Sikorsky To Acquire Schweizer Aircraft

I didn't know that the 2-33 had that weak of a tailwheel. After
instructing in them for the last 5 years (4yrs 357days), 7 days a week
with around 1800hrs in the back of them. Soloing 50+ students in
them, while only allowing low energy landings at our school. I have
watched 1 get broken, not from landing, but a careless student ground
handeling it.

Garret

(Garret) wrote in message . com...
I didn't know that the 2-33 had that weak of a tailwheel. After
instructing in them for the last 5 years (4yrs 357days), 7 days a week
with around 1800hrs in the back of them. Soloing 50+ students in
them, while only allowing low energy landings at our school. I have
watched 1 get broken, not from landing, but a careless student ground
handeling it.

Garret

I have to completely agree with Garret. My observations from 3000 hr+
and about 8000 training flights is that ground abuse is the usual
cause of any tailhweel problem.
As to it causing bad habits- the instructor is the issue. A properly
held off, slow landing as taught properly in a 2-33 or other glider,
translates well into skills for the next ship.
UH

(Garret) wrote in message . com...
I didn't know that the 2-33 had that weak of a tailwheel. After
instructing in them for the last 5 years (4yrs 357days), 7 days a week
with around 1800hrs in the back of them. Soloing 50+ students in
them, while only allowing low energy landings at our school. I have
watched 1 get broken, not from landing, but a careless student ground
handeling it.

Garret

Interesting. I've been flying 2-33s for way too many years to admit
and was ALWAYS taught or told to "wheel it on" and avoid touching the
tailwheel. Now I prefer to land 2-33s as slow as I can, so I try to
get the tail as low as I can before touching down, while avoiding
having the tailwheel contact the ground if possible. There is so
little clearance between that little hockey puck and the aft fuselage
that out here on our rocky runway you are asking for damage if you
drag the tail into the ground!

Do your 2-33s have the spring/pivoting tailwheel mod? Those look like
they would have no problem with main-and-tail touchdowns.

But what I see students (and experienced pilots) doing regularly is
the "high-speed 2-33 fly it onto the ground and come to a screeching
halt in a cloud of dust on the nose skid" landing. Ugly and noisy -
when you should be rolling to a gentle stop with full aft stick and
the nose off the ground until almost stopped. (Granted, much easier
with two up and the CG a bit aft)

But hey, you can't break 'em, so who cares how you land 'em.

Kirk

Garret wrote:
I didn't know that the 2-33 had that weak of a tailwheel. After
instructing in them for the last 5 years (4yrs 357days), 7 days a week
with around 1800hrs in the back of them. Soloing 50+ students in
them, while only allowing low energy landings at our school. I have
watched 1 get broken, not from landing, but a careless student ground
handeling it.

Garret

Good for you! Like I said, the 2-33 is a great trainer to get a pilot to
solo. And cheap. Beyond that, if any pilot wants to fly a glider with
different characteristics than anything they've flown before, they
ought to do some preparation beforehand.




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Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA