CP77 has joined the league of Taildraggers

[cgzro]

So you've joined a rather exclusive club...congrats

Based on the insurance premiums the exclusive club is the one who's members have not damaged a tail dragger (or a float plane).

[tractor driver]

Good post cdnpilot77 and solid comments Colonel Sanders.
Was just sitting around a table full of AT802 pilots who were discussing these things, thought of adding to the thread, and we all feel you've got it covered. Attitude and straight, everthing else is a secondary consideration to improving the situation, but if either of those two are missing, no fun will result. Nice to see more aviators enjoying the tail draggers as we do.
Cheers!
g

[cdnpilot77]

Nicely done CP

A friend of my dads had a Champ in South River that I used to fly out of there. A hidden jewel in central ON for sure.
Got lot's of Beaver float time but none on wheels
I'm jealous.

Where is Reid Field?

Thank you! Its a private paved lit 3775x45 strip 6nm west of YKF (Kitchener) and the threshold of 35 is about 200m and 90degrees to the north of the 401 between townline road and hwy 6 north. My bosses family owns the airfield and we have exclusive use of it with the beaver.

[cdnpilot77]

Thank you all for the kind comments! Even you bmc

[Colonel Sanders]

Nice to see more aviators enjoying the tail draggers as we do

[Cat Driver]

Ahhh the Beech 18 a real nice machine and actually quite easy to fly even though it is a bit difficult to three point, but stick to wheel landings in them and they are really not hard to fly.

[Colonel Sanders]

Beech 18 is ok as long as you remember to lock the tailwheel
and think about gyroscopic precession of the props real careful.

On takeoff, when the tail comes up, the props are going to
swing the aircraft left, so I twist a little more left throttle in.

During landing, when the tail comes down after the wheel
landing, I do it very slowly and gently, and be prepared for
it to head for the right ditch. Ready with the left brake and
even right throttle.

[Cat Driver]

Yeh for sure theBeech 18 is a nice airplane and relatively easy to fly.

It was the first sort of big twin that I got checked out on in 1964 and it had a lot of neat levers and switches that made me think I was really moving up in aviation, I must have flown over two thousand hours on them about half wheels and half floats.

On floats it is the best float plane ever made as far as I am concerned.

[robertsailor1]

Ahhhh nice little Ryan. Chased after one for a while, gave up and got a Stearman but do I ever have a soft spot for that little bugger and that crazy little Kinner.

[Colonel Sanders]

The ST-3KR is a weird little trainer. Only one of it's kind
in Canada AFAIK. Does ok acro.

[Meatservo]

Hey CP77,

You should be pleased with yourself. It's fun to learn to fly a new way. There are still many types of aeroplanes that use conventional gear and you've just doubled the number of jobs you can apply for. I hope your new skill gives you enjoyment for many years. Congratulations.

MS

P.S. you now have my permission to push the cart backwards when you're at the supermarket, too!

[robertsailor1]

Really, there is only one PT-22 Ryan in Canada? Have to admit I've been away from the scene but there were a couple in Alberta alone years ago.

[PT6-114A]

Congrats dude you have just joined a league of pilots that really know just what those peddles on the floor REALLY do!!!

[Cat Driver]

cdnpilot77 I forgot to mention you are in a rare position in aviation flying a Beaver on wheels....I doubt there are many left in Canada on wheels....enjoy.

[cdnpilot77]

Thanks Cat...looking forward to a few hours in it.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Nice to see more aviators enjoying the tail draggers as we do

Nice . I have a few hours in the mighty Beech 18. I found it a very nice flying aircraft and despite its fearsome reputation not particularly difficult to land. I always wheel landed it, which is pretty much the SOP for the larger, higher inertia, taildraggers. Like all the bigger machines the good landings seem to come from the nice stabilized approaches and smooth control inputs worked alot better then big jerks on the control wheel.......

[Colonel Sanders]

I always wheel landed it

+1

I tend to wheel land heavier (esp multi-engine) taildraggers, which I
have a fond spot in my heart for.

Here's one of the weirder ones I flew. Had to check myself out in
it, the owner had relocated to Belize and needed it flown there:

[Cat Driver]

A Royal Gull, I knew a guy who owned one but I never got to fly it because it was sort of a hangar queen.

For sure it was a rare bird in North America.

The weirdest twin engine tail wheel airplane to land of the stuff I flew was the Anson Mk5 because it had vacuum over hydraulic brakes and there was a slight delay between the time you applied brakes and when they activated...made for some interesting landings.

[Cat Driver]

Staying on topic, sort of.

Looking back on all the twin engine tail wheel airplanes I flew for a living I found the easiest one to land was the DC3 and the hardest was the Turbo Goose.

[bmc]

Thank you all for the kind comments! Even you bmc

Seriously mate, I am so happy for you. It is an accomplishment as echoed by all the comments here. Youère flying a legend. And as Cat pointed out, one of the very few to have mastered it on wheels.

Truly impressive. Well done.