Tailwheel books? "The Compleat Taildragger Pilot"

[hangar3]

The Compleat Taildragger Pilot, by Harvey S. Plourde.

Anyone read it? Any better recommendations for reading up on tailwheel flying?

[PilotDAR]

The Complete Taildragger Pilot, by Harvey S. Plourde

Yes, I have had a look through this book, and was very pleased at what I saw there. It seemed to have the breadth to remind the reader that the most common thing about taildraggers, is that they are not so common to each other.

Follow the taildragger dream, and master them. You will forever be the bette rpilot in anything that you fly, for your effort!

[Shiny Side Up]

Although you have to sort through the sections, the FTM does have the basics, though it might not occur to most to read the important bits. Its not just a nose dragger book after all.

[5x5]

Actually PilotDAR, it is spelled "Compleat"



It's a good book, but like all books not the end-all be-all. Good addition to the library though.

[PilotDAR]

Indeed it is! Excuse my spell check!

I do not have the book, but I did browse through it for some time, considering buying it.

[iflyforpie]

I wonder if that is that a deliberate, archaic, or oblivious miss-spelling of the word?

[hangar3]

Apparently it's an archaic way of spelling it according to Google! I was also confused the first time I saw the title online PilotDAR.

Well, thanks for the input guys! Hopefully I'll get it in the mail soon!
Been wanting to do this tailwheel flying thing forever, gonna see if I can make it happen!

[jump154]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compleat

[looproll]

well, you learn something new every day

[New_PIC]

Not a book but there is some good tailwheel info in some of these articles:
http://www.pittspecials.com/articles.html

[iflyforpie]

I don't know... some people might be offended by that site...

[Scout44]

The Plourde book was always regarded as the best reference among my circle of pilot friends when I started flying taildraggers a long time ago. There's since been others published, and I might also add there's some DVDs out there that some people I know found useful as well. There's one called "Tailwheel: 101" available at most online pilot shops. I haven't watched it beginning to end, but it might be another option.

[KnownIce]

What kind of tips do these dedicated books provide? Admittedly I am a low pilot tail-dragger pilot, but I was taught fairly informally to:
- keep the plane pointed straight down the runway at all costs
- do everything else slower than you think (slowing down, raising or lowering the tail, turning off runway, taxiing, etc)
- that is all

So far the above has kept me safe - what kind of tips will I learn from a dedicated book on the subject?

This is not meant to be sarcastic etc... honestly curious.

[PilotDAR]

I have not read that book, though I have glanced through it, and liked what I saw. I have watched Tailwheel 101, and really liked that.

KnownIce, there's always something to be learned. Read and watch whatever training material you can find. At some point, it will serve more to confirm to you that you are doing it all right. In the mean time, you can never learn too much!

Some taildraggers are not the gentle trainers like a Cub. One I flew (a 400HP turbine) could not be kept straight, despite my using the flight manual procedure for a maximum performance takeoff. Having read the books, I now know why, and what to do about it!