After the checkered: Every day is Taildragger Tuesday

In the air, both types of aircraft fly basically the same way. On the ground, it’s a different story. A conventional-gear airplane’s center of gravity is located aft of the main landing gear. The nose has to be kept straight, and proper rudder use is essential to prevent a ground loop—what happens when the pilot loses directional control and the airplane swivels on its longitudinal axis during a takeoff or landing. As AOPA Editor at Large Dave Hirschman says, “It’s worth repeating that the best trainers are easy to fly, but hard to fly well. They reward good technique and punish sloppiness and inattention.”

If you have flown only tricycle-gear airplanes, you’ll need a tailwheel endorsement to act as pilot in command of a taildragger. Many flight schools conduct tailwheel training in aircraft ranging from the classic Cub to the American Champion Decathlon.

The endorsement has no minimum number of flight hours, and there’s no knowledge or flight test associated with it. Once your instructor has determined that you’re proficient, he or she will endorse your logbook. A tailwheel endorsement can’t substitute for a flight review, but the training can be incorporated into a flight review.

AOPA’s Flight School Database allows you to search flight schools by name, city, or state, and once you locate a candidate, you can see whether the school offers tailwheel instruction.