Ditto what MTV, Cary, and others have said about the instructor being more important than the airplane.

Something to feel out that has not been discussed is how supply and demand has changed the tailwheel world. Consider ownership in the tailwheel airplane. How pretty is it. Does the owner/instructor consider it a trophy or a tool. That will have a lot to do with how much latitude you are given to learn. We learn best by doing. I was a loose as a goose instructor who felt the mission was to teach flying, not protect the aircraft. We used to say, "The Army has lots of helicopters." That doesn't always fly in the civilian world. In the civilian world, I flew junk.

My advice is to fly with the oldest, loosest guy you can find in the oldest, junkiest airplane you can find. It will be a tense situation trying to learn in a trophy with a tense instructor. Other than that, a J-3 is a great airplane to learn in. My Dad let me use our D-2 dozer to build a pond for a farmer in trade for six hours in his J-3 when I was nine. Later I soloed in a 90 hp Super Cub at JeffCo. Neither airplane were very expensive at that time and fabric work was cheap. Different world.

A lot of good insight on here! I talked to him today and have heard rave reviews from mutual friends. One man shop only takes on 4 students at a time. Found out he also has a 172 that his students are doing x-country in now but plans to get J3 on the list in coming weeks.

Going to keep going with where I am for now but he said he's good picking up wherever I am around the first of October when he has an opening.

I'd make sure you have a good instructor and fly whatever. By all means if you can afford it and you have a good t/w instructor I'd go for it, but I have seen a lot of t/w instructors who don't really fly t/w that often and are more scared than anything. I think many CFIs are nervous to teach t/w because it isn't something they are completely comfortable with. Not a surprise given their rarity.

Also consider what you plan to fly down the road. I don't buy into the whole macho factor and am content with a tricycle gear, but there are the rare exceptions who really do utilize a t/w aircraft with big tires. Insurance companies aren't dumb regarding t/w vs. tricycle gear... read the accident reports at any given airport and you will see a lot more loss of control incidents with t/w aircraft. Pretty similar to automobiles... I see a ten shiny "show" 4x4 jeeps with huge tires, a snorkel, two shiny jerry cans on the back and a polished wheels for every 1 old workhorse blazer or broco covered in mud. Be realistic and choose the best plane that fits your mission.

About a month after I got my private 3 years ago, winds picked up while I was out solo flying and I came back home to tower reporting 12 knots gusting 22 and variable. I had flown in breezes before but the "variable" part of these winds were giving me a really hard time ... I came in hot, touched down side loaded and veered pretty hard on the roll out. I was amazed when it was all over that I was stopped on the runway right-side-up and didn't wreck the thing. I was in a 172 ... I think it's 50/50 that I would have ground looped had I been in a tailwheel.

I'm not nearly as experienced as most on here, but I've since gotten my tailwheel rating (in a supercub, awesome!). I love TW airplanes. However, I'm glad I didn't do my private in a TW. If I had a J-3 just sitting in the backyard ready to fly with a great instructor, sure I would have taken up that opportunity but around here at least TW's for rent are hard to find and instructors are sparse. Going with trikes I had probably 30 times more aircraft and instructors to choose from, and larger margin for error when I was most likely to do something stupid.

Either way have fun!

One other thing to consider: Many if not most training outfits that have a tailwheel airplane have only ONE tailwheel airplane. Since by definition, every PPL student must solo the airplane a considerable number of hours, the likelihood of that single airplane being damaged during your training is a consideration you should think about.

If that one airplane gets broken right in the middle of your training.....you are SOL, unless you go somewhere else, or then transition into a tricycle airplane.

Not a huge deal, but most flight schools offer more than one airplane, which can make scheduling and reliability a lot nicer.

Flight training offers enough frustrations. Don't program in any more than you have to....there are plenty to go around, and it takes some determination to get through them in a perfect program.

If you get some good training in a tricycle airplane with a good instructor, your later transition into a tailwheel airplane will be a piece of cake in any case.

MTV

That J3 has the necessary equipment for an LSA check ride. Save yourself time and money AND make your skills by going J3 and LSA.

