1946 Piper J-3 Cub - Tailwheel Endorsement Training w/ Damian DelGaizo - 5th Flight - Wheel Landings

- Andover Flight Academy
- 12N - Aeroflex-Andover Airport
- Wheel Landings
5th Flight - 5.6 Hours logged toward my tailwheel endorsement!

[@glensexton4409]

Best, tail wheel example in my 60 years of flying.

[@Simplexaero]

Great video. Your instructor teaches quite well. I too teach in a 1946 cub. I differ from him slightly in one piece of advice he gave to you early in your lesson. Referring to wheel landings, He said that many instructors teach students to hold the tail up for as long as possible on the roll out so it won’t take back to the air if you pulled the tail down. He was against this practice because he felt you needed rudder and tailwheel authority earlier. I concede that is a good point to bring the tail down early for higher cross wind scenarios. But I disagree that it should be the primary practice for wheel landings. I believe that for training purposes, or just normal wheel landings with a direct headwind - I teach that it is better to keep the tail up as long as possible. But not due to a concern of the plane taking back to the air. My reason is due to gyroscopic precession. When pilots yank the tail down early… or more important if they do it aggressively… the airplane WILL swerve. New pilots may not anticipate the swerve adequately and they risk a ground loop. Many many ground loops in all types of tailwheel airplanes were done after a wheel landing - during the roll out. The pilot pulls the tail down too fast and the plane swerved. By keeping the tail up longer, the plane is going incredibly slow by the time the tail stalls and automatically drops to the ground. There is almost no tendency to swerve at that point.

[@dronemonkey2038]

This is a great series of videos....Well done Gabriel.

[@petethecatable]

There is a lot of good information in this video about proper tailwheel technique. Thanks for offering it. Great that you recorded it, it is a lot to get into your hands and feet and head. One thing I have not seen your instructors do is to take a very low pass over the field and try to keep the airplane about a foot or so off the runway all the way down. Helps cement that site picture you need for consistently good landings. At least it has helped me.

[@benjigault9043]

I do still do this every so often landing, unless its really gusty and then a bit higher than one foot, good way to see what the cross control situation will be like for keeping it on centerline.

[@MsWheelsuptime]

Damian... Always does that little two step dance and grabs his hat brim when he hand props... Same move every time-- it's endearing. :). Nice to be back at Andover!!??

[@MsWheelsuptime]

And BTW... Wheelies feel really odd at first... It's feels 100% different then a nosewheel touch down. -- if it helps (disregard if it doesn't), I always think... Low level, look at the far end of the runway for your height cues, Hold it off & let the runway come to you (don't go to it), repeat: let it come to you. When the plane touches, gentle stick forward, just enough to pin the tires (but no more than that). When you feel the tail starting to drop, follow it back with the stick. And use those rudders! Keep it straight! *But, hey looks like your doing alright

[@argonwheatbelly637]

@@MsWheelsuptime : 9 and 3. And yeah, keeping that tail up until you've really bled the speed is crucial. Loved flying these!