Going nose dragger won't help, if the problem really was misalignment at touchdown. Better to practice getting aligned, with all the good advice here. But don't beat yourself to death--none of us is so perfect that we can't make mistakes, and sometimes the mistakes just have bigger consequences than at other times. For myself, my landings (and just about everything else) get crummy whenever I'm too tired, if I let it happen. So after a long day of flying, I concentrate a whole lot more, which works most of the time. But in any event, giving up isn't the answer, either at the time or later.

Cary

I have one more "crooked" story to tell. I was getting some dual from an instructor in MN, flying his 185 on ski's hitting a bunch of frozen,snow pack lakes. My brother was sitting in the back. One place we landed had some cross wind so when we were taking off I let it crab into the wind. I'm tracking one way and headed a different way. Instructor says " you know this isn't a very good idea since if we hit a bump in the ice/snow it's going to be a bad side load". Another one stuck in my mind.

Cary wrote:Going nose dragger won't help, if the problem really was misalignment at touchdown.

It totally will help. That's what trikes excel at-- directional correction when misaligned with track. "Land-o-matic" can save the day even when you really have it kicked sideways. A strong crosswind is another story though, you can still end up in the weeds, just not as instantly as LOOK A SQUIRREL. I can think of 3 times I've watched trikes drive off the runway and into the trees.

Zzz is totally correct. When purchase price and rebuild price got to be too much, they went to nose gears.

My point is to correct the problem, correct the method; don't rely on moving the little wheel to the front without correcting the method.

For quite some time a few summers ago, there was a 172 sitting off the east side of 15-33, with the entire landing gear strut bent up as if it was trying to retract. Even a trike can take only so much side load before it's had enough, and that poor airplane had had enough. So far as I'm aware, the only trike designed to be landed in a crab (whether caused by a crosswind or poor piloting) was the Ercoupe. For the rest of them, landing straight will preserve tires and structure.

Cary

True.

And then there are the Goodyear "crosswind" gear... My 170 had them on when I bought it, and it's my belief they're the reason it was never groundlooped. Well, a groundloop that resulted in logged repairs, that is.

Been there done that in my Maule,

Thousands of tailwheel hours from Pitts to DC-3s and over 900 hrs. in the Maule. Just like others....lurched to the right, then left, then right then off the runway, onto the grass, down over a low hill and back up a hill...stopping on a taxiway 90 degrees to the runway.

Have no ideal what happened then or now. But I just went for a ride. I was little more than a passenger...missed all the taxi lights and didn't hurt a thing except my pride. Like any good pilot, when she came to a stop....I looked around quickly to see if anyone had noticed. Not a soul in sight.

Gremlins....

Bob

I met a fellow with a gorgeous black and yellow 195 years ago, and he'd taken the crosswind gear off of it when one day one of the gear turned and the other didn't. Fortunately he was taxiing relatively slowly at the time and was able to get it stopped, but once was enough.

Cary

Hello,

I am writing to tell you that Dirtstrip passed away suddenly on Friday, May 3, at the hospital. His funeral was Tuesday, May 7, and the large church was packed. I was told by everyone who walked in the door that he was a good man. As a family prayer, we played Emerson Road's "A Good Man", and his son arranged for a three-pass fly-over at the cemetery -- each pass a little lower than the one before.

Dirstrip had stopped working on his Tundra to start working on his corn planter to complete his spring planting. The plane was close to flying and he had made a list of what was left to do, and placed it on the pilot's seat.

I hope whoever is reading this will reply and also pass it on. I am sure you all are wondering where he is as he posted every day while eating his breakfast.

Dirtstrip loved flying, talking about flying, and posting on this website to learn more about flying and also to help any other pilot who was experiencing something he had already done.

Dirtstrip took flying lessons while in high school and became a pilot at age 17.

Dirtstrip had told me that when the plane was in flying condition we were going to fly a lot. I hope that now he is flying every day and his plane flies true.

As his family we are still waiting for him to drive into the yard or walk into the house. The corn planter is hooked up to the tractor by the shop and his boots are sitting by the door.

If there is anyone out there who would be interested in owning his Tundra we would love to hear from you and learn what your plans might be. There are no other pilots in the family and Dirtstrip would want someone who loved flying as much as he did to be taking his bird up.

Family of Dirtstrip.

My condolences to you and your family & friends for your loss.

To the family of Dirtstrip,

I am so very sorry for your loss. I never met him, but as a fellow corn farmer and pilot, I feel a deep sorrow. May God be with you through your family's time of mourning.

Brent