Hi all,
Yet another thread on tailwheel aircraft and gliding (I was hoping to just add to another thread but they all seem to be closed).
I'm keen on approaching the local gliding club and asking if they'll take me on as a tow pilot. I'm not sure if they'll be interested in a 100 hr PPL pilot, but I guess there's no harm in trying.
Anyway, they use a C180 as their tow aircraft (an aircraft type that I'd love to fly). What would be the best aircraft to do a tailwheel endorsement in, that would set me up in good stead to fly the 180? At this stage I'm trying to arm myself with some info so I know how to go about getting the endorsement if they'll take me on.
Below are a few quotes out of the GFA Aerotow Manual 2006 that got me wondering what the most suitable aircraft to do the endorsement in would be:
Alternatively, new pilots considering glider-towing as another string to their bow are strongly recommended to join the Australian Ultralight Federation
(AUF) and do some flying at one of their schools in one of the more demanding taildragger machines such as the Lightwing or Skyfox, as these are likely to have flying characteristics (but not the mass) closer to the type of aircraft they will be using to tow gliders. Experience has shown that the best tug pilots are light aircraft pilots with a strong VFR background in aircraft which are quite demanding to fly, such as Austers, Cessna 180s and the ultralights mentioned above.
I asked one of my local instructors about the ultralight path, and he said it would be a waste of time as to fly the 180, I'd need a GA tailwheel endorsement, and ultralights wouldn't count towards said endorsement as they wouldn't be GA registered.
Another statement in the Aerotow Manual regarding tailwheel experience:
...gliding clubs should beware of pilots who have learned to fly on tricycle-gear aircraft, then do a minimal conversion to an easy-to-fly taildragger like a Citabria and appear at a gliding club wanting to start a towing conversion. If such pilots have a strong gliding background, they are usually not a problem, gliders needing good hands-on skill to operate safely and many of them being of taildragger design. If they have no gliding background and only a minimal taildragger conversion, they need to be watched very carefully.
Obviously I'm in the 'tricycle gear-minimal conversion' category, and I'd expect nothing less than being watched carefully as a newbie, but is learning in a Citabria really that counter-productive?
I'm interested to hear any comments or advice regarding the above statements form the GFA Aerotow Manual, and about the most suitable aircraft to do the tailwheel endorsement in. Also, I'm in the Newcastle area, so I'd like to hear what schools are around that people recommend.
I did consider doing the entire endorsement in a 180, but I'm not sure if there are any around the local area that you can train on, and the prices might be a bit steep for me.