I think it depends on what you want to do with your flying. If your goal is to fly as a private pilot or to fly professionally as a bush pilot or float pilot or ag pilot, then by all means learn to fly in a J-3. However, if your goal is to fly as a professional for an airline or 135 turbine operation, I would think twice about it. It is much much more likely for a student pilot or low time pilot to have an incident or accident while flying tailwheel aircraft. When you go for that airline interview with an accident on your record, you are at a distinct disadvantage even though you may be a better overall pilot than the next applicant. If this is your path, wait until you have that right seat turbine job before flying tailwheel solo.

For what its worth, I just completed my PPL check ride yesterday in my Husky. I started my training in my Husky so all my training has been in a tail wheel airplane. I really don't have a comparison, Im 50 years old and it was the most frightening thing (at times) I have ever done as well as the most rewarding and life changing. Maybe i would feel the same if I had trained in a 150/172 but then again, maybe not

I think its a special kind of instructor (maybe extra brave or crazy-likely both!) who is willing to sit in a tandem cockpit in the rear seat with little to no forward visibility, can't really see any critical instruments and is willing and experienced enough to stay off the controls to allow you to learn while at the same time being ready as best as you can to try to keep you from destroying the airplane and yourselves.

Cant imagine the fear he must have experienced on my night landings in a crosswind with only the passing runway lights visible out the side windows!

Yeah I agree! It takes a special person. I had to ask a new instructor on Tuesday if he was nervous. He said not at all, that made one of us! Third flight, right at 4 hours total and I took off and landed it. Felt pretty good!

Plan is still to switch to J3 first of October, but may have to x-country in a 172
depending on if he gets his new insurance figured out.

My primary objective is back country flying and getting into our ranch. Tentative plan is buy a J3 and log hours but what I really want is an M5-235. I just don't want to get into more than I can chew. Maybe after I get 20 or 30 hours in the J3 my feelings will have changed and I will feel comfortable enough to jump off into an M5 straight away.

tailwheels are fun for sure...and when they screw some horsepower into one, i would prob. have one...great training birds for sure...i seemingly always have more crap to go along with my flying so a small bird just doesnt work...i wouldnt get too hung up on tw or nw...get a good solid dependable bird and get to flyin'...!

I really don't know much about anything as a new low time pilot but one thing i do know is that as a new low time pilot in a tailwheel airplane you will need to be more committed to flying more often to keep your tailwheel skills sharp. I think flying a plane with a CG behind you and all the dynamics that go along with that requires you to stay current on those specific dynamics. Just having earned my PPL yesterday, I think if I couldn't fly at least once a week I would probably feel a little safer stretching my flying time out in a tricycle gear airplane if what I have heard about the differences in landing the two types is true

TxAgfisher wrote:Yeah I agree! It takes a special person. I had to ask a new instructor on Tuesday if he was nervous. He said not at all, that made one of us! Third flight, right at 4 hours total and I took off and landed it. Felt pretty good!

Plan is still to switch to J3 first of October, but may have to x-country in a 172
depending on if he gets his new insurance figured out.

My primary objective is back country flying and getting into our ranch. Tentative plan is buy a J3 and log hours but what I really want is an M5-235. I just don't want to get into more than I can chew. Maybe after I get 20 or 30 hours in the J3 my feelings will have changed and I will feel comfortable enough to jump off into an M5 straight away.

Opinion.

At your stage it's not a good idea to go "back and forth" between conventional (TW) and Tricycles. Unless the instruction (no solo) in the (TW) is dual and you can concentrate with complete continuity until you are ready (and fully airworthy) to receive a sign off. Also, "a sign off" doesn't mean an insurance company will back you. I needed another (10) hours TW time dual until I could fly insured in the 8GCBC... and still when I fly other types of landing gear I say a prayer I do not forget which is under me,

You are building survival instinct. Do not be delusional that you can do everything other people do. Take baby steps. And make each decision carefully on the next step.

Carry on ...

8GCBC wrote:

TxAgfisher wrote:Yeah I agree! It takes a special person. I had to ask a new instructor on Tuesday if he was nervous. He said not at all, that made one of us! Third flight, right at 4 hours total and I took off and landed it. Felt pretty good!

Plan is still to switch to J3 first of October, but may have to x-country in a 172
depending on if he gets his new insurance figured out.

