Tail dragger

[riseagainst]

Hi there,
Currently living in New Zealand, anybody know of somebody/operator that you can get tail dragger ratings from?

[Konev]

balclutha aeroclub has a supercub i think.

Wakatipu aeroclub has a Citabria.

[Fark'n'ell]

Marlborough Aero Club has a super cub.
There is a cub in Nelson also but finding an instructor in NS who is rated in one may be a problem.

[Corkey McFuz]

Marlborough Aero Club has a super cub.
There is a cub in Nelson also but finding an instructor in NS who is rated in one may be a problem.

Get him in the Coyote then Fark, nice and cheap :ok:

Might have to re learn the landing technique on something else though, duno how that "drive it into the ground" style would go on too many other aircraft types :bored: Bloody thing

[riseagainst]

Nelson might be alright, sure ill be flying down there at some stage, currently living west coast north island, emailed around a few places, hopefully something turns up:ok:

[Corkey McFuz]

What do you want it for ? What aircraft type ? In NZ there is no "tail dragger rating" as such like the ozzys have a taildragger endoursment. Its just a type rating in individual aircraft. There are several places/people around that could do it in various locations... Mainly in Cubs.

[SystemsAreGo]

Wombat in the Citabria out of Ardmore. A taildragger instructor who knows what's what. PM me for his contact..

[slackie]

Waikato Aeroclub have a C170 and C180 on line...mind you haven't seen the C170 for a while??

[SystemsAreGo]

Yes ZK-JFG is a nice C180 online at Waikato eh Slackie. But is it a good first taildragger? I heard the C180's bounce frequency is the same as the human reflex ;)

[Fark'n'ell]

Get him in the Coyote then Fark, nice and cheap

Might have to re learn the landing technique on something else though, dunno how that "drive it into the ground" style would go on too many other aircraft types Bloody thing

Corkey
Thought about that but if it got broken I would fix the fecking thing.As for the landing technique,piece of p*ss mate.It is just a wheeler which you will learn in any taildragger.Easiest plane in the world to land.Check your PM Corkey:ok:

[riseagainst]

Mainly a bit of fun and also hoping to score some hours glider towing, they have a wilga but before you fly with them they want a little bit of prior "taildragger" flying.
Made an inquiry with ace aviation in Masterton, spoke to them about what aircraft they have to offer and he said that he would recommend flying there Piper Pacer and quoted $190 an hour and that i would need about 5hours flying, maybe less maybe more.

[Fark'n'ell]

riseagainst

So long you know what the pedals are for it shouldn't take more than an hour and a half.:ok:

[Shredder6]

Could also try Taupo Air Services, in Taupo. They have a pregnant (Super) Cub, probly a bit less than $190 an hour - jeeze!! May have access to C180 as well.

CFI a top tail-wheel man!

[Sharpie]

Sheet man. wheelies in a taildragger. What is it an airline DC3?
When I learnt, you stalled-in the tiger, cub, 170,180 or 185. Non of this pansy stuff. :ok:

[Horatio Leafblower]

G'day Sharpie

in my observation that well-known pansy and Ag pilot, Col Pay, very rarely 3-pointed his 185s (or his 802s, Mustang, Kittyhawk or Spitfire!) :ok: :}

Maybe he was going soft in his dotage :uhoh:

[toolowtoofast]

Waikato Aeroclub have a C170 and C180 on line...mind you haven't seen the C170 for a while??

it's having a special polish in Central Aero's hangar.....

[NZFlyingKiwi]

Another possibility if you're in Auckland:

http://supercub.co.nz/html/

[kestrel539]

Theres a Super Cub at Kapiti Aero Club, also a gliding club ( Wellington )
on the same airfield. I think the cub is about $170ph.Did my BFR in it to get NZ PPL endorsment on my UK PPL
( Just coming to the end of summer instructing and tugging at the gliding club)

[zkcub]

Gday,
Not really close to you but I got a 100hp flapless cub at Rangiora available for $150 per hour.

[Sharpie]

Sorry,

Not calling Pay a pansy, but I did relish 3 pointing the DC3 on many occasion. Great to feel that slight shudder as all gumies touching at the same time.:ok:

[dh.dude]

Horatio,

I was taught when doing my tail wheel endo that there is a time and a place for both types. On the one hand, a 3 pointer is good for reducing tyre wear and for reducing the landing role, however a wheeler is better for direction control (if I remember correctly). At any rate, I was taught the 3 point method first, and told off if I attempted wheelers instead!:ok:

Dude.

