are absolutes, and any comments, theories, writings, explanations, publications, boasting, or arguments to the contrary are to be held highly suspect. To maintain proper glide path, if you change power setting, you will probably need to adjust the pitch, however, the relationships are always the same, Piper J-3 Cub to Beechcraft King Air. Add flaps and you need to anticipate the required change in pitch to maintain proper air speed.

2) The approach track and centerline of the airplane must be aligned with the intended direction of landing. This is most critical at the point of contact with the runway or with the grass, wet or otherwise. Side drift is very hard on landing gear assemblies. No, no, and never is this acceptable! Side loads which merely cause a tricycle aircraft, and the instructor, to shudder and shake, will provide some interesting hanger discussions if allowed to continue when landing a tailwheel airplane. The only acceptable method is to side slip the airplane sufficient to counter the sideways drift. Anything else is just luck, and a lucky landing is not acceptable in a taildragger.

3) In all airplanes, under all circumstances, the main gear, one wheel or both, should contact the runway first. Occasionally, the tail wheel will touch just before the mains in a full stall short field landing, and this is generally acceptable. However, never, never, never, should the nose wheel of a tricycle gear airplane contact the runway first. The nose wheel should not even touch coincident with the mains. Hold the stick or yoke back in your lap and let the nose drop to a level position as the airplane slows. If your practice is to do otherwise, enjoy driving your tricycle gear wonder bus to a regular arrival, but don't try landing a taildragger!

4) On a bounce, or balloon just above touch down, hold the stick firm, and re-flare the airplane as required. Add a little power if necessary to ease it down when settling back to the runway. Make a go-a-round if you must, but, never go forward on the stick to aid the landing recovery. You get about three pilot induced oscillations in a taildragger before the insurance company scraps out the wreck.

5) Use your feet to keep the airplane straight, and fly it all the way to the tie-downs. Dead feet will hurt your whole body all over. Never attempt to "drive" the airplane straight with stick or yoke; use that rudder. The adverse yaw caused by the increased drag on a lowered aileron will make directional control much more difficult. Trying to steer the airplane with stick or yoke, particularly a taildragger, will only add to the excitement of the gathering crowds. Lusty spectators, assembled for the sole purpose of watching your tenth attempted cross wind landing end in a well defined ground loop; pure poetry in motion.

Follow these few simple rules and a tailwheel checkout will be easy, taking about three to four hours at the most. The experience will be a lot of fun for both you and your instructor, and a real enhancement to your flying skills. Try doing something different, follow your own rules, and you to can add some war stories to the hanger discussions, and in so doing, further the mistique and mystery of "taming the taildragger."