INITIAL TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT

  • $2,899 ($1,399 if you provide your own plane)
  • Includes use of our Cessna 150/150, Cessna 170B, or PA18 Supercub
  • 3 Days
  • 10 Hours Dual Flight Instruction
  • 5 Hours Classroom Style Ground Instruction
  • Lunch Each Day Is Included

 

Prerequisites

  • Private Pilot License

 

Course Description

Learn to fly tailwheel from instructors with real life backcountry experience and hundreds/thousands of hours in tailwheel aircraft. This course is designed to take you from 0 experience to leaving with not only the tailwheel endorsement but the skills and confidence to use it safely. This course goes beyond your typical initial tailwheel course and includes real life flying at a variety of different airstrips in the area. We will practice real life short field takeoffs/landings, soft fields, obstacles, non-standard approaches, ACTUAL flying. You will gain the skills you need to be proficient and safe. 

Train Tailwheel's Initial Tailwheel course includes a minimum of 10 hours of dual flight instruction plus 5 hours of ground instruction following our course syllabus. This is a structured course. Make sure you show up ready to learn and able to focus. There is a LOT of material to learn in a short period of time. Our instructors will handle the radios and navigation so that you can focus on flying the plane and building the skills you came for. We will utilize several different grass and paved runways in the area. 

The tailwheel course is best completed in the type of airplane you intend to fly. If you don't yet own a tailwheel airplane, you can complete the course in one of our Cessnas or Supercubs.

The legal requirements from 14 CFR 61.31 are:

Normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings;

(ii) Wheel landings (unless the manufacturer has recommended against such landings); and

(iii) Go-around procedures.

Most insurance companies require 10 hours of dual tailwheel/time in type before they will issue a policy and we feel that 10 hours is the minimum amount of time required to allow you to be safe. Like with any new endorsement, the tailwheel endorsement is a license to learn. You will leave the course with homework and several practice lessons that you can complete on your own. The tailwheel endorsement is a skills based endorsement. If by the end of the course you are not up to a level where we feel confident providing the endorsement we will work with you to develop a plan forward, either with us or back home. Day 3 of our course ends early and we can use that extra time to work on weak areas if needed. This is an extreme rarity for anyone that comes with a willingness to learn but we simply can not sign off an endorsement to a pilot we are not comfortable sending solo.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Day 1:

We start with an hour of ground school and then alternate dual flight instruction and ground lessons throughout the day. Each flight is 1 or 1.5 hours and lets you build skills and familiarity without getting overwhelmed.  We stay at our home airport to maximize time, starting with ground handling, some in air familiarization, slow flight, stalls, then grass and pavement takeoffs and landings. An hour break for lunch is given. Food is included in the course and provided by one of our fantastic local restaurants. There are some great walking trails along the property to stretch your legs. 

Day 2:

The day starts with a short flight to get you right back into things. We do a short ground discussion then get back up into the air and head to two local grass strips to work on any areas that need improvement. At this point, you should be close to meeting the legal requirements for the endorsement. After another lunch break, it's time for another ground lesson and then the fun starts. We venture out and put your skills to use landing on a few cool grass strips in the area. We practice short strip operations (on actual short strips) and go above and beyond the legal requirements.  Still alternating ground and in air instruction throughout the day, you should end the day feeling pretty confident in your skills. 

Day 3:

The last day of the course is a half day. We again start out with a short flight just to get you warmed up for the day. More ground school touching up any weak areas and one final flight to put it all together. Now you get your endorsement!

Be Prepared (Optional But Highly Recommended)