Originally Posted by
Checkboard
It is absoultely true that tailwheel skills make a better pilot. It is also true that those skills are harder to acquire, so you might take a bit longer to solo (i.e. you'll spend more money).
Most people learn on nosewheel aircraft, and once they have the licence, decide if they want to spend the extra on the tailwheel.
Aerobatics, Historical aircraft, Glider towing, Crop dusting, some Bush flying all use tailwheel. Are you going to be doing any of that in your forseeable future?
If you start from scratch on a tailwheel you will acquire the awareness , skills. The reflex will get ingrained early on without you even noticing, right away. You should be able to solo in the same time frame as with a nosewheel.
But if you start on a nosewheel then you will likely be in much more trouble switching over, as you need to get rid of the bad habit of not using the rudder other than to apply a gentle touch to compensate for yaw on takeoff, this will take a very very long time and frustrate you along the way.
Basic taildraggers as a piper cub should be available at a very reasonable cost. I strongly suggest to go the taildragger way, as you will learn to control and feel the airplane.
Nosewheel pilots develop grotesque flying habits, especially at landing. This is not to say that you cannot learn correctly on a nosewheel, But a lot of instructors today are deficient in this respects as nobody has taught them how.