Most Americans have learned dynamic proactive control movement by age 16. Most learn this by osmosis riding a bicycle and driving a car. Very soon we learn that we don't want to sit up straight on the bike, we want to fall left, then right, then left, etc. The same with the car. Very soon we learn that we don't want to go straight down the road, we want to go just a little left, then right, then left, etc. The problem with airplanes is that this natural dynamic proactive steering wheel movement, imprinted on us, translates to wagging the wings which is a big problem trying to keep the center line in landing. We need dynamic proactive rudder movement instead, both on takeoff and landing.

The key to keeping a tail wheel airplane going on a straight directed course during takeoff and landing is not to try to go straight. Rather we need to try to go just left, right, left, etc. using rudder only. Coordination here is a problem. This bracketing for you artillery guys or dynamic proactive control movement is how we stay ahead of the airplane. We don't let it decide a way to go and then react (static reactive control movement.) On the bike we wobble a lot at first and then refine it so that we don't even appear to be wobbling. We either wobble or fall. In the aircraft we jink left and right at first but stay ahead of the aircraft. We jink or ground loop. Later we jink less, but still have to command a direction rather than wait and react.

On a directed course at altitude, on the ILS, or using the SATLOC to line up with the crop row, the same is true. If we coordinate with aileron we mess it up. If we just walk the rudder a little left, right, left, etc. we will stay ahead of the target or DG or CDI or light bar.

We instructors use poor terminology that can frustrate the student's learning this by osmosis. We talk about the "nose" too much. In side by side aircraft, we direct the longitudinal axis toward the target by sighting through our legs, not by putting the nose on it. When we talk about putting the nose on the target, the student assumes putting the prop spinner on the target. Go out to the airport and keep track of where the airplanes are landing. More than half will touch down left of the center line. We need to remember, when beside the student, to ask him to put the target between his legs. Someone mentioned the grease pencil dot in a circle (sight reticle) method. This would probably be more appropriate with female students, but we have to remember to bring the grease pencil.

Motoadve, are you reading this?

I distinctly remember a video / post of you continuously landing left... I agreed with contacts analogy then and again now, although our language for a solution is different (he said it way better)

Thanks Rob. I wish I still had good legs. I can walk, but I don't feel the ground. Need to find another Ercoupe, the only really modern airplane.

For me it's my right foot on target if I am in the left seat. Works every time.

Man I gotta stop reading your posts contactflying...!! I just sit in the plane and wiggle stuff in a random fashion and always seems to work out ok.... Apparently there's more to it than that.. I'm probably going to think about what I'm doing on my next flight and roll it up in a ball

Line from a movie: "If you think, you're dead." I never did think about it. Then got old and everybody got afraid to fly with me. All I can do now is think about it.