Mad Jock when checking out licensed pilots who have not flown tail wheel airplanes before I first teach them to handle it on the ground before we fly the thing.
In this order.
( 1) Normal taxiing.
( 2 ) Loss of directional control during taxiing by use of brake to start a ground loop at a speed that is safe. ( In an area with plenty of manouvering room such as a paved apron. )
( 3 ) High speed runs down the runway with the tail in the air.
( 4 ) High speed runs down the runway with the tail in the air S turning from one side of the center line to the other.
When the student has mastered these tasks including using the throttle I then take them flying.
The flying exercises are.
( 1 ) Normal take off and three point landings.
( 2 ) Normal take off and wheel landings.
( 3 ) X/wind landings both three point and wheel landings with the main focus on wheel landings.
I also find it very important to teach them how to flare and touch down by verbally calling the height above ground starting at fifty feet.
50 feet
40 feet
30 feet
25 feet
20 feet
15 feet
10 feet
9 /8 / 7/ 6/ 5/ 4/ 3 /2 /1 / 0.
I try and keep things simple and concentrate on the issues that produce confident, competent pilots.
Generally I can go home after teaching them how to actually fly the airplane knowing they were well indoctrinated in all the alphabet soup stuff by the system long before I got them.
Therefore by focusing on how to actually fly the airplane I feel I have made real pilots out of them.
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It is frightening how many licensed pilots really do not know how high they are off the runway from fifty feet down, by verbally calling their height and a ensuring they are looking in the correct place to judge height both before the flare and after the flare they learn what the picture should look like as they close with the runway. Once they get this burnt into their brain landings are far easier and more controlled...rather than the arrivals most of them were satisfied with..