Bill Denton wrote:

Generally, I am using the term "stall" to indicate a state where the object
is producing zero lift, and "flying" to indicate that some lift is being
produced. However, I sometimes use flying to indicate that the object is
generating enough lift to raise itself and it's load above the earth. I will
try to be more consistent and clear in the future.

I don't claim that this is absolutely, or in any way correct, but this is
how I am using the terms.

That's certainly not the correct definition of a stall. See any good textbook (I
suggest Jeppesen-Sanderson's "Private Pilot Manual"). I agree with Hilton that
the term "flying" is ambiguous in the literature.

But with a tail dragger, doesn't the horizontal stabilizer begin to produce
enough lift to raise the tail, and raise the tailwheel above the earth,
before the wing produces enough lift to raise the entire airplane abouve the
earth?

Not really. The stabilizer on a conventional aircraft pushes down on the tail;
it produces reverse lift, if you like. The tail is usually raised on a
taildragger by forward elevator. There *is* a certain amount of lifting force
caused by the impact of air against the lower surface of the stabilizer, and
this *may* be sufficient to get the tail off the ground before the mains lift
off. If I'm trimmed for takeoff, however, and I simply neutralize the controls,
my taildragger will bring all three wheels off at about the same time. At an
uncomfortably low airspeed, I might add.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.