Fox's Fast and Easy Tail Wheel Endorsement

Tail Wheel Training day 1

CoronaVirus Protocol

Ground Training 1: We will sit down at our runway mock up with a Citabria model and talk about the forces effecting you as a tail wheel pilot such as slipstream affect, P-Factor, gyroscopic forces and crosswinds. Some discussion items will be utilization of the brakes, and causes of some tail wheel incidents.

Flight Training 1: After our safety brief and preflight, we will have you fly from the front cockpit. All you will need to do is work on taxi, smooth brakes, takeoff, constant rate climbs and flight out to the area. In the practice area, we work on dutch roll drills, steep turns, stalls, and maybe falling leaf stalls. These maneuvers are critical to learning how to manage the rudder smoothly. We fly back, enter the pattern and introduce 3 point landings. We will demo/do full slips and turning slips. If you master the 3 point landing, we will introduce the wheel landing.

Tail Wheel Training day 2

Ground: Reviewing the proper 3 point landing techniques and aerodynamic forces is important to review every day in the beginning. Visualizing a good landing will be integral to you developing intuitive and natural landing skills. Flying with a control stick may feel a little different for some folks. We will introduce the Wheel Landing techniques, the why’s and the hows.

Flight Portion: After strapping in the front of the Citabria agiain, we will get aircraft started, work on smooth brake usage, control stick wind controls and basic taxi, takeoff and go right to pattern work. The instructor will demonstrate a wheel landing, and they you can get to work duplicating the techniques and learning the site picture and feel. We will practice full slips and turning slips to help you integrate them into your tail dragger skills tool box. As you get some experience with these landing techniques we can practice power-off landings, wheel landings and 3-point landings until you are comfortable.

Tail Wheel Training day 3

Ground: We will focus on any weaker areas and review all the forces at work on the aircraft, you will be able to relate better after two days of experiencing them.

Flight Portion: You will get aircraft started, do your checklists, taxi, takeoff and go right to pattern work. The instructor will try to not do any instruction for the first few landings, getting a feel with how you are progressing with wheel landing and 3 point landings. By this time, you will have seen all of the techniques for the tail wheel endorsement and we can just practice until you are comfortable in all tail wheel skills.

What is my Tail Wheel Training going to entail?

Tail Wheel Training day 1

CoronaVirus Protocol

Ground Training 1: We will sit down at our runway mock up with a biplane model and talk about the forces effecting you as a tail wheel pilot such as slipstream affect, P-Factor, gyroscopic forces and crosswinds. Some discussion items will be utilization of the heel brakes, and causes of some tail wheel incidents.

Flight Training 1: After our safety brief and putting on flight gear, we will have you strap in the front cockpit. All you will need to do is work on taxi, s-turns, takeoff, constant rate climbs and flight out to the area. In the practice area, we work on dutch roll drills, steep turns, stalls, and maybe falling leaf stalls. These maneuvers are critical to learning how to manage the rudder smoothly. We fly back, enter the pattern and introduce 3 point landings. We will demo/do full slips and turning slips. If you master the 3 point landing, we will introduce the wheel landing.

The Heel Brakes are great for training. You won’t accidentally hit the brakes while you are landing.

When ready to apply brakes, you can angle your feet inward at the heal and still use the rudders.

Tail Wheel Training day 2

Ground: Reviewing the proper 3 point landing techniques and aerodynamic forces is important to review every day in the beginning. Visualizing a good landing will be integral to you developing intuitive and natural landing skills. Flying with a control stick may feel a little different for some folks. We will introduce the Wheel Landing techniques, the why’s and the hows.

Flight Portion: After strapping in the front seat again, we will get aircraft started, practice heel brakes usage, s-turns and taxi, takeoff and go right to pattern work. The instructor will demonstrate a wheel landing, and they you can get to work duplicating the techniques and learning the site picture and feel. We will practice full slips and turning slips to help you integrate them into your tail dragger skills tool box. As you get some experience with these landing techniques we can practice power-off landings, wheel landings and 3-point landings until you are comfortable.

Tail Wheel Training day 3

The back seat is so much fun! You will enjoy flight and landings in a way that was previously just a dream.

Ground: We will talk about starting techniques, radio comms, checklist usage and backseat landing techniques that are a little different from the front seat. The toughest part of this is learning the ‘hot start’ and just getting comfortable in the back seat.

Flight Portion: After strapping in the BACK SEAT, you will get aircraft started, do your checklists, s-turns and taxi, takeoff and go right to pattern work. The instructor will demonstrate the landings from the front seat, including wheel landing and 3 point landings. You will quickly get used to the new sight picture and using your peripheral vision to enhance your landings. By this time, you will have seen all of the techniques for the tail wheel endorsement and we can just practice until you are comfortable in all tail wheel skills.