First Taildragger Lesson
(Looks at Tiger_Moth hiding in the corner with bewildered expression...)
Poor old TM. Cheer up kid, just go out and fly, then you won't need to keep dreaming...
Anyway, I thought I'd just share my first experience of flying an aircraft with an engine, that's not a Cessna 152/172, and that has a tailwheel instead of a nosewheel. I have **bad** history of PIO landings in those Cessna things and just haven't been able to get the bit after the flare right. EVER!
Citabria. Ally spaceframe, covered in fabric and dope. I think the wings may be wood framed, also covered in fabric & dope. Lightweight, 150 hp engine. Manual flaps, not used in this first lesson. Fittings a bit rusty. Bits of peeling paint, hangar rash etc. Overall cute aircraft though.
Configuation is tandem, with stick in the middle and big widely spaced rudder pedals and throttle, trim and carb heat all on the left side. Minimal instruments. No gyros, just altimeter, rpm, p&t, compass. Basic radios, but ADF stickered INOP.
Taxiing is the first hard bit. Not much effect from rudder/'steerable' tailwheel. Had to use differential braking to avoid cars(!) on taxiway.
Runup was fine, but biggish 200 rpm drop on mag check. Sounds ok though, so we'll live with it. We do a fast taxi down the runway at about 1/4 power until the tail comes up, with some forward stick pressure. This is quite a sensation, and takes various permutations of rudder pressures to keep it straight. This behaviour at this point is making me think that this might not be such a great idea after all. About 1/2 way down the runway I ask for full power, then push the throttle steadily forward and we come off the ground nicely and crab into the slight crosswind.
Flying around, my impression is that this plane is just light years ahead of a 152/172. Roll response is great. It just loves being coordinated. Visibility is great. Flying turns with stick rudder and throttle feels really natural. The low windshield and big sidewindows allow you to reference the horizon for good attitude flying, and the lack of VSI, Artificial Horizon, HSI **force** you to reference the horizon for good attitude flying. In particular, steep turns with a crisp roll in, and pulling a little G is well cool. This plane is about 20x as much fun to fly as a 172.
After a bunch of flying around, in which the power-on stall was the only slight letdown, we head back for a few TnGs. First one is bouncy, bouncy. Second one is bouncy bouncy, power, bouncy bouncy. Third time is the charm however, and as I flare, my instructor says "Ok keep pulling back". I remember my glider flying and just gently pull the stick back at a speed just enough to keep the ground at the same position (i.e. below me). Then, as I run out of stick travel, the tailwheel just nudges the ground and we are smoothly rolling along the runway.
Simple as that !!
First good landing in the taildragger, and hopefully not the last.
Hope this post wasn't too long, and I promise I won't follow it with "How long to solo ?", "Where to rent Citabrias ?", "Do you like the Citabria ?", and "Which is the worst Citabria ?". Sorry TM.
Hope I've made one point though, which is that maybe the crappy visibility in the Cessnas, and having a yoke instead of a stick, takes something away from flying which might impede some people learning to fly.
FWIW, it's actually cheaper by a small margin for me to learn in this, rather than a 172. $94 / hour incl. instruction.