Taildraggers for a new pilot? Possible, but it will really increase your training time. In fact, I know of one school that converts pilots from tricycle to taildragger and they WILL NOT ALLOW you to take a passenger (other than CFI) until you have 25 hours in taildraggers.
And, if you want a taildragger, look no further than a Carbon Cub. A Cub that has been upgraded throughout, including a 190 HP IO-340 (modified Lycoming). I’ve seen 3.4 second takeoff rolls in that aircraft and it climbs like a raped ape. You can land on sand bars and camp for the night. Stuff like that.
:eek: Was it a brand-new SP with a glass panel? Up here, you can rent a Skyhawk or a Warrior for $125/hour wet. (They also have a Robinson R22 for $242/hour wet.)
Just curious: If you already have your PPL, ir ultralight time logable in the same way an airplane is?
I don’t see anything wrong with learning in a taildragger. Once upon a time, everyone learned in a taildragger. Since tricycle gear has almost entirely replaced conventional gear, you now need special training to get signed off for conventional gear. But if you learn in them from the start, it will be normal to you.
I didn’t see this mentioned, tho I admit I didn’t read every word, but can you join a flying club? I got my private and instrument tickets thru clubs and at the time, there was a savings over local FBOs. Plus there was the social side, which I enjoyed.
Of course, things may have changed. I got my license in 1975 and haven’t piloted a plane since 1978 - I’m kinda out of touch. Good luck! I remember I really enjoyed it way back then!
I got my Private Pilot in the mid 00’s, though I don’t fly anymore currently I’ll never regret doing it.
I went to an aforementioned Part 91 school. My school had a staff of about 6 instructors, a couple of which I didn’t click with as personalities, but I was able to get a primary that was great for 90% of my flights.
My school also had an FAA-certified simulator that they could use to get some credit for instruction hours. They touted this heavily and used it often on rainy days but, IMO, it was a very poor substitute for actual flying and I felt cheated out of much of my money being spent on simulator time rather than in cockpit.
A perk for me was that one of the planes was a beefed up utility/stunt model, and my instructor gave me some pretty wild rides as a fun extra bonus
I’m sure you can log it, not sure it would mean much though, because I don’t think the FAA recognize ultralights as an aircraft. I think the loophole here is to get your ultralight registered as an experimental or LSA which many do.
Gosh, didn’t think places like that still existed. Don’t know about the glass, it was at Fort Worth Meacham, and everything aviation wise in expensive there. That airport even has a 5 million dollar hangar for their police station, didn’t think it was all that impressive. It’s hell just to get in to the airport. You have to call first, and then somebody meets you at the security gate that escorts you in.
I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for much older pilots getting started for the first time, that’s for sure. For the younger crowd, I think I would though, just depends on how comfortable they felt about it, and how they were progressing. Have a 75 year old man at our airport now that never had flown before, but went and bought a old vintage taildragger six months ago, and has yet to do his first solo. He’s getting soured out on the whole process. He just picked the wrong first plane to own and fly. Had he hung out and became an airport bum first, there would have been plenty guiding him along and helping him make a better decision for his first plane.
I found the learning curb a bit steeper than I anticipated, transitioning from a tricycle gear Piper Tomahawk to an RV taildragger didn’t help. Landing the Tomahawk was too easy. I liked to have never gotten the hang of the RV. Now it’s normally no big deal, but even after seven years of flying this particular tail-dragger, and having some really nice 3 point landings in a row, she still reminds me often, who really is in charge.
My younger brother won’t shut up about the Carbon Cubs. Great planes, but if I get a bushplane, I’d like to have something left in the bank.
So, I went down tot he airport that is near where I used to live. It’s the airport that I would watch the little single engine planes take off from and land when I was a kid, so that should be fun. They do small jets now too, since the upgrade (I want to say recently, but it’s probably been over 20 years.)
Scheduled a discovery flight for next Monday, weather permitting. See how things go from there. Sounds like I’ll be going in a Cessna 172N
I don’t think I have any issues that would be disqualified. I’m pretty healthy for my age. But, I might as well go ahead and do that just to make sure that I’m not actually about to keel over and not even know it.
Out of curiosity, what type of paid flying do you do? Is it more charter flights taking people on vacation or to business meetings, or more sight seeing?
Spent some time at a regional airline, now I fly charter. It was a strange road I took getting here, but I’m enjoying it. But I caution anyone thinking about making a career in aviation - it really does change things when you do it for a living.
There was a time when I got up early on weekends to get as much flight time as I could. Later, I found myself so eager for jet time I would have sold my mother down to Rio for another hour in a Lear. Then a couple of years ago, I found myself complaining - “Ugh, do I have to go and fly AGAIN today?!” And by then I was captain of a nice, shiny jet.
Not saying I regret it. But there are days I miss simple VFR flights in a prop plane out of a quiet back country airport. But right now it would be a busman’s holiday. So be sure to enjoy your journey!
