Originally Posted by
NazgulAir
big pistons -- yes, airwork for familiarization is necessary of course, the more so if the aircraft type is very different frm any flown before. What I meant is that the bulk of the time needed (presuming that you know how to handle the plane in the air, recognise and respond to stalls, etc.) is going to be spent learning to handle the plane on the ground, and practising take-offs and landings.
It never ceases to amaze me how much time some people need. Doing my PPL on a tailwheel aircraft may have been the single most trouble-saving decision of my flying life, in that I've never had any problem learning to land a new type of plane. The same basic principles are sound for any type, perhaps it's just that with a tailwheel trainer you can't mistake a wheelbarrow for a proper landing.
Congratulations on getting your PPL on a "real" airplane
. Since in Canada at least, almost nobody rents tailwheel aircraft for initial training it is now pretty rare to do a PPL on a tailwheel aircraft. I have done 2 PPL's on a Cessna 140 (both owned by the student) and other than taking a bit longer to solo they completed their training in the usual time but had significantly better hands and feet than your average PPL
One of the hazards of upgrade training is to presume skills that do not exist. The farther away the insrtructor is from ab inito training the harder it is to remember that what to the instructor is automatic and unconsious skills may not be robust enough in the student
Every pilot I have done a tailwheel conversion for. has had weaknesses in one or more of the fundamental skills, poor use of the rudder, poor attitude control on final resulting in the nose nodding up and down, and not keeping the aircraft in trim are the three most common. Therefore I am a big believer in reviewing the essential Ex 5 to 12 skills in the practice area before getting to the ciruit, it is money well spent in my experience