Good tailwheel book?

[Okavango]

I will shortly be doing tailwheel differences training - is there a good book to be recommended (or is one needed?) Was looking at:

Conventional Gear: Flying a Taildragger (Focus Series) (Paperback)

by David Robson (Author)

[mmbengt]

Chapter 13 in Airplane Flying Handbook from FAA is not too bad, and free on the net!

http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/airplane_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-3a-6of7.pdf

/Bengt

[eharding]

I will shortly be doing tailwheel differences training - is there a good book to be recommended (or is one needed?) Was looking at:

Conventional Gear: Flying a Taildragger (Focus Series) (Paperback)

by David Robson (Author)

I do have a copy of "Three Points: Flying a Tailwheel Aircraft" by David Robson - no idea if your reference is a different book, or just the same book in a different cover.

To be honest, it has a few interesting tales of the more fruity taildraggers you will probably never, ever get to fly - if someone just happens to ask you to ferry a Hawker Sea Fury somewhere, then the tip about the canopy might save your life - but the key factor in your tailwheel conversion will be your instructor.

It's a bit like buying a book on 'Two Points: How to ride a bicycle".

Operating bicycles and taildraggers have a common theme: it isn't the riding or flying that is the problem - it's the starting and stopping that causes all of the excitement, and for that you need a responsible adult present until you've got the knack of it to prevent grazed knees and shock-loaded engines.

[18greens]

Dunno about Robson but Plourde was always the book I recommended. Very Very good.

['Chuffer' Dandridge]

Have a read of:

"The Compleat Taildragger Pilot" by Harvey.S.Plourde....

read it, go fly and you'll never look back (unless you groundloop of course):ok:

[False Capture]

The Robson book(s) is padded out with too much generic niff-naff. Plourde's Compleat Taildragger Pilot is far too complicated for someone embarking on a differences course. Chapter 6 in Alan Bramson's Make Better Landings is all you need - concise, interesting and full of practical advice.

[djpil]

I agree, the FAA book is a good thing to read. Even without that your instructor's briefing should cover everything that is needed.

See also www.taildraggers.com - Documentation (http://www.taildraggers.com/Documentation.aspx)

If you want to buy a book to read then that is good too. I like Dave Robson's style - he is a nice guy too. Basically the same book with different titles, for different parts of the world - I have both in front of me now.

[stevelup]

That link is excellent - thanks for posting it

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

A book? For tailwheel? Why?

[n5296s]

A book? For tailwheel? Why?
To put on the seat so you can see over the cowling...?