My primary objective is back country flying and getting into our ranch. Tentative plan is buy a J3 and log hours but what I really want is an M5-235. I just don't want to get into more than I can chew. Maybe after I get 20 or 30 hours in the J3 my feelings will have changed and I will feel comfortable enough to jump off into an M5 straight away.

Opinion.

At your stage it's not a good idea to go "back and forth" between conventional (TW) and Tricycles. Unless the instruction (no solo) in the (TW) is dual and you can concentrate with complete continuity until you are ready (and fully airworthy) to receive a sign off. Also, "a sign off" doesn't mean an insurance company will back you. I needed another (10) hours TW time dual until I could fly insured in the 8GCBC... and still when I fly other types of landing gear I say a prayer I do not forget which is under me,

You are building survival instinct. Do not be delusional that you can do everything other people do. Take baby steps. And make each decision carefully on the next step.

Carry on ...

I'll respectfully disagree. Especially early on, flying different airframes will breed adaptability. It may take a little more time with an instructor after the switch to make sure no "J3-isms" or "172-isms" (like operating limits and whatnot) transfer, but in the long run I think you'll be better off having flown a few different types in your training.

Just my opinion.

CamTom12 wrote:

8GCBC wrote:

TxAgfisher wrote:Yeah I agree! It takes a special person. I had to ask a new instructor on Tuesday if he was nervous. He said not at all, that made one of us! Third flight, right at 4 hours total and I took off and landed it. Felt pretty good!

Plan is still to switch to J3 first of October, but may have to x-country in a 172
depending on if he gets his new insurance figured out.

My primary objective is back country flying and getting into our ranch. Tentative plan is buy a J3 and log hours but what I really want is an M5-235. I just don't want to get into more than I can chew. Maybe after I get 20 or 30 hours in the J3 my feelings will have changed and I will feel comfortable enough to jump off into an M5 straight away.

Opinion.

At your stage it's not a good idea to go "back and forth" between conventional (TW) and Tricycles. Unless the instruction (no solo) in the (TW) is dual and you can concentrate with complete continuity until you are ready (and fully airworthy) to receive a sign off. Also, "a sign off" doesn't mean an insurance company will back you. I needed another (10) hours TW time dual until I could fly insured in the 8GCBC... and still when I fly other types of landing gear I say a prayer I do not forget which is under me,

You are building survival instinct. Do not be delusional that you can do everything other people do. Take baby steps. And make each decision carefully on the next step.

Carry on ...

I'll respectfully disagree. Especially early on, flying different airframes will breed adaptability. It may take a little more time with an instructor after the switch to make sure no "J3-isms" or "172-isms" (like operating limits and whatnot) transfer, but in the long run I think you'll be better off having flown a few different types in your training.

Just my opinion.

If you can pull it off, fly anything and everything which you can afford. Just be sure you own abilities are in order. Mitigate as much risk as possible by being smart about learning.

I did not say do not fly the J3. I meant to express ..have continuity in each type and do not get in over your head.

I respect all the opinions given here - I am not one to overstate my abilities. I've been around aviation most of my life and have seen firsthand and heard the stories both.

It all develops "air sense" The seat of your pants telling you what feels "right."

Some of the absolutely best pilots I've ever flown with are the young native kids from northwest Alaska. These kids literally spend hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in the back of the Sleds and Navajos as they grow up. When they make the move to become pilots, they already know how to feel the airplane.

A J3, or a C150, either one will do just fine. J3 is just a bit more persnickety about tolerating sloppy flying, but if you are too you'll do fine.

Gump

Know what you mean Gump - I raced motocross professionally for several years and have raced and ridden all kinds of motor sports. Developing the feel is something that takes seat time but I am finding and my instructors are telling me that a lot of it transfers over.

It really does.

When I was in the police academy we had EVOC (emergency vehicle operations course) training. About an hour into the driving portion, my instructor asked me, "Are you a pilot?

I said, "yeah, why?"

He said that I knew how to feel weight transfer in the car, and that he found that pilots "got it" and a lot of other folk never did. He was happy, and didn't have to work real hard to show me what he wanted me to do with the car.

Gump