Sunday, April 19, 2009

Tailwheel Airplanes Keep You Humble

I went flying both yesterday and today. Yesterday was my first flight in two months; there was a good crosswind blowing. I made three acceptable landings at my home airport, which has a narrow runway.

Today, there was virtually no wind. I was too relaxed while landing, for I came as close to a groundloop as I probably can without wrapping the airplane up in a ball. I barely kept it on the runway.

The lesson from the airplane was clear: "Pay attention to me." You cannot get too full of yourself when you fly a tailwheel airplane, for it will show you the folly of pride in a way that a nosewheel airplane will not.

This is a Pitts Model 12 coming in for a landing. The engine is a Russian-made radial of anywhere from 360 to 400HP. To say it is a "hot airplane" is a mild understatement.

on or about

8 comments:

  1. Mark Rossmore4/19/2009 7:31 PM

    I recall the wise words of the guy who gave me my first lesson in a taildragger, a Citabria:

    "You don't stop flying a taildragger from the moment you untie the ropes until the moment you tie her back down again."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Phil4/19/2009 9:35 PM

    One thing I learned over and over during a 25-year truck driving career and a season of SCCA amateur racing is that you gotta pay unrelenting attention to WTF yer doin'. Obviously, that applies to airplane pilots, too. Glad you didn't C 'n' B.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Phil4/20/2009 12:15 AM

    The enclosed cockpit sez it all.

    Glad yer still walking and talking.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Comrade Misfit4/20/2009 7:18 AM

    Phil & BN, even if I had groundlooped it, probably the worst that would have happened would have been dinging a wing.

    I kept control. No harm, no foul, only my pride was injured, and it needed the whack. After nearly a thousand hours of tailwheel time, I should have known better.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sarah4/23/2009 7:21 PM

    So if I may ask, which tailwheel airplane is keeping you humble? I've learned in a trike, but have just started working on an endorsement using a "brand new cub", a Cubcrafters S2. Fun! Well, OK it's more like a brand new pa-11. It has a starter & flaps, but still likes to slip.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Comrade Misfit4/23/2009 7:27 PM

    Sara, one of these.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sarah4/23/2009 8:04 PM

    Ah, thanks. Nice looking airplanes, and rare these days. I've never been in one.

    I laughed at your '10s of AMU' comment, recognizing it immediately as Aviation Monetary Unit. To me, $1000 = 1 AMU. Did I guess right?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Comrade Misfit4/23/2009 8:12 PM

    Aviation Maintenance Unit, and yes, $1,000 = 1 AMU

    ReplyDelete

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