WIX Archives

Warnings...

Posted by bdk on Tue Apr 13, 2004 03:12:46 PM

In reply top Re: Expecting problems? ;-) n/t posted by Olivier Lacombe on Tue Apr 13, 2004 01:31:01 PM

In general, don't believe anything anyone says about taildraggers. I was told to watch out for my Luscombe because "they'll groundloop on you eventually" and all other manner of warnings. I was told the same about my Stearman. Any competent pilot with decent training should have no problem. That's not to say I never had a close call, but my training gave me the skills to recover.

You are in control as PIC, and you need to know your limitations and comfort zone. I refused the first offer to solo my Luscombe (first taildragger) because I didn't feel ready. That wasn't very swashbuckling of me, but I felt ready after the next lesson and soloed safely.

I didn't need a lick of dual to LEGALLY solo my Stearman, but I took about 4 hours of dual instruction with a competent Stearman instructor anyhow. Many aircraft have idiosynchrasies, and that's why the instructor is there to help. A Luscombe is not a good trainer for a Stearman, nor is a Stearman a good trainer for a Luscombe- even though the performance envelope is nearly identical. As a low time pilot, I wasn't ready to make the transition without some help.

Next was a Cessna 195. That was a whole new ballgame again... Where the Luscombe had a strong rudder and a burst of power could save you from any Stearman problem, the 195 was sluggish, with poor acceleration, and overpowering brakes (mine had Clevelands). I was current in a number of light taildraggers at the time, but I still took a couple flights with an instructor until I was comfortable.

When I get my T-6 flying, I'll use the same approach to transition into that. It's not wartime (at least not at the airport where I fly), I'm in no particular hurry, I have nothing to prove to anyone (including myself), and these older aircraft are few and far between. Flight instruction is cheap insurance.



: It's not like it's intimidating me, the R22 I also fly int
: imidates me more!
:
: It was just the combination of the tail wheel and the turb
: o engine that put me out on my first flight.

Follow Ups: