Preflight Brief: The Taildragger Doesn't Lie

Welcome to the Safety Section of the Flying Clubs Newsletter, Club Connector!               

Every month we provide resources for flying club safety officers to keep their clubs informed and safe. You can find this month’s safety article and the full archive, here: https://youcanfly.aopa.org/flying-clubs/flying-club-newsletter/safety                

So, let’s get on with this month’s safety topic!                

Background:          

Most of today's general aviation pilots learned to fly in a nosewheel aircraft and have never given much thought to taildraggers. But tailwheel flying is experiencing a resurgence, and for good reason. A tailwheel endorsement sharpens stick-and-rudder skills, opens a wider range of aircraft, and offers access to backcountry and unimproved strips that nosewheel planes cannot easily handle. The catch? What is manageable in the air becomes significantly more demanding on the ground. Tailwheel aircraft require active, continuous control inputs during taxi, takeoff, and landing, and the consequences of inattention arrive quickly. Whether you are considering a tailwheel endorsement or just want to better understand what your taildragger-flying clubmates are dealing with, these key points are worth knowing.

Learning points:           

• Once airborne, a tailwheel aircraft flies much like a comparable nosewheel airplane with similar weight, performance, and handling. The real differences are almost entirely on the ground.
• Tailwheel designs offer real performance advantages. Compared to nosewheel aircraft, taildraggers are lighter, produce less parasitic drag, offer greater propeller clearance, and typically carry higher useful loads. They also handle unimproved and backcountry surfaces better than their nosewheel counterparts.
• Directional control is the primary challenge. The tailwheel sits far aft of the main gear, meaning small tail movements can produce large directional excursions. Once a turn starts, the aircraft's center of gravity naturally wants to continue and tighten it, so opposite rudder is required to straighten out.
• Not all tailwheels are the same. Steerable/breakaway tailwheels are connected to the rudder and allow a steering arc before going full swivel. Locking tailwheels, more common on larger aircraft, can be locked into position. Castering tailwheels are not connected to the rudder at all and cannot be locked. Knowing which type you are flying changes how you manage ground operations.
• Adverse yaw demands more attention in a taildragger. Most nosewheel pilots have internalized rudder/aileron coordination to the point of not thinking about it. In many tailwheel aircraft, that coordination becomes critical again. Attempting a turn without proper coordination can result in a bank one way and a yaw the other, with the aircraft tracking straight ahead in a slip.
• Forward visibility is limited in the three-point taxi attitude. S-turns are not optional. They are how tailwheel pilots clear the area ahead while taxiing and skipping them is how collisions happen.
• Wind makes everything harder. Tailwheel aircraft taxi at a higher angle of attack than nosewheel planes, meaning headwinds and crosswinds generate real lift forces. Upwind turns are manageable, but downwind turns in strong conditions can be impossible. Correct control inputs for wind direction are critical throughout ground operations.
• Slow down before things get busy. The most common tailwheel mishaps come from moving too fast and correcting too late. Small, timely inputs beat large, reactive ones every time.
• A tailwheel endorsement is a separate FAA requirement, not just a club checkout. Any pilot seeking to act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane must have a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor. There is no set number of hours required, but the instructor must determine that the pilot is proficient in normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings, wheel landings, and go-around procedures.
• Seek out an experienced, qualified instructor. Not all CFIs have meaningful tailwheel time. Ask local tailwheel pilots, check with EAA chapters, and look for an instructor with a track record of successful endorsements in the specific aircraft type you will be flying.
• The FAA's Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 14 covers the transition to tailwheel airplanes in depth and is a great starting point for any pilot considering the endorsement.

Other Safety Resources:                

Here is a reminder of just some of the safety resources available to all pilots:                

FAASTeam:                

faasafety.gov                

The FAASTeam website is the portal to a vast array of courses, videos, links, and much more.  Remember that WINGS not only encompasses knowledge activities but also flight activities.  Use the search options to narrow down to say, flight activities for a basic phase of WINGS, and you’ll be able to find a syllabus and often a worksheet for various flight activities.  Use WINGS to keep you proficient and think of the flight activities as a progressive flight review—earnt over 12-months, rather than at the end of 24-months.                

Wait…you don’t do WINGS?                

That’s a big shame—you are missing out on a free pilot proficiency program that will help you enjoy your flying even more, allow you to earn a flight review every 12 months just by flying, and may provide insurance discounts.                

The FAASTeam WINGS pilot proficiency program is the best way for general aviation pilots to ensure they are competent, confident, and safe in their flight operations.   Oh, and being perpetually proficient will save you money in the long run.                  

If you are interested in using the FAASTeam WINGS program for your personal flying or with your flying club, create an account on the FAASTeam website, http://www.faasafety.gov, and explore the collection of courses and flight activities.  Also, feel free to contact me (Jason Levine, WINGS Representative), and I’d be pleased to walk you through the program.  More on “WINGS for Clubs” can be found here in Flying Clubs Radio Episode 8 and the May 2020 Question of the Month.                  

Other FAA Resources:                

Don’t forget to regularly revisit these FAA safety gems, as new material is frequently added:                

Pilot Minute                

57 Seconds to Safer Flying                

FAA Safety Briefing Magazine                

From the Flight Deck                   

AOPA Air Safety Institute:                

https://www.aopa.org/training-and-safety/air-safety-institute                

AOPA’s Air Safety Institute (ASI), which by the way is funded by the AOPA Foundation just like the Flying Clubs Initiative, is packed with exceptional content, including exceptional videos, podcasts, accident analysis, online courses, recorded webinars and more.  Completing ASI activities may also earn WINGS credits.  Of particular interest to flying club safety officers is the updated Safety to Go section.  There, you can download a selection of topics, each coming with PowerPoint slides and speaker’s notes!