Have a good time. Citabrias are a lot of fun to fly, but then it is the takeoff and landing you will be working on, you already know how to fly.

Dane

And, Avid, I'm sure you will, but please give us a full report of your experience.

MTV

You'll like the additional challenge and sense of accomplishment.

Hey! I learned to fly taildraggers in a Champ at Kadena Airbase on Okinawa in 1968. I remember trying to take off on the 10,000' x 200' runway. After a couple of futile attempts to keep the Champ running down the 10,000' part of the runway, I ended up getting airbourne across the 200' part. Heck, 200' was plenty. Eventually caught on to it OK.

AvidFlyer wrote:Well wish me luck.. I start training at Amelia Reid this weekend in an Aeronca Champ! Hoperfully by Tuesday I'll have my TW endorsment. Curious to find out how little I actually know about flying in it's pure form.

Those were the good ol' days. The Champ was $5/hour and the instructor was $5/hour. Just call me "Gramps".

Sparky also has a book out, "Taildragger Tactics" Gary

Since we're back on the subject most of my check out was done in winds well above 20 kts. And Freeway airport only has 2400' in length and 30' width. Made for some really interesting landings.

I'm finally re-learning to fly tailwheel. Woo hoo what a riot. Squishy gear, super sensitive brakes, and the jackass behind the wheel all make for a fun combo. My CFI who is checking me out is 79 years old!

79 , you better check his medical!

There are over 480 active pilots inthe US of 80 plus, I'm told.

I did my tail wheel endorsement 4 years ago in a J3 out of a private strip in a narrow valley. You had no choice gut to go straight out for about a mile before you had enough altitude to start turning around. Hills along side the airport were at least 400 feet on one side and about 800 on the other side. What a hoot!! Approach dropped down from over the tallest hill and you thread the needle between two tall trees about 80+ feet apart and over a wire fence to hit the runway. I found out about a year later the fence is really only bailing twine, but I still didn't want to hit it.

The owner actually flies a DC-3 and a C-310 in and out of there, but for my first time in a tildragger after over 20 years on tricycles learning bad habbits, it was keeping me busy.

My CFI used to be an underwriter for an aviation insurance company. He said once a man called to insure his 180 on amphibs the pilot was 92 and wanted to teach his 83 year old girlfriend to fly it. They declined to insure him only because they didn't like the idea of a trainer with amphib floats. their age didn't seem to matter.

Dusty wrote:My CFI used to be an underwriter for an aviation insurance company. He said once a man called to insure his 180 on amphibs the pilot was 92 and wanted to teach his 83 year old girlfriend to fly it. They declined to insure him only because they didn't like the idea of a trainer with amphib floats. their age didn't seem to matter.

I was getting ready for some sort of Jeremy-esque limey punchline, but that'll do. Haha.

I called to get insurance, laid out what I was flying,and because I'm a very low time tail wheel pilot the told me I had to have 15 hours dual IN TYPE. Problem, is my TYPE is a single seat bipe, with barely enough room for me much less an instructor. We were going to wire a seat into the rigging and send the picture to Avemco asking them to send over their instructor for my 15 hour dual.