​Mastering the Tailwheel Is the Ultimate Pilot Test

Of course, you want to fly tailwheel. Let’s be honest, the airplanes look cool—after all, the best piston-engine fighters in World War II had tailwheels, and they looked like they were doing a million miles per hour (conservative estimate) just parked on the ramp. And there’s the snob appeal—how many times can you hear that “you’re not a real pilot until you fly tailwheel” until you start to believe it? 

The thing is, after giving tailwheel instruction for more than 50 years and watching scores of pilots go from “I’m not sure where this thing’s going!” to the gigantic, irrepressible grin generated by a steep slip over a tree line to a feather-light touchdown on a grass field on a summer evening, I’ve not met a pilot who didn’t think the hard work of going through a tailwheel checkout wasn’t worth it. 

Getting Started

Not surprisingly, the FAA has something to say about flying tailwheels. FAR Part 61.31(i) sets out training requirements for a person to act as pilot in command (PIC) of a tailwheel airplane. As you might imagine, the pilot will have to demonstrate proficiency in normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings, wheel landings, and go-around procedures.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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There’s no check ride involved, as the pilot must demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency to a flight instructor (who defines what is acceptable) and receive a logbook endorsement. The FAR came about because pilots were wrecking tailwheel airplanes at a much higher rate than nosewheel birds. Even with the training requirement, the accident rate on landing is still two to three times higher for tailwheel airplanes than for those with a nosewheel. 

For planning purposes, budget for 10 hours of dual in the airplane, although you probably won’t need that much. It’s always nice to find that your budget was liberal. Some schools have flat-rate programs, although most will charge extra if you exceed a certain amount of training time. 

The biggest challenges of learning to fly tailwheel aircraft may be finding a facility that gives dual instruction. It may take some homework as schools that do are rare. 

• READ MORE: 10 Minor and Underappreciated Benefits of Tailwheel Aircraft
• READ MORE: Are Tricycle Gear Aircraft Easier to Fly Than Tailwheels?

The odds are good that you will have to travel for training. If that’s the case, do some research. What kind of aircraft is used? I’m partial to Cubs, Super Cubs, Champs, and the Citabria/Decathlon series. They have predictable ground handling, generally good over-the-nose visibility (except for the Cub), and reasonable operating costs.

If you intend to go into a higher-performance tailwheel airplane or warbird, I recommend doing initial training with the more modest performers. Low-powered tailwheel airplanes require finesse to solve problems on takeoff and landing (instead of brute power), something I strongly recommend developing and will serve you well in the long run. 

As with any type of flight training, doing it without interruption over the shortest time is the least-expensive method—you don’t spend so much time relearning after a layoff. Check out the flight school to make sure it can meet your training schedule.

Is there an airplane and instructor available for three to five days in a row, for two or three flights a day? Does it have a backup airplane if the trainer breaks? Can you stick with one instructor? Once you complete the training, can you rent the airplane and fly it solo? What training materials does it have for review prior to showing up? 

Recalibrating Your Brain

Moving from a nosewheel to tailwheel involves much more than learning some new control movements. It means a fundamental and visceral recalibration of your flying brain when it comes to takeoffs and landings.

The full physical and aerodynamic meaning of pilot operations when in an aircraft where the center of gravity is behind the main landing gear must be understood at a gut level. In a nosewheel one makes a turn on the ground by pressing the desired rudder pedal and holding it until time to stop the turn. The rudders are then returned to neutral, and the airplane straightens out because the center of gravity is ahead of the main landing gear. 

That’s absolutely not the case with a tailwheel airplane. Once you press a rudder to start a turn, the airplane is going to keep on turning until you apply the opposite rudder to stop it. That basic concept has to become part of a pilot’s soul. After all, think about how difficult it is to push a shopping cart backward. 

Programming your pilot brain for tailwheel starts with training aids to review before taking dual. A great resource is Patty Wagstaff’s video tailwheel training course offered by Sporty’s Pilot Shop (sportys.com). 

