Step two of my plan was completed yesterday afternoon. I got my tailwheel endorsement !! Damn I feel good. Now all I need is a LOT of practice and then step three- my own plane

Congratulations! It's a fun club to be in and the best way to build tailwheel time is to buy a tailwheel plane. Get something cheap and simple to build time in. I bet you'll love it.

Congrat's!!!!! Guess I was lucky my Dad bought a PA16 Clipper for me to start in and solo.

Uh Oh .......my first solo didn't go too well. I went out on a still day , early morning. I did six three point touch and go's and six wheelie touch and go's . Everything was going great until I called full stop for the last wheelie.
I may have held the tail up too long, or just got too comfortable ................................but I GROUND LooPED Dammit

Got really lucky. Didn't leave the runway , no damage to the aircraft. My Instructor Chuckled, The Aircraft Owner Shook my hand and said "Welcome to the club"

I stood in embarrassment

I told my Instructor that the touch and Go's aren't helping as much as a full stop would. Pattern was too crowded for that Tuesday but hopefully I can do that Saturday. He's telling me if all goes well He may get out of the plane and let me try again
Not sure if I'm glad or scarred shitless.

I'm flying a 2000 Citabria 7GCAA

Now that you have that out of the way you can move on while paying slightly more attention. I rarely do touch and go takeoffs and landings, but if I feel runway length is adequate do stop and goes to save the taxi time. I personal opinion is that far to many 180/185 and probably other aircraft have been ground looped while doing touch and go's during the brief moment of distraction while re-configuring the aircraft.

Tim

sierrasplitter wrote:Uh Oh .......my first solo didn't go too well. I went out on a still day , early morning. I did six three point touch and go's and six wheelie touch and go's . Everything was going great until I called full stop for the last wheelie.
I may have held the tail up too long, or just got too comfortable ................................but I GROUND LooPED Dammit

Got really lucky. Didn't leave the runway , no damage to the aircraft. My Instructor Chuckled, The Aircraft Owner Shook my hand and said "Welcome to the club"

I stood in embarrassment

I told my Instructor that the touch and Go's aren't helping as much as a full stop would. Pattern was too crowded for that Tuesday but hopefully I can do that Saturday. He's telling me if all goes well He may get out of the plane and let me try again
Not sure if I'm glad or scarred shitless.

I'm flying a 2000 Citabria 7GCAA

The transition from on the ground fast to on the ground slow is the most challenging portion, so full stop landing practice in a tailwheel is a good idea.

There is no way around it...you have to keep it straight. Actively, continuously, keep it straight.

Did I mention straight?

I second the comment on stop and goes. If there is a runway long enough and not busy, it's worth getting practice with wheel and 3 pointers both to a full stop and with the touch and goes. The ground loop is inevitable unfortunately (knock on wood, still waiting for mine...) Congrats on the solo! Get back on the horse and keep it up!

Its worth noting that the FAR re currency for carrying passengers specifies three landings *to a full stop*.

Troy Hamon wrote:

sierrasplitter wrote:Uh Oh .......my first solo didn't go too well. I went out on a still day , early morning. I did six three point touch and go's and six wheelie touch and go's . Everything was going great until I called full stop for the last wheelie.
I may have held the tail up too long, or just got too comfortable ................................but I GROUND LooPED Dammit

Got really lucky. Didn't leave the runway , no damage to the aircraft. My Instructor Chuckled, The Aircraft Owner Shook my hand and said "Welcome to the club"

I stood in embarrassment

I told my Instructor that the touch and Go's aren't helping as much as a full stop would. Pattern was too crowded for that Tuesday but hopefully I can do that Saturday. He's telling me if all goes well He may get out of the plane and let me try again
Not sure if I'm glad or scarred shitless.

I'm flying a 2000 Citabria 7GCAA

The transition from on the ground fast to on the ground slow is the most challenging portion, so full stop landing practice in a tailwheel is a good idea.

There is no way around it...you have to keep it straight. Actively, continuously, keep it straight.

Did I mention straight?

Yup, what he said. The Citabria gear is a little springy, which can make things a little more sporty. Airplane didn't get broke, good for you, get back on that horse and remember that past is prologue.

And, keep it straight. Full stops, stop and goes for me. Touch and goes don't teach near as much, and offer lots of opportunities.

Have fun.

MTV

Agree with others that we need to experience relative distance of rudder dynamic and proactive movement at different airspeeds. Taxi by alternatively putting a rudder pedal to the stop kind of gives us the extent of the slow speed possibilities. The slight tail wiggle at higher speeds are also important.

You have experienced something very useful. You know the fairly fast but not too fast speed at which that airplane can be ground looped without damage. This is a powerful knowledge that will encourage slow as possible approach speed. The sooner we can get to that fairly fast but not too fast speed the better.

For many pilots, there is great comfort in higher airspeed that gives a more positive control feel. For some of us, however, it is all about balancing the broom with our best low speed control (rudder) and touching down so slow that damage danger goes away quickly.

For instructors who emphasize slow approach and letting the student learn fast by doing, ground loop is something that happens from time to time. We try really hard to limit the student's, and our, exposure to the just fast enough to do damage airspeed on the surface.

The design of the airplane is to fly. It doesn't roll on the ground so well.

Go back out and apply this new valuable information. Enjoy!

I have gotten three flights now and I'm ready to go at it alone again. Feeling a bit better informed now.
I was thinking the approach speed was too high- 85 MPH Its me (185 lbs) and the instructor ( 230lbs)
with just me I cut it down to 75-70
still seems fast too me

I got to fly a J3 Cub Saturday. What a blast. So slow in the air. Landing was pretty fun. Wasn't too happy with not being able to see while taxiing.
But glad to get some stick time in that one. Got to fly with Bob Turner. great guy and a legend here at KMYF