houndsfour said:
Brad,
Just don't let the thoughts of the non tail wheel flyers get the better of you.
"Always keep the little wheel in back of the big wheels."
Rich
RV-6 275 hr.
N271ET
That's good advice. I tend to ask what people's experience is when they volunteer advice, especially absolute-sounding advice. I've been around planes long enough to have received my fare share of emphatic advice from people who heard second hand from someone who surmised from someone else who knew a guy who read an article. . . .
I heard how Mooneys will bite you on landing: wrong.
How Aerostars are terribly hard to control, especially on one engine: wrong again (I've found then easier and more straight forward to handle than Barons, which don't have that reputation).
We've all heard how homebuilts are terribly unsafe too.
But it always seems to be from "advisors" who don't have significant first-hand experience. It reminds me of the media reports on practically any aviation topic, where they'll make authoritative, sweeping statements that are fundamentally incorrect.
Also, I've found that the scare-advice tends to be directed at aircraft that fly differently than the planes that most people are used to/learned to fly in. It just takes learning how the different kind of plane flies (and in the case of Mooneys and Aerostars, it's been a case of mastering airspeed control). Any plane is dangerous if operated unskillfully, and some planes require more skill than others, but I haven't flown a certified plane that was not conquerable with adequate experience.
Anyway, I'm approaching the taildragger as I approached flying a twin. Make sure you get excellent training. Fly different types (and eventually with different pilots/instructors) so you incorporate a deeper understanding of how things work. Keep current (every month or two I have a buddy chop power on an engine, with me under the hood, and preferably when I least expect it). And respect the limitations of the machine and pilot.
I'm looking forward to learning something new. If I don't buy another plane right away, I may add a seaplane rating too just for fun, but I think I'll end up in the market for something like a Super Decathlon while I build an RV-8.