Is tailwheel time an advantage?
 

As I will shortly be looking to secure my first job in GA, I am interested to see if tailwheel time wil be an advantage for a 150hr brand new commercial pilot. I have been seriously considering getting an endorsement in a C152 texas taildragger or a C185... Would my money be better spent on another type?

Only if you want to fly one o'them airplane thingies with a little wheel on its ass !!!!

R:cool:

taildragging time could help you get a job in WA doing firespotting for the season... heard its not a bad gig! recently advertised actually.

...disco

Might I suggest that

(a) a basic endorsement is a moot point although, if you do it on an interesting aircraft (eg SuperCub or similar), it will open your eyes to a whole different ball game on the ground ...

(b) if you can then get some decent taildragger time there is much value to be had .. for instance, I did around 400 plus hours towing and learnt more from that than a whole bunch of other flying ..

Tailwheel time might not help you as much but going for a few burns in a 185 will, close to handling a 206 and there is a lot of float 180's and 185's out there so that could be an advantage. If what you are doing is to primarily to get you a job I would spend my money elsewhere, like doing some hours on a 206 or 210. Have Fun JB

Ah, the joys of a conventional undercarriage. Do it.

As JT points out you will achieve a whole new understanding of ground handling, even taxiing in a strong cross wind or quartering wind requires ‘flying’ the aircraft. Control of the aircraft during take-off and landing is also a skill few tricycle pilots develop. Your crosswind take-off and landing technique will be superior.

A C185 on floats … an injustice to a damn fine aeroplane!

C152 Texas Taildragger
 

KaBoing.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!. ....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBo ing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.... .KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing!.....KaBoing !

BC:cool:

You have never learnt to really control an aircraft fully until you have mastered a taildragger. You will learn that rudder pedals are not foot rests... and indeed as dragchute said, you "fly" the aircraft until it is shut down and chocked.:)

tail wheel time
 

a tail wheel endorsement will teach you how to "control" an aeroplane on and close to the ground, it will teach you how to use your feet, it will force you to be competent in cross winds <=> if this makes you a better prospect for a future employer...why not just go for it and have a bit of fun along the way
:D
NNB

Concur with all above - it will teach you how to fly. For a first job, however, knowledge of and experience on a C210 would, on average, help to get a foot in the door at more operators.

Your instructor and flying school have a lot to answer for though - why did they not suggest you do a tailwheel endo as part of your CPL training counting towards the 70 hours dual? Have they said it now to fleece more $$ out of you?

Compressor

I havn't actually finished yet, but i do know what you mean. I am sure there a re a lot of operators out there who would pull those sort of shenanigans all the time. Fortunately for me, i've found an instructor and school I can trust -SHOCK HORROR- I just thought I would explore the possibilities, as I have access to tailgtraggers both privately and through my flying school. Cheers for looking out for the little man!

Guys, gotta say tht it all sounds like it is going to be an advantage for the long term, but may be a bit of a hinderance as far as getting an entry level job, ie, no 206, 210 time.

I am interested in more info about this firespotting game that goes on over in WA. What type of machines do they use, and who are the best people I can get in contact with so I can start sending out a few resumes?

Cheers again for all your help. You have helped restore my faith in PPrune!:ok:

When you kaboing...kaboing....
make sure you kaboing ....kaboing ....straight, unless you're practising in a 3000acre paddock with nothing to hit.
Miles

Miles Long,
Even in a 3000acre paddock there is the ground to hit and it could be quite nasty for the wingtip/prop if there is a competition involving the two as the tail rapidly tries to overtake the nose!:{

Cheers
CB

I fly T/W for a living. Practicality would indicate that you should get some experience in a C210 or C206 or even C182, as that will be what you most likely be flying in your early career.

If you want to learn about ground handling and X-winds etc, then by all means, do your T/W endorsement. You won't regret it.

Don't expect to be able to get into the bigger T/W machines after doing an endorsement in a Citabtria, well not straight away. They are different altogether.

PM me if you want some contacts for advanced T/W training.

regards,
185.

And where might one find out about doing this e.g company/contact info ? Wouldn't mind doing that, sound like fun. Cheers

AGS99.

At your experience level of 150 hrs ANYTHING you do will be an advantage.:ok:

I know this was a while ago, and things have changed somewhat, but I would hate to think how my life and career would be different without being tailwheel qualified early on.

When I was learning to fly in C152s at YSBK in the early 80s my only short term goal was finding an aeroplane that had a stick, inverted fuel/oil system, a tailwheel, preferably tandem seating...and turning it upside down.:}

When Rex got VH-DEC on line my prayers were answered...a Super Decathlon. The instant I had my RPPL (GFPT equivalent) I eshewed nav training and got my TW endorsement in it...and proceeded to 'waste' vaste resources 'playing at Walter Mitty' as my father put it.

I probably delayed the whole CPL licence thing by 6 mths ultimately because I could not really afford this 'sillyness'...but **** it was fun!!!!

I eventually got my CPL a few years later and an Instructors Rating, even did a little instructing in Decathlons. Went hunting for jobs, bare in mind this was the mid 80s now and jobs were few and far between, and eventually was given the number of a CP in PNG to ring. It was the CP of Talair, Wally Pendray, who couldn't give me a job because at 300+ hrs I didn't meet their minimums of 1000 hrs....BUT..."Do you have a tailwheel endorsement?" "Yessir..about 40hrs" "Do you have any ME time?" "Yessir..6hrs!"

"Ring this number, Chimbu Aviation, Terry Murray is looking for a pilot"

Weeks of phone conversations, where Terry was encouraging but non committal, led to the following conversation.

"Weeelll...I need to hire a pilot in the next 4 weeks"

"I will be there in 2" and I hung up on him before he could answer.

I bought a ticket, flew to PNG with no job offer and turned up on his door in the central highlands 10 days later.

2 days later I had my first real job flying a C185 at < 400hrs. 2 mths later I was endorsed on the company Islander...still didn't have 500 hrs when that happened. Terry actually got the company to pay an extra premium to the insurance company until I met the minimum experience requirements a few mths later.

A year later I joined Talair with 1100 hrs and 600+ Islander. In the meantime I had been CP of Chimbu Aviation myself and hired/trained two more pilots who averaged 400 hrs each upon starting.

Was the Instructor rating wasted?

Nope...got all sorts of training approvals over the years based on a basically unused (about 60 hrs of instructing) lapsed Grade 3.

My whole career and life, including the daughter I have now, is based on that TW endorsement.

Quite apart from the fact it taught me how to fly properly.

You may never use it in anger...but you might just be amazed too.

Thankyou Wally and thankyou Terry.:ok:

Chuckles,

let me guess, you ran mile high club flights in a tail dragger, some where??? :p :} :E

Nope...my only experience of the mile high club was in the back of a 707 enroute Mauritias(sp?)-Perth in 1975ish...although coped a BJ enroute once in a C152:} :ok:

And, before you say anything, given your enquiry on the "who's Dean" thread, it was a GIRL!!!:}

We know it was a girl 'cause you said daughter. :E

ROFLMAO...I never knew you were such a devo Clarry...you one sick mutha:E :ok: