Earn your Tailwheel Endorsement
- Complete your Flight Review by learning to fly tailwheel
- Be at least a Student Pilot to get a tailwheel endorsement
- Be under 250 lbs (for weight & balance)
N7550B 1957 Champion 7EC
- Champ Weight & Balance (pdf file)
- Champ Weight & Balance calculation (pdf file)
- Operating and Service Manual (pdf file)
- TCDS (certification data, pdf file)
- Champ 7EC Checklist (pdf file)
-
$115 per hour (wet rate)
The tailwheel endorsement is proficiency-based, meaning there is no minimum hour requirement to earn your endorsement. Flying a tailwheel aircraft isn't difficult, just different.
That said, most current pilots require a minimum of 10-15 hours to become proficient and comfortable in the airplane. At Benton Air Center, our insurance requirement is a minimum of 15 hours of instruction in the aircraft for checkout.
Pilots that already maintain a tailwheel endorsement, and have logged more than 25 hours of tailwheel time, will need a minimum of a 5 hour checkout time in type.
All pilots wishing to rent must maintain currency within the previous 30 days.
15 hour tailwheel transition and endorsement syllabus
1
Ground time 1:00
- Taxi discussion and risks
- Aircraft description
- Weight and balance
- Stopping
- Takeoff and landing overview (3pt, wheel)
- Flight briefing
- Preflight
Flight time 1:00
- Preflight inspection
- Starting procedures
- Taxi control, turns, fast/slow taxi, stopping
- Taxi 90 deg turns, or 270 deg turns
- Taxi faster to slow to stop, tail down
- Proper control usage on ground
- Checklist usage
- Normal takeoff
- Normal climb
- Center seat differences
- Coordination exercises
- Normal landing (3-point, full stop)
- Taxi procedures
- Post flight
2
Ground time 2:00
- Intro and Background discussion
- Aircraft description
- Flight manual
- Limitations
- Weight and balance
- Takeoff and landing overview (3pt, wheel)
- Flight briefing
- Preflight
Flight time 2:00 (two one hour flights)
- Preflight inspection
- Starting procedures
- Taxi
- Proper control usage on ground
- Checklist usage
- Normal takeoff
- Normal climb
- Coordination exercises
- Steep turns
- Full stall series
- Simulated emergencies and power off glides
- Pattern entries (Benton and Red Bluff)
- Normal landings and takeoffs (3-point, full stop)
- Taxi procedures
- Pattern exit
- Coordination exercises
- Post flight
3
Ground time 0:30
- Tailwheel stability
- Directional control
- Gyroscopic precession
- P-factor
- Takeoff and landing techniques
- Flight briefing
Flight time 1:30
- Normal (3-point) takeoff and full-stop landing
- Bounce recoveries
- Directional control exercises
- Slips
- Pattern exit
- Coordination exercises
- Slow flight
- Normal (3-point) landing full stop
4
Ground time 0:30
- Flight discussion
- Review of progress
- Q&A
- Flight briefing
Flight time 1:30
- Normal takeoff and landing
- Slips
- Pattern exit
- Coordination exercises
- Steep turns
- Stall review
- Normal (3-point) landing full stop
5
Ground time 2:00
- Short field takeoffs and landings
- Soft field takeoffs and landings
- Grass field landings
- Crosswind takeoffs and landings
- Touch-and-goes
- Flight briefing
Flight time 2:00 (two one hour flights)
- Taxi
- Normal takeoff
- Pattern exit
- Coordination exercises
- Steep turns
- Soft/Grass landing and takeoff practice
- Pattern exit
- Crosswind landing (3-point) full stop
6
Ground time 1:00
- Aircraft systems
- Weight and balance
- Performance problems
- Fuel consumption
- Flight briefing
Flight time 2:00 (two one hour flights)
- Normal takeoff and landing
- Touch and goes
- Crosswind takeoff and landing full stops
- Slips
7
Ground time 0:30
- Flight discussion
- Pre-flight briefing
Flight time 1:30
- Normal takeoff and landing
- Short field takeoff and landing
- Soft field takeoff and landing
- Pattern exit
- Coordination exercises
- Steep turns
- Slow flight
- Normal (3-point) landing
8
Ground time 2:00
- Answer student questions
- Review flight manual
- Wheel landings
- Flight briefing
- FAR review ( FARs pertinent to tailwheel airplanes)
Flight time 2:00 (two one hour flights)
- Instructor’s choice takeoff
- Pattern exit
- Coordination exercises
- Stall review
- Pattern entry (Red Bluff)
- Touch and goes (3-point)
- Go-arounds
- Pattern exit
- Pattern entry
- Wheel landings full stop
9
Ground time 0:30
- Flight discussion
Flight time 1:30
- Landings (3-point) full stop
- Pattern exit
- Pattern entry (Red Bluff, Benton)
- Debrief
- Tailwheel endorsement
The above tailwheel training will include the following tasks and concepts
Tailwheel basics: CG, Stability, limitations, basic differences in landing technique. Review manual and checklists. Left turning tendency. Factors that determine tailwheel aircraft behavior, types of tailwheels.
Aircraft Familiarization: Preflight inspection and cockpit/control familiarity, fabric plane precautions! Power plant and performance information/limitations. Introduction to heel brakes and seated landing attitude.
Taxiing: Engine starting and slow straight taxi. Introduction to wind correction in taxi. Cautious use of brakes. Left and right turns. Left and right pivots; explanation of “free castering” tailwheel. Pivot into parking position. Moderately quicker taxis with/without weaving, swerve recovery. Flight control positioning. Turns into the wind. Turns away from the wind. Crosswind taxi.
Flight Maneuvers: Pre-flight checks. Climb out with transition to straight and level. Adverse yaw and aileron/rudder coordination. Aileron/rudder coordination exercises. Medium bank turns. Steep bank turns. Slow flight and stalls. Climbs and descents both straight and turning. Ground reference maneuvers. Normal take-off in calm winds. Traffic pattern and approaches – airspeed and alignment control. Normal 3-point landings in calm wind conditions. Bounce – cause and recovery, go around Slips to landing. Soft/short field take-offs. Soft/Short field landings. Emergency procedures. Crosswind taxi and take-offs (6 to 8 knot crosswind component). Traffic pattern and approaches – airspeed and alignment control. Crosswind 3-Point landings (6 to 8 knot crosswind component). Bounce – cause and recovery. Slips to landing. Normal wheel landings in calm wind conditions.
(i) Additional training required for operating tailwheel airplanes.
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (i)(2) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane unless that person has received and logged flight training from an authorized instructor in a tailwheel airplane and received an endorsement in the person's logbook from an authorized instructor who found the person proficient in the operation of a tailwheel airplane. The flight training must include at least the following maneuvers and procedures:
(i) Normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings;
(ii) Wheel landings (unless the manufacturer has recommended against such landings); and
(iii) Go-around procedures.