Multi-Engine Before Commercial?

"C J Campbell" wrote in message ...
Whatever. For now I regard
aerobatics and tailwheel training as diversions that use time and money that
could be better spent in improving the basic skills you were supposed to be
learning in the first place.

You probably wouldn't say that if you had tried it. I honestly believe
I'm a much better Mooney pilot because I started as a tailwheel pilot.
I believe I can land in shorter distance and I never have had the
typical Mooney transition problem of landing on the nose wheel (very
expensive).
I've not had an opportunity to use my aerobatic training in the Mooney
but if I ever get flipped upside down I don't think I'll react with
simply fear because its a picture I've seen outside before. When I
hear 1/2 the commercial pilots out there say that they are afraid to
slip on short final because they think they might spin a tear comes
down my eye and I wish they'd all had some tailwheel training. When I
see people struggle with cross winds I think the same.
I also believe I'm a much better CFI for it. I don't worry that a
student might get uncoordinated and spin the Cherokee when he should
stall it, I've spun before, I'm not concerned about it. If I were
scared my students would pick up and that and they would be afraid
too.
I also believe tailwheel training should be required for all CFIs.
Your students will try to land sideways every time (actually BFRs for
rated pilots are usually worse). You need to have the confidence with
your feet to let teh student get 3/4 of the way to the grass and then
kick in just the amount of rudder to save the day. If you do more, or
sooner, the student will never learn. The only think more
directionally unstable than a taildragger is a pre-solo pilot in a
172. You really need to have a lot of confidence in what you do in
order to present the right skills to your students. They really need
to feel confident that they are not taking you to the edge of your
skills and that the two of you are going to be an insurance claim.


-Robert, CFI