There are also several publications with tailwheel training materials, and I’ll shamelessly recommend the tailwheel sections in my own book: The Thinking Pilot’s Flight Manual Or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Vol. 1.

I really like total immersion when it comes to tailwheel training—not only setting the rest of the world aside while you train but going to schools that offer some of the newer training devices, such as a tailwheel simulator, virtual reality, and Redbird’s Xwind simulator. They help reduce the time and cost. 

What’s Involved in Training?

Wear comfortable, flexible shoes because you want to be able to feel the rudders and brakes. Training will start with some quality ground instruction about the aforementioned requirement that you stop every turn that you start. That will segue into explaining that you should decide what route you’re going to take any time you are moving on the ground and not tolerate any deviation whatsoever from that route.

If you’re taking off or landing and the route is to go straight down the center of the runway, it’s imperative that you not tolerate the nose wandering off that route by more than a degree. That’s because doing so means you’re not in control of the airplane and that it’s swerving—and once a swerve starts it’s going to get worse, especially when moving rapidly. 

Inattention, letting the nose move, say, 5 degrees off where you want it to be before you do anything about it is an invitation to an ever-increasing swerve into a ground loop. That’s an out-of-control swerve that tightens up into the airplane spinning around until it hits something, tips up on a wingtip or the nose, or runs out of energy. Especially when the airplane has lots of kinetic energy—it’s rolling fast—a swerve will snowball rapidly. 

The good news is that in almost every tailwheel airplane you have plenty of control authority to stop a swerve if you act without hesitation. I’ve watched it for half a century—nosewheel pilots tend to be complacent about the nose deviating a few degrees from the desired route when on the ground. That complacency isn’t tolerated by a tailwheel airplane—it will embarrass you in a hurry.

The next topic is learning deep down inside your flying brain that on approach to landing, extra speed is your enemy. You’re giving the airplane more energy, which is ammunition for it to wreck itself should a swerve start. That means flying on speed, 1.3 VSO plus no more than half the gust factor. The idea is to touch down with minimum energy for maximum control on rollout. Tailwheel landing accidents don’t happen when the airplane is on final. They happen after touchdown when the pilot fails to manage the residual energy and loses control after failing to stop a swerve when it starts. 

Once you’ve been suitably advised to be hyperalert any time the wheels are in contact with the ground, and you’ve reviewed the systems of the airplane, it will be time to fly. 

Taxiing and Flying 

You will spend some time just taxiing to start to get a feel for the airplane. In general, if the engine is running, the stick is held fully aft when on the ground unless there’s a strong tailwind. The idea is to pin the tailwheel for maximum steering effectiveness. 

You will also learn that aileron position when taxiing is much more important than in a nosewheel airplane due to the three-point attitude. When taxiing a tailwheel, the ailerons are your friends when properly positioned. On a calm day you can even make wide
radius turns using full aileron opposite to the direction you wish to turn. 

As a rule, if the wind is calm, it shouldn’t require any rudder deflection to taxi the airplane straight ahead. If it does, something is wrong, and it can bite you when the speed increases. If you must hold rudder while taxiing straight on a calm day, there’s a problem with the landing gear rigging, tire inflation, tailwheel mechanism, or tailwheel strut. Get it fixed before you fly.

You and your instructor will brief the takeoff, including elevator position, rate of throttle application, and keeping the nose straight. You will be surprised at how effective the rudder is once there’s airflow over the tail. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by how effective the controls are after your time flying nosewheel airplanes. 

In flight in most tailwheels, you will discover that they’ve got a great deal of adverse aileron yaw and require significant work with your feet to coordinate turns. You will need rudder when rolling into and out of turns, and it will be frustrating at first. The comment that “it flies just like a Cub” is not a compliment. Cubs have no wing dihedral, lots of adverse aileron yaw, and not great control harmony. It takes some skill to fly one well. However, you’re about to develop that skill—which, after some hard work, is going to make you quite happy with your accomplishment.

Three-Point Landings

After getting used to the airplane in flight, it’s time to start the challenging part—landings. 

