Conventional Undercarriage
Hi Clintonb,
These days there is a certain amount of very poor tailwheel training on the market, so be careful whom you go to. For preference, go to a high hours career instructor. All too commonly, club instructors don't teach the wheeler landing technique and some don't even teach crosswind landing at all, which is SCANDALOUS.
Remember also that some tail-draggers are easier than others to taxi or land. The Tiger Moth and the Cub are easy, however the Auster for example was a bugger.
In a tricycle, you more or less drive to the runway hold and only really start flying once you have lined up for takeoff. Once landed and off the runway, you more or less drive back to the apron.
In a tail dragger you are flying the aeroplane from the moment you release the brakes to commence taxiing to the runway to the moment you shut the engine down after parking on the apron. While taxiing, you have to weave from side to side to see round the nose and know which way to hold the control column to avoid one wing lifting.
I did my PPL on tailwheel aircraft, (or conventional undercarriage as we called it in those days) in 1960 on Austers, when we were nearly all taildragger pilots. I was taught by a guy who had flown heavy, multi-engine tail draggers through much of WWII, and he taught both three point and wheeler (aka roller) landings and both crabbing and wing-down approaches. I suggest you regard these as a bosic requirement. In particular, I was taught to use wheeler landings always whenever landing cross wind.
When I returned to taildraggers in 2005, after a break of many years, I was taught only the wing-down approach and to use a two point, one wing down method of cross wind landing (which, incidentally I had never seen before). I soon found that this was adequate only for light to moderate cross winds. Using this technique in a wind that had grown probably a bit too strong while I was airborne, I had my first and only ever ground-loop.
I also strongly recommend that before training you first read 'The Compleat Taildragger Pilot' by H. S. Plourde and then you will know what you need and whether you are getting your money's worth.
Above all, go ahead and do it; it will sharpen up your flying skills.
Good luck!
BroomstickPilot.