Tamed by the Tailwheel

"Marty" wrote in message
...

"Dudley Henriques" wrote in message
ink.net...

Selecting between the two types of landings is a decision
that is not made when landing a tricycle gear. Stick motion
during flare, aircraft attitude, the visual picture, etc.
are all subtly different between the two types of landings.
You're really building two different skill sets and you want
to be firmly in one or the other.

I would agree with this.
DH

Dudley, et al,

I have heard from all types, but I query you.
In the proccess of landing, what determines for you whether a full
stall "3 point" or a wheel landing is warranted.

I have heard winds, particularly crosswinds are the main factor.

Then I rode with a Delta 727 Capt. (He later took command of a B777)
in his Super Cub, we landed with a nasty, gusty crosswind. I got it on
final (me a student), then he took it to a full stall landing and I
paid attention to the rudder pedal movement. The pedals made
ever-so-slight corrections, the nose hardly moved off centerline. Then
the plane met earth ever-so-gently. I noticed that he never quit
"flying" till it was shut down in front of the hangar. It was the most
rewarding flight of my student year.
To this day, all I can think is, "Damn! This Guy is good!"
I applied the experience to my time in a Decathalon but I never got
THAT good at it.
I'll reserve his answer to this queston for later.
Blue Skies,
Marty

After a thorough checkout in tailwheels, (actually even in trikes) one
of the things you'll come away with if you have had a good instructor is
that things in flying are never black and white. It's true that
instruction by some favors that approach, but I don't.
Flying an approach is a constantly changing dynamic with the existing
wind all the way through the approach.
You should pretty well have in your mind the type of landing you are
going to make in a tailwheel airplane from at least the base turn on in.
You can feel the airplane, feel the effect of the existing wind, and you
should have all that well planted in your brain as it applies to the
runway you're planning to land on by the base turn. You know the
crosswind limit for the airplane (I believe it's 17kts for the SD). By
the time you have made the base to final turn and established what
correction you need to maintain runway heading on final, you should
start planning the landing.
The Decathlon handles very well in a crosswind. I've never had a problem
with it. You do however want to consider the prop clearance on a grass
runway wheel landing. It used to be possible to compress the struts
going over a bump and catch the prop tips if you were holding in some
forward elevator. Haven't flown the new ones and they might be better
now in this respect...but be warned anyway :-)
The choice of landing is a personal one, based on existing conditions at
the time of each individual approach. The SD will do a very nice 3 point
landing...or even a tailwheel first landing, but I don't like these all
that much. I much prefer a tail low wheel landing with the tailwheel a
bit off the runway until after touchdown. As I said, NOTHING in flying
is written in stone. You are well advised to get rid of any firm "do
this when this happens" approach, and instead develop a hands on real
time fluid approach to flying airplanes in general, and tailwheels in
particular.
Bottom line, you observe the situation........you fly the airplane in
that situation....you choose early....then fly your choice. Just don't
change your mind in mid flare.
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/CFI Retired
for private email; make necessary changes between ( )
dhenriques(at)(delete all this)earthlink(dot)net