You will start out with three-point landings. The idea is to touch down either on all three wheels simultaneously or with the tailwheel slightly before the mains—it’s OK because it’s built for it. The airplane may or may not be stalled during a three-point landing. It’s the landing that allows you to touch down with minimum energy and maximum control. The yoke/stick is full aft prior to touching the runway and stays there during rollout.

If there’s a crosswind, touchdown is with the tailwheel and upwind main gear, using the ailerons to hold the downwind wheel off the ground. It’s OK, the airplane will roll straight ahead. You will be using opposite rudder to prevent the airplane from weathervaning into the wind, plus the down aileron on the downwind side generates drag, which acts as additional rudder on that side, helping you keep the airplane straight during rollout. As you decelerate, you will increase aileron deflection until you hit the control stop.

That’s another part of learning to fly tailwheel. You will be putting at least one of the controls to the stop on every single landing— something you’ve rarely done in a nosewheel airplane. The airplanes you will be flying have very good aerodynamic controls, so it’s up to you to make use of them to make them go where you want them to go. 

Wheel Landings

Learning to make wheel landings means learning some control inputs that are contrary to all that you’ve learned in nosewheel airplanes. The airplane comes down final on speed, as you’ve done for years. You then flare enough to break the descent and hold the main gear an inch off the runway. You then relax the backpressure slightly, allow the mains to start to roll, and then further relax the backpressure so that the angle of attack is reduced to hold the airplane on the mains. 

As the airplane decelerates, forward pressure is applied to hold the pitch attitude until it slows to a speed you desire, and then the stick is brought smoothly aft to fly the tailwheel down to the runway and pin it for directional control. Generally, that’s done as soon as the speed is low enough that the airplane will not lift off when the tail is lowered. Keeping the tail high may invite a directional problem should there be a crosswind gust. In general, don’t apply the brakes until the tail is down and you have the stick fully aft. 

If you bounce a wheel landing, it’s essential to avoid the desire to shove the stick forward and plant the mains on the ground. That way introduces the strong possibility of pilot induced oscillation (PIO) and hitting the prop and/or a noseover. If you bounce a wheel landing, you may have enough energy to flare again and make a tail-low wheel landing or three-point landing. If you bounce a wheel landing a second time, you’re no longer making a wheel landing. You’re making either a three-point landing or going around, otherwise your risk of PIO goes through the roof. No later than on downwind, decide which type of landing you’re going to make and, if it’s a wheel landing, what you’re going to do if you bounce it.

Anytime the airplane is landed and held on the main gear, it’s a wheel landing, even if the tailwheel is just an inch off the runway. Wheel landings are rarely made with the airplane in a level flight attitude. That’s a good indication that the airplane is going way too fast. 

In general, landings in tailwheel airplanes occur with full flaps and the power at idle prior to touchdown. If you’re carrying power, you’re doing something wrong and touching down with more energy than needed, which can cause you grief during the rollout. The airplane has plenty of energy for the flare and landing, power off, with full flaps, out of an approach at 1.3 VSO. You just have to use the elevators to make the flare and touchdown take place before you run out of speed. That requires a degree of skill that should be mastered before trying crosswind landings. 

Specialized Operations

Short and soft field landings will be covered during training and, depending on the specific airplane, may be similar or greatly different from what you’re used to in a nosewheel airplane.

It may sound silly, but land into the wind if at all possible. If a crosswind is howling, there may be a taxiway into the wind that’s safer to land on—it’s not illegal—or it may be best to find somewhere else. As your training progresses, you’ll have a chance to get into the favorite argument among tailwheel pilots—which is better, three-point or wheel landings? The answer is: It depends. It depends on the type of airplane, the comfort level of the pilot, and their recent experience.

First, the POH rules. It may have specifics for landings under varying conditions. Do what it says. When in doubt, do a three-point landing to minimize energy on touchdown. Some airplanes, notably the Luscombe Sedan, can’t be three-pointed because of restricted elevator travel. Some airplanes can be three-pointed, but it’s challenging, and you better have your A-plug game—notably the Globe Swift, Beech 18, and DC-3. 

