Why so little interest in tailwheel flying?

[Cat Driver]

Why so little interest in tailwheel flying?

[cap41]

its little tougher, lack of training airplanes, increase in insurance. to name a few.

[timel]

Many don't want to try even if they have the opportunity.

[Adam Oke]

I'm not sure if it is little interest, but little opportunity. There are few and far between that own/operate.

[timel]

I used to fly a 7EC 90hp, a few I proposed didn't even want to try, some guys only interested in the 777

[TG]

It's like if people don't want to bother anymore.
A parallel could be wanting to drive an automatic versus a manual transmission car.

New generations seems more excited with a brand new Cirrus full equipped than a straight Piper Cub.

Kinda sad....

[.Ben]

I used to fly a 7EC 90hp, a few I proposed didn't even want to try, some guys only interested in the 777

This.

Seems these days no one flys for fun or because there interested in aviation, everyone just wants a job and unless tail wheel time becomes part of the CPL I doubt any of the new generation will ever care. If it doesn't get you into a shiny automated jet no one seems interested these days except the old timers that still love stick and rudder airplanes.

I just finished my PPL strictly for fun, I have little interest in commercial flying, I already have a good job. To me I would LOVE some tail wheel time, I have a feeling a tail dragger will show me how little I know about landing an airplane

[cdnpilot77]

Younger generation is all about what makes life easier! Learning to fly an entirely different configuration requires effort, we all know how the youngins hate that word. I'm willing to bet the number of float endorsements being done are way down too!

[timel]

It's like if people don't want to bother anymore.
A parallel could be wanting to drive an automatic versus a manual transmission car.

New generations seems more excited with a brand new Cirrus full equipped than a straight Piper Cub.

Kinda sad....

Totaly agree!

.Ben, I had awesome fun on taildraggers.

[Cat Driver]

As to the harder part that is not really true.

When I learned to fly there were only tailwheel airplanes to learn on and the minimum time for a PPL was 30 hours.

Many of us got our PPL in the thirty hour minimum so it is not really that hard.

The reason I started this subject is to see if it would be worth while to start up a tailwheel training business with a Cub, one would think there has to be some interest out there.

[flyinthebug]

Because Cat, much like you, me, Doc and few others on here...the decades have passed and we are becoming dinosaurs in an industry we were at times on top of. We and tail wheel interest are going the way of the Dodo bird. Its just simple progression and the "next generation" has little interest in the things we found fascinating.

For what its worth, id love a little C120 of my own! That was my 1st tail wheel I ever flew and I loved it. If you could learn to land that little bird, you could learn to land anything with propellers.

My 2 cents.
Fly safe all.

[goingnowherefast]

I have yet to see a plane that is both cool and a tricycle. My favourite plane that I've flown used to have a tailwheel until they removed it to bolt on a set of floats

I've got a couple hours in a Fleet Canuck, and it's a blast. Way more fun than my day job with GPS, autopilot, couple weird "TV screens", PT6 on each wing and a training wheel in the front.

[Cat Driver]

Its just simple progression and the "next generation" has little interest in the things we found fascinating.

Yes, I understand and it really started back in the late fifties when Cessna replaced the 170 with the 172 with the " Land o matic " landing gear.

It made it easier and the training industry adopted it as the best way to learn.

Now it is difficult to find a Class 1 instructor who has the flying skills to fly a Cessna 170, let alone teach on one.

We may be dinosaurs but at least we can fly conventional gear airplanes as well as the kiddy car trikes.

But ....

..... there has to be a market out there for tailwheel training on a Cub....

There has to be.

[Cat Driver]

I've got a couple hours in a Fleet Canuck, and it's a blast.

The fleet Canuck in my opinion is the ultimate training airplane, built like a tank and has beautiful control harmony.

I learned to fly at Central Airways at the Island Airport in Toronto, they had four Cessna 140A's and four Fleet Canuck's plus a PA12 and their big airplane a Cessna 170.

Another great little single engine airplane is the Sea Bee.

And of all the airplanes on earth my favorite is the Stearman.

[timel]

..... there has to be a market out there for tailwheel training on a Cub....

There has to be.

With an helicopter friend we tried with the champ, insurances were asking 10 hours of check with an instructor and guys could take it on their own. In 3 years we had 2.5 peoples who took it on their own. The last one ground-looped it and it was the end...

[Cat Driver]

What part of the country were you in?

[timel]

Qb

[Cat Driver]

Maybe I have made a real mistake putting so much money in my Cub?

If no one wants to fly one that means it has no value.

If I put it on floats will anyone want to fly it then?

[timel]

More chances on floats that is for sure.

[DonutHole]

I did my first 20 hours on a 172 and me last 60 in a Citabria.

Everybody at the school I was attending learned to fly the Taildragger... Also aerobatics was a legitimate part of the curriculum.

Funny thing. Once guys flew the Citabria they didn't want to touch the 172.

I was a super keener though and said I simply wouldn't fly a 172 unless I needed a transponder.

The interest picks up when a member of the group 'masters' the dragon... it's all in the sales pitch.

Myself, I bought myself a basket caSe 140 as self congratulations For finishing my m1... okay I'm not done yet soon though (400 hours left)

there isn't interest because there is no exposure, increase the exposure, increase the interest.