New hobbies, skills and pastimes.

[David MacRay]

what did that teach you?

The little thing likes to fly, even more than we do.

What did it prove?
On a windy day you better be ready for a take off until it's back in the hangar.

[Capn Tripps]

How reasonable? I know a guy who runs a aviation forum with a store........

Probably around $15-20 or so, maybe a bit more? I’d have to figure it out. The A20 holder takes about 12 hours to print in nylon, plus a bit of post processing and clean-up. There are other materials available. This would obviously be a low volume thing though.

If anyone has an idea, or request, or better yet, an .stl file (or a link to one), I can make pretty much anything within reason.

I’m still learning at this, so bear with me.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

What did it prove?
On a windy day you better be ready for a take off until it's back in the hangar..

What I was driving at David is when there is a wind problem and you are flying a tail wheel airplane you should wheel land it.

Wheel landings give you far better control when landing, especially when it is windy.

I almost always always wheel land tail wheel airplanes wind or no wind.

It has worked fo me as I have never lost control of one while landing .

[Liquid_Charlie]

It does not even have flaps.

The art of the side slip one more of those lost and obscure skills and part of "then" everyday flying. Slipping turns to final in the circuit are so cool. It's been 50 years, damn!!!!!!

[Nark]

I can’t remember the last time I 3-pointed the ol’gal.

Think you’re both on to something: windy day: absolutely wheel land it.
Never stop flying it until she’s parked and tied down/hangar door is closed.

[Slick Goodlin]

With regard to landing, I’ve heard from two very experienced pilots* “You’re going to end up on three points eventually anyways, no harm in starting that way.”

I just fly on nice days so it doesn’t make a difference to me.



*one of them was an accomplished aerobatic competitor who did my tailwheel checkout and the other got it from Richard Bach in the 70’s

[John Swallow]

Chipmunk, Harvard, Cessna 180, Cessna 170, Otter were all 3-point. C-45 on mains except for short field.

Nowadays, don't get much time on TW aircraft, so I aim for tail low... If it touches on two wheels, OK; if it touches on three points, still OK.

[Big Pistons Forever]

My 02 cents

Personally I start new to tail wheel guys on a relatively calm day with 3 pointers and work up to the wheel landings. When we get to wheel landings and they get the big bounce they can convert it to a 3 pointer or go around. It is an indication of good decision making to see how they handle it

Bottom line on something like a Citabria the student should be comfortable with both types even on the windy days. The airplane has plenty of control authority to handle a 3 point on the windy days, the challenge is to be confident to use it

Bigger tail wheel aircraft like 185, Beech 18, then yes always wheel land it. Still there are exceptions to the rule. Company SOP on the Air Tractor 802 (Gross Weight 16 K ) was to always 3 point it and it worked fine.

[Liquid_Charlie]

To a 3 point landing is a stalled landing and a wheel landing is everything there after. Everything from touching down with the tail wheel less than an inch from the ground to the showman type with the tail wheel in block airspace.

If the aircraft is still flying on touchdown, it's a wheel landing.

All wheel landing I do are chop the power when the runway is made a flair the aircraft. It still wheels on.

Even in a big xwind, same formula. Trick is to keep the aircraft crabbed and kick it straight at the very last minute, preferably within inches of the ground. The worst world in a big xwind is to be caught in lala land, ground effect world, slow, flying, drifting and past the maximum control effectiveness. That's the time to bail for sure and the time to make that decision is very limited. Anytime you can't maintain the centre line short final to just before touchdown, bail! and either quit or rethink your last approach and correct the mistake.

It's worked for me over the years and 90 degrees at 60 kts was the maximum I ever saw and the aircraft had a "training wheel" but same technique was used.

The arctic was always testing you.

[David MacRay]

Three point is school policy. I don't know if I can even do one yet. I have only ever landed Shiny's nice old conventional gear plane. I think I was only able to do wheel landings. We will have to wait to see if I can "fix" that.