A wheel landing gives better visibility over the nose, something that may matter on the airplane you’re flying. Some pilots prefer them in crosswinds, although if a wheel landing in a crosswind is coupled with extra speed at touchdown, things can and do go badly wrong suddenly during rollout. 

If a swerve starts to develop into a ground loop and the track of the center of gravity of the airplane gets enough to the side to be outside of the main landing gear, applying a brake to try to stop the turn will only make it worse. The airplane is going around. If that happens, hold the stick/yoke full aft and stay off the brakes. The airplane will come to a stop. If you’re on the brakes, it will almost certainly tip up onto a wingtip, or the nose or flip over. If there’s any good news about ground loops, it’s that if everyone is strapped in and wearing a shoulder harness, injuries are rare. Embarrassment, however, is not. 

It’s going to be hard work at times, but the harder things to accomplish in life always give the greatest rewards when you master them. Besides, you’re going to greatly improve your stick-and-rudder skills and discover that tailwheel flying is so much fun that it’s probably illegal in certain jurisdictions. 

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TacAero: Tailwheel Training Specialists

I traveled to the Gillespie County Airport (T82) in historic Fredericksburg, Texas, where ScaleWings has partnered with tailwheel training specialist organization TacAero. SW-51 Mustangs coming to the U.S. are shipped to TacAero, where they’re assembled, flight tested, receive FAA approval, and the buyer goes through transition training.

My initial reaction was that TacAero had a pretty good gig doing nationwide support for ScaleWings—and that it must be a pretty sharp company to have been selected as the partner for the manufacturer. 

The moment I walked into TacAero’s pristine hangar I realized I had badly underestimated the company. Arranged around us I saw a brace of SW-51s, several models of CubCrafters Cubs, a GameBird GB1, a Piper Super Cub, and a WACO UPF-7. There was but one nosewheel aircraft, and that was only because it was a Super Cub on amphibious floats. It was obvious that TacAero is focused on teaching pilots to fly tailwheel aircraft and providing maintenance for new and vintage tailwheel airplanes. 

Besides ScaleWings, TacAero partners with CubCrafters to provide full support to owners of the manufacturer’s  extensive line of tailwheel airplanes, from initial transition training through annual recurrent training as well as maintenance. 

I spent some time talking with TacAero director Ian Waghorn, who walked me through the training that the company provides. Waghorn, also a CFI, explained that it organizes training into complete courses rather than charging by the hour for instruction. The intent is to turn out pilots who well exceed any FAA requirements for such things as a tailwheel endorsement. Each course dedicates a specific airplane to the student for the duration of the course and intermingles one-on-one ground and flight training to proficiency. As it says on its website, TacAero seeks to create elite pilots with the skills and judgement to operate their aircraft safely. 

The courses range from tailwheel training for the required endorsement to fly one as PIC through transition and recurrent training for buyers of CubCrafters and ScaleWings aircraft, aerobatic instruction, upset recovery training, spin training, vintage aircraft training, both initial and recurrent either in TacAero’s WACO or in a customer’s vintage bird. It also offers in-depth initial and advanced backcountry training. The one exception to its all-tailwheel, all-the-time training is for a floatplane rating in the Super Cub on amphibs. TacAero has such advanced training devices as a tailwheel simulator and virtual reality, both of which can reduce the time needed in the airplane. 

In keeping with an underlying spirit of adventure, the company also offers aerial expeditions at times. Past expeditions have been to the backcountry in the Lower 48 and Alaska as well as island hopping in the Bahamas. TacAero’s website has information on upcoming expeditions. 

Waghorn said TacAero’s instructors are highly experienced tailwheel pilots who like the passion the company and its customers bring to flying. I felt the passion and dedication in each of TacAero’s CFIs, including Ross Harwell, the CFI who flew with us in the SW-51 for a feature in FLYING’s February/Issue 967. 

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This feature first appeared in the August Issue 973 of the FLYING print edition.