[Arnold E]

I have had both an RV6 and a C150 taildragger. I have also flown other taildraggers ofcourse. What I have found is that some lend themselves to wheeler landings (the RV6) and other aircraft lend themselves to 3 point landings. I found the RV6 very easy to land on its wheels and somewhat less easy to 3 point and the C150 exactly the opposite. Still other aircraft (Decathalon / citabria/ pawnee) didnt appear, to me, to be easier one way or the other. So it would appear to me that you tend to support whichever method you are adopting at the time, depending on the aircraft you are flying at the time. I would be interested in comments from high time taildragger pilots on this theory, since I have only about 200Hrs on taildraggers :confused:

[pw1340]

Arnold E,

The 3 pt v wheeler arguement is as old and black & white as the Cessna v Piper arguement.

Those that wheel it on swear by it and will argue all day about the advantages of it (me included, 4000+ hrs TW up to 100 landings in a day). Those other type of TW pilots, they just perform a semi controlled crash at low speed at the end of every flight ( just kidding:ok:), but will argue all day about the advantages of their method. Stangely there seems to be no middle ground.

While it is true that some aircraft lend themselves more one method than the other (they tell me that wheeling a Pitts isn't a real option) at the end of the day its what works for you that matters.

Cheers,

PW

[djpil]

they tell me that wheeling a Pitts isn't a real optionI always 3 point the Pitts but I've seen one or two people wheel it on nicely. I've also been criticised by Alan Cassidy (http://www.worldaerobatics.com/Freestyle/Alan.htm)who recommends wheelers every time.

[NZ Cub Driver]

Hi there,

If you are after a tail wheel rating, I can give you one at South Canterbury Aeroclub in Timaru. We have a 160hp Supercub, most students take around 5 hours to get the rating, depending on how you go it may be less. The cub is $183 dual an hour. I have alot of experience in tail wheel aircraft ranging from microlights to piper cubs and Pawnees. Give us a call if your keen

[SystemsAreGo]

Quote:
they tell me that wheeling a Pitts isn't a real option

I always 3 point the Pitts but I've seen one or two people wheel it on nicely. I've also been criticised by Alan Cassidy who recommends wheelers every time.

Sure you can wheel a pitts on nicely, but if you have a bounce (pilot or runway induced) you have very little prop clearance.

From what I have learnt, a wheeler is more manageable in a crosswind due to its better rudder authority and improved visibility.

[tinpis]

Gawd, if you have to THINK about what sort of landing your'e going to do, you aint there yet.

(Tee Pee, Baritone, Greek chorus)

[cutter2]

Waikato Aero Club operates nice C180 & classic C170. CFI has good tail wheel experence, taught by the old ag boys, looks like knows what to do with tail draggers.:ok:

[Kiwi172]

PM me if you want to do your taildragger rating in a Tiger Moth

[c100driver]

The problem with "good old ag boys" is that they alway landed empty.

[ZEEBEE]

Interesting comments.

If I flare a bit low, then the landing is a wheeler, oth if the flare is a bit high it turns out to be a three pointer.

I know one should be in better control, but most of us have the luxury of taking it as it comes.

I always used to three point for short-fielders until I saw an Ag pilot in a 185 wheel it on and stop in 50 meters. (yes, I guess it was empty)

[Chimbu chuckles]

There should never really be a discussion along the lines of 3 point OR wheeler.

How about whatever is the most suitable given the specific aircraft - some aircraft display a very real preference, airstrip surface, weather conditions and load.

In the last month I have flown C185, C195 and Boeing Stearman...I did 3 pointers, wheelers and tail low wheelers depending on what was appropriate to the situation.

I virtually never wheel land on rough bush strips and I rarely 3 point on long sealed strips...but I can do either.

[Joker 10]

There is a great little book written by Richard Bach of Jonathon Livingstone Seagul Fame "The Cannibal Queen" about a trip across the U.S. with his son in a Stearman.

Why "The Cannibal Queen" because if you get complacent and relax your stadards she will bite you on the Ar*e.

When ever I get into a tail dragger I just remember they are potentially all "Cannibal Queens".

[Propstop]

Ahhh! ZK-JFG brings back fond memories as it was my second taildragger endorsement after a Cub ZK-BQS which was a lovely aircraft. The 180 was a lot more brutal and constantly reminded me too.
If ever one needs their flying skills sharpened a taildragger or helicopter is just the thing.