I am just curious if any of you have much experience with Lisa Pierson or Colleen Schooley as flight instructors for Teton Aviation? I just haven't heard much about them. I live in the eastern Idaho at the moment and have finally saved up the money to go for my private full time. I would love to learn in a taildragger first, but it doesn't sound like Teton will let one solo in their Husky.

Do you have any other suggestions for tailwheel flight instructors or even just a taildragger to rent in the Idaho Falls area?I know there is a bunch out west based in or near Boise, but that is a little to far to drive to.

Cheers,
Logan

Logan,

I got my TW endorsement in Teton's Husky about twelve years ago. I'm not sure if anyone from those days is still around. Spike is a great instructor, but I think I heard that he is elsewhere doing elsewhat these days.

Generally, insurance companies prohibit students from soloing in tailwheel airplanes. I strongly encourage starting primary training in a TW aircraft regardless. It will wake your feet up and make you much more adept at handling an airplane properly.

I fly with a few pilots who have a lot of 172 and Cirrus time, and when they ask me if they can land my 180, I say "sure" before we takeoff, and "no way" after we've flown before landing.

I believe that TW flying makes one a MUCH better pilot.

Scolopax

Consider going over to Boise - and getting LSA in Paul Ledabrands Kitfox in the Idaho backcountry kitfox - then transition to PPL later. 1/2 the cost - tailwheel - allows rental after training. After some time on your own the transition to PPL should be pretty straightforward.

http://www.stick-rudder.com/About-Me.htm

I've seen this kitfox around several times - it's very nice.

http://www.stick-rudder.com/Sport-Pilot.htm

Lisa and Colleen are both good to fly with. Luke is probably coming back in the Spring, he's good too. If you really wanted to fly their Husky, you could probably work into a job launching gliders there. It doesn't seem to be a sought after position. The new fbo in Alpine (46u) looks like the place to learn taildraggers. That place is crawling with Huskies, enthusiasm and money.

Look up Lewis Hart in Rexburg. He's as good as it gets for tailwheel instruction.

I've tried to get in touch with Lewis Hart at (208) 356-6703, but I haven't had success as of yet. Do you happen to know if there is another way to reach him? I am actually in Rexburg at the moment, so he would be ideal.

I was aware of the Kitfoxes over in Boise, but that is a little far away. It would be ideal though because that is the type of airplane I would be looking into building/buying. Maybe I should just move to Boise! Maybe it is time to bite the bullet and spend some money on a used Kitfox/Avid and train in that. With the amount of hours I'll be putting on it while training, it might make sense in the long run. Thoughts?

I would prefer to do all of my primary instruction in a taildragger, but not very many people are willing to trust an inexperienced pilot with their baby (and rightly so). Would it be practical to do all of my dual instruction in a taildragger and then get checked out in a nosewheeler for my solo? Does that even make sense to do it that way? I could then have 30 or so hours of dual tailwheel experience, and hopefully my feet should be awake from that.

Thanks for all the advice,
Logan

There is/was an early kitfox for sale in St. A. I think it was a Fox 2 so it might be tough to find someone who will train you in it. I can't think of any TW planes for rent in the area except maybe the guys in Blackfoot that are doing sport pilot training. Seems like I heard that the have a Rans S7 and a Ercoupe that they use for training.

I've never flown with Lewis but I've talked to him several times. He is a great guy and I've been told he is a good TW instructor.

The main advantage of learning tail wheel first is that doing so mitigates the common problem of landing in a crab. Landing on the left side of the runway with the nose crabbed left is a problem with any side by side aircraft. To put the nose on the center line, the pilot in the left seat has to yaw the nose left. Students need to think, and instructors need to say, "put the center line between your legs." This problem is why you see more black tire marks on the left side of any runway.

Not that it has to happen nor that it should happen, but many who learn in nose wheel airplanes first land with the nose yawed left every time. There is little incentive to learn the correct longitudinal alignment as seldom does any damage result from this mistake. However, should they transition to tail wheel airplanes, this mistake will often result in a ground loop at enough speed to do serious damage.

Finally, anything we do repeatedly over considerable time will require many iterations of a different technique before the first becomes extinguished. It only takes one iteration of landing crooked to destroy an aircraft. Rather than tell high time pilots that they may have a problem, tail wheel training outfits usually only give dual. Also, tail wheel airplanes are seriously overpriced. Supply and demand. Not really that much better than the same airplane with a nose wheel, just low supply. And the hype, like i phones. You pay for that hype (demand.)

Logan wrote:I've tried to get in touch with Lewis Hart at (208) 356-6703, but I haven't had success as of yet. Do you happen to know if there is another way to reach him? I am actually in Rexburg at the moment, so he would be ideal.

I was aware of the Kitfoxes over in Boise, but that is a little far away. It would be ideal though because that is the type of airplane I would be looking into building/buying. Maybe I should just move to Boise! Maybe it is time to bite the bullet and spend some money on a used Kitfox/Avid and train in that. With the amount of hours I'll be putting on it while training, it might make sense in the long run. Thoughts?

I would prefer to do all of my primary instruction in a taildragger, but not very many people are willing to trust an inexperienced pilot with their baby (and rightly so). Would it be practical to do all of my dual instruction in a taildragger and then get checked out in a nosewheeler for my solo? Does that even make sense to do it that way? I could then have 30 or so hours of dual tailwheel experience, and hopefully my feet should be awake from that.

Thanks for all the advice,
Logan

208-351-6703 or [email protected]

Lewis Hart, Rexburg. NUF said