OK,
Soooooo I want to start out by saying, I heard you (everyone who gave advise) when we got the 185 to get a proper instructor. Well, I thought I had, until I had not! Prior to the 185 I had 20 hours in a p-ponked 180 with a good instructor out of California. I wanted to get someone here in Arkansas to fly with me in order to be proficient in the 185. I got an instructor that has a ton of flight hours, owns a fabric tailwheel (do not remember the version) and supposedly has time in a 180.
I got 2 hours time with him and then we had an incident. Yep you read that right we had an incident. He is an DPE so we called his supervisor and reported as necessary and all is good, now the plane ended up having some minor wing scuffs that where easily repaired and then the instructor in his infinite wisdom said, I think we need to get someone who has more time in the 185 something is just not right. I agreed, thank god he did not make that a hard conversation or issue.
Fast forward to now.... I found an instructor with many hours in the 185 and could fly it like he was wearing a glove. I found him online over at the Skywagon club and he is an avid writer about all things flying. I had read his article on the 185 and why the MAF (mission aviation fellowhip) and he believe the 185 is meant to be landed in the wheel landing position for most situations. I remember from my time in the 180 that wheel landings felt much more natural to me. If you want to debate the 3 point vs wheel, fine but for me, and what he taught, I think I will stick to the wheel knowing with no wind I can certainly do a 3 point without issue.
The instructors name is Adam Webster and he is a great guy to work with. We had things ironed out in no time and we where off to have just a lot of fun landing in all sorts of grass strips and different configurations just pushing my limits and showing me how much more the plane can do than me. I truly had a blast with Adam and would gladly recommend him to anyone who needs help getting your kinks ironed out in your 180 or 185.
Today for the second time, I went out on my own for 2 hours and multiple landings at multiple locations and I feel as comfortable as anyone flying a 185 that can sting you at any time should. I am constantly reminded that one should fly to the chalks and I will be the first to say I work very hard at doing just that. BUT, with Adam's help I am much more confident and feel so much better about my flying. I know that I have a plane I want to use, not a hanger queen to look at.
One caveat, my Gestalt ( a sense based on my personal minimums) does not let me fly in winds greater than 6 mph with no more than a 4 mph cross wind component. I know that is not much but it is one of the things that I am working on and up to. I hope this helps someone. I am just tickled pink that I am flying my dream and having a blast doing it.
Tomorrow I go to get some bigger shoes put on, can not wait to see how that changes things!
Gypsy

Big tires will make it easier I think . I used to fly jumpers out of a 185 and would almost always wheel land it . It was windy every afternoon and almost never aligned with the runway . Felt like I had more control whith the wheelies .

I like wheel landings the best and if cross wind touch down on the wheel on the side of the wind. I wear light shoes so I can feel the rudder pedals and make sure my feet are low so as not to have the brakes on. While you're learning I'd use 20 degrees of flaps too.

Thanks for sharing! That's too bad about the incident, but at least you learned a lot I suppose. When I bought my 180, I would have had a few incidents without my instructor Matt. I think my first landing, he was responsible for keeping it on the runway despite my efforts to put it in the weeds, and he also was responsible for keeping it off it's nose when I had the brakes on going into Trigger Gap. I was really learning high performance and tailwheel at the same time. Good instructors are worth a lot.

Thanks for the reminder, Gypsy. Where’s Matt located?

There are instructors, and there are instructors. Some airplanes have such benign characteristics that an instructor with practically no time in type can still safely and adequately instruct in them. Others, the instructor better have been practically born in the type to be a good instructor in it. Both the student and the instructor need to know that.

Cary

asa wrote:Thanks for sharing! That's too bad about the incident, but at least you learned a lot I suppose. When I bought my 180, I would have had a few incidents without my instructor Matt. I think my first landing, he was responsible for keeping it on the runway despite my efforts to put it in the weeds, and he also was responsible for keeping it off it's nose when I had the brakes on going into Trigger Gap. I was really learning high performance and tailwheel at the same time. Good instructors are worth a lot.

Ha! And here I was stuck with you! I kid, you bailed me out!

TxAgfisher wrote:

asa wrote:Thanks for sharing! That's too bad about the incident, but at least you learned a lot I suppose. When I bought my 180, I would have had a few incidents without my instructor Matt. I think my first landing, he was responsible for keeping it on the runway despite my efforts to put it in the weeds, and he also was responsible for keeping it off it's nose when I had the brakes on going into Trigger Gap. I was really learning high performance and tailwheel at the same time. Good instructors are worth a lot.

Ha! And here I was stuck with you! I kid, you bailed me out!

Even a maule pilot can land a 180 if it's on 29's!

Unfortunately, a lot of people make assumptions about Cessna 185s. It’s not that the 185 has any nasty characteristics, assuming that it’s rigged right (a significant assumption, by the way).

But, if you’re going to get a checkout in a 185, find a good CFI who has experience in both flying AND instructing in 185s.

Not “time in 180s”, “lots of time in taildragger s”, etc........good, solid 185 experience.

They are an honest airplane, but they do require a firm hand on the yoke and throttle and competent feet on the pedals.

Good for you for getting there, after a few mis cues. But good for you for spreading the word.

MTV