Cat Driver,. .. .You're right, tailwheel conversions are not hard. But they must be done properly.. .. .When I was taught to fly tailwheel, I was shown how to do a 3-point landing. Then I was sent on my merry way, quite happy that I was now converted.. .. .I turned up at a flying school in America, wanting to rent their Super Cub. I already knew that they'd need me to learn wheel-landings for their check-out - I thought this would take an hour or two at most. After all, I already knew how to fly a taildragger.. .. .Six hours later, I finally got signed off. And I am forever greatful to all the guys who patiently sat behind me in the Super Cub, teaching my how to slip, fast-taxy, dutch-roll and all the other skills you need to
really fly a taildragger.. .. .Now, whenever I fly in any kind of real wind, especially gusty cross-winds, I look back on the times when I was worried about flying a Cub in 10kt winds straight down the runway. Part of it is more experience, but most of the difference is that I hadn't been taught how to fly a taildragger properly - and I'm sure it would have only been a matter of time before my first groundloop had I not had the training every taildragger pilot owes himself.. .. .Rusty, don't go anywhere if they won't teach you wheel-landings - one day you'll get caught out by unforecast winds, and you'll need those wheel-landings. And if anyone thinks they can get you checked out in 5 hours or less, they're probably not going to do it properly. It took me longer than that, even after I thought I was already checked out!. .. .As Cat Driver says, it's not hard. But it must be done properly.. .. .(Of course, once you're properly checked out, there are few things in aviation that are as satisfying as stomping on the right rudder, using left aileron to do a slipping turn from downwind onto final, rolling out on final about 50' above the ground, switching the slip to the other side for the strong crosswind - and landing perfectly on the right-main. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> ). .. .FFF. .--------