Why
Learning to properly control a tailwheel airplane will take your rudder skills to a new level and your flying will improve on many levels. Taxiing a tail-dragger is a skill that keeps you on your toes and keenly aware of your speed. You must plan your turns and keep precise control of the airplane. On the runway during take-off and especially during landing you must fly the plane from the very moment that motion begins until motion ends. There is no touching down and letting go of the yoke. A nose wheel equipped airplane will grudgingly forgive this. A tail dragger will quickly remind you that you must continue to fly the plane.

How It Works
Nose wheel equipped aircraft have their main wheels behind the center of gravity and they have the steerable wheel out front, just like your car. If you let go of the steering wheel in a car while in a turn the wheel magically returns to the centered and straight position. The rear wheels will nearly always follow the lead of the front wheel. The main wheels do not steer in anyway.

In a tail wheel airplane the main wheels DO steer the plane. If everything is perfectly aligned then the plane will track straight. Once the tail wheel is turned, the main wheels are now not going in a straight line and they will continue to tighten the turn unless a corrective action is taken with the tailwheel. At any kind of speed, this tightening happens very fast and can result in a ground loop. A ground loop is a rather scary maneuver that ends up with the tail in swapping ends on you and the airplane ends up going backwards. The transition that happens while this end swap is happening can lead to a wing striking the pavement.

Ok- so why would anyone build a taildragger? The tailwheel is simply more efficient from weight and drag perspectives. The main wheels of a taildragger are about the same size as the main wheels on a nose wheel airplane, but the tailwheel is nearly always smaller and lighter than a nose wheel. Nose wheels are also way more susceptible to damage from a rough or soft surface, which is why most bush planes are tailwheel aircraft.

Where
We operate out of Alexander City (ALX) and out of Bessemer Airport (EKY).
Local 205-807-FLY1 (3591) · Toll-Free 1-888-IFLYWET (435-9938)· E-mail charles@waterwings.com

The Airplane
We fly a 1939 Piper J3 Cub. It began life as a float plane before the war. It has been through various owners through the years and trained tons of pilots in the fine art of aviating. It is a basic tube and fabric plane with no electrical system or starter. The only electrons are busy firing spark plugs and running the intercom for the Bose Headsets. The plane is typically flown with the doors and window open, unless the weather is on the chilly side. It has a stick for the elevator and the ailerons and a steerable tailwheel, actuated by the rudders. Since there is no electrical system, there are no lights and thus no night flight.

How Much
A tailwheel endorsement really depends on how competent you are with controlling the airplane. This will vary from individual to individual. Three hours is probably the minimum that you should count on. If you don't have it under control by 10 hours, this may not be your cup of tea. Our current rate is $130 an hour for flight time and $45 an hour for ground training. We will spend around an hour on the ground learning the basics and getting to know the airplane.

Our Mission
We are here to broaden your horizons and introduce you to a world without the clutter of instruments and radios. This is a world of pure flying. We aim to make you a better pilot.

Your Endorsement
The tailwheel endorsement will allow you to act as PIC in tailwheel airplanes that you would otherwise be rated in. If you have a multi-engine rating you would then be legal to fly multi-engine tailwheel equipped airplanes. If you have a single engine rating you will be legal to fly single engine planes with tailwheels.

Staying Current
To keep current in tailwheel equipped planes you must accomplish 3 landings to a full stop every 90 days. Outside of the 90 days you will need to get current before carrying passengers.