Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

Moderator: AndyR

By MarkOlding
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1604234
According to the blurb, the angle of the Cub with all 3 wheels on the ground is pretty close to the stall AoA hence it needs a bit of tail lift on the take off run. I have to say it all happens quite quickly but if the conditions are favourable tomorrow I will be able to report on more Cub based shenanigans.....
By Timc555
#1606066
Mark,

I’ve just been signed off (this morning) for tailwheel by the same instructor at WLAC. IMHO, he’s excellent and was very good at getting my landings sorted which I found reasonably challenging at first.

I twigged reading your post when he referred to taking “Mark”out in OFER that it must be you.

Let me know if you want to compare notes albeit mine were written with sweaty palms to begin with!

Tim
By MarkOlding
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1606089
Hi Tim congratulations,
Well I had lesson 2 today and found very quickly why you need a conversion for these things. My first attempt at a full take off and managed to make a right b***s of it. If anyone was watching they would have wondered why a cub was weaving from one side of the runway to the other with a mildly concerned instructor in the back....
It was a case of too much rudder too soon, followed by not enough and too late - and / or the other way round.
I think the lesson I had 2 weeks ago led to a false sense of security.

I then followed through on the first landing followed by a second take off with more weaving only not quite as much this time - I wouldn't say better just different.

After the 3rd circuit I was getting to grips with the speed on base and final and started to get close to pulling off a landing. Ahh small victories. The next few circuits followed a similar pattern with a different mistake each time (I blame tiredness after a hectic week at work - probably not the case but I need to blame somthing, it couldn't have been lack of ability :pale: )

Thankfully after and hour of frustration, on my final circuit I pulled off a half decent take off and a virtually unassisted 3 pointer. I started to get a bit more feel for whats required and have another lesson tomorrow so I can sleep on today and try and put it into practice again tomorrow.

Ill drop you a PM Tim, it would be good to talk it through over a beer, as long as MY sweaty palms can grip the glass :)
By Timc555
#1606098
MarkOlding wrote:Hi Tim congratulations,
Well I had lesson 2 today and found very quickly why you need a conversion for these things. My first attempt at a full take off and managed to make a right b***s of it. If anyone was watching they would have wondered why a cub was weaving from one side of the runway to the other with a mildly concerned instructor in the back....
It was a case of too much rudder too soon, followed by not enough and too late - and / or the other way round.
I think the lesson I had 2 weeks ago led to a false sense of security.

I then followed through on the first landing followed by a second take off with more weaving only not quite as much this time - I wouldn't say better just different.

After the 3rd circuit I was getting to grips with the speed on base and final and started to get close to pulling off a landing. Ahh small victories. The next few circuits followed a similar pattern with a different mistake each time (I blame tiredness after a hectic week at work - probably not the case but I need to blame somthing, it couldn't have been lack of ability :pale: )

Thankfully after and hour of frustration, on my final circuit I pulled off a half decent take off and a virtually unassisted 3 pointer. I started to get a bit more feel for whats required and have another lesson tomorrow so I can sleep on today and try and put it into practice again tomorrow.

Ill drop you a PM Tim, it would be good to talk it through over a beer, as long as MY sweaty palms can grip the glass :)


That all sounds familiar! As the instructor said to me, it does start to come together after a few hours. I was sceptical but as it turns it out he was right. I guess he’s put enough tailwheel fumblers through their paces to know.

Sure, drop me a line. Would be good to chew the tailwheel fat.
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By davef77
#1607003
Flyin'Dutch' wrote:
wesleyrowe wrote:Will the tail not eventually lift by itself with stick in nuetral position? (with T/0 trim set)


Yup but tail down/low means the wing may well be stalled, certainly during the initial take-off run, and in low power types forever.

And a stalled wing causes a lot off drag.

Lifting the tail also improves the look forward.


Also can be aircraft dependent. A Pitts will take off quite nicely from a three-point attitude, but, as @Flyin'Dutch' said, the view ahead is mostly of a big engine :mrgreen:
By MarkOlding
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1632513
Well that took a while longer than I expected but after 4 or 5 months of dodgy weather, broken planes (well one), holidays and a complete inability to do the same thing for 2 successive landings I finally went solo in the Cub today.
Weirdly, it made me happier than my first solo while getting my PPL. Now where's the RV brochure :D
Morten, treborsnave liked this
#1632525
MarkOlding wrote:Well that took a while longer than I expected but after 4 or 5 months of dodgy weather, broken planes (well one), holidays and a complete inability to do the same thing for 2 successive landings I finally went solo in the Cub today.
Weirdly, it made me happier than my first solo while getting my PPL. Now where's the RV brochure :D



when you say "broken planes" I am assuming you don't mean you was the one wot bust it!

Ps. Well done on the solo.
#1632705
MarkOlding wrote:Well that took a while longer than I expected but after 4 or 5 months of dodgy weather, broken planes (well one), holidays and a complete inability to do the same thing for 2 successive landings I finally went solo in the Cub today.
Weirdly, it made me happier than my first solo while getting my PPL. Now where's the RV brochure :D


Good effort chap!!!
MarkOlding liked this
By MarkOlding
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1632797
when you say "broken planes" I am assuming you don't mean you was the one wot bust it!

Ps. Well done on the solo.[/quote]

Ahh thankfully not me - I was due to have a lesson when the hirer bought the cub back, unfortunately I turned up to find it a bit sorry for itself having just had a hard landing.....