From a Cessna to a T6

[EDowning]

I learned to fly tailwheel in the Yale. I wouldn't reccomend that.

The Stearman is an excellent choice. Easy to maintain, cheap to operate and an excellent all around airplane to fly. It will teach you about radials and remind you what your feet are for.

[sdennison]

Feet, feet, feet...was watching the "Thunderbolt" film from '43 again with the footage from Italy. The camera filming the tail on take off just showed the rudder flapping back and forth. It was great! I could just picture this young kid "dancing" on the rudder pedals to get that warbird in the air.

[cluvara]

Avoid getting all your tail wheel time in a Citabria. They are so easy to fly that I find some people don't give them as much credit towards tail wheel time (like Apache time is now for many multi-time requirements).

The Citabria thing will get me some complaints, but I would not loan my airplane to someone that had 200 hours of Citabria time, but would consider someone with 50 hours of Luscombe time. And I am not kidding, I loaned my airplane to someone last week that had never been in a Clipper in his life (Bernie Vasquez). Of course he showed up in the Jelly Belly Stearman, and I had met him a couple of times before.

I'd disagree only to the fact that if you're taught "right" it doesn't really matter what T/W you learn in. I had 200 hours in mainly Citabria's when I got checked out in a T-6. Learn the basics, and everything else will follow.

And besides Eric... you told me I could come up and fly the Clipper!

Chris

[valdez25]

I checked out a guy with "0" tail wheel time, and about 100 hours total time last summer in my '6. He got 7 hours in a Decathalon, then came to fly with me. He was ready to go from the time he sat down. We flew about 24 hours in the '6 to give him a really good understanding of the plane and it's operation, then he flew his dad's '6 to OSK!

[Dudley Henriques]

If you have learned to fly via the usual training with Cessna's (150's, 172's) and now you want to advance to possibly an AT6, what would you guys advise? Is there an airplane that would be appropriate to learn tail wheel training in? Is there a process or direction to follow? If anyone here really had an interest in trying to fly warbirds someday, What does our warbird veterans advise after Cessna 3 wheel training?

M

The 6 isn't hard to fly. From what you are saying, the main ingredient in the transition equation should be the pilot you choose to instruct you in the 6 not so much the tailwheel type you choose for tailwheel training.
Naturally there are some tailwheel types that are more sensitive and squirrelly than others. Common sense dictates that a Decathlon for example is going to be easier to handle for a beginner than a PT22.
A Luscombe is a bit more to handle than a J3 for the average beginner, but with the right instructor, any one of these airplanes can be used.
The trick is simply to learn the basics of handling a tailwheel airplane, THEN learning what you need to know to handle the T6.
It's bigger, more powerful, and heavier, and it's certainly noisier , but there's nothing terribly exciting about flying the T6. It flies well, handles well, and is a stable and friendly airplane if handled PROPERLY!
So don't worry too much about what airplane to choose for your transition into tailwheels, and spend a WHOLE LOT of time choosing the instructor!
Best of luck to you.
Dudley Henriques

[gilt]

Avoid getting all your tail wheel time in a Citabria. They are so easy to fly that I find some people don't give them as much credit towards tail wheel time (like Apache time is now for many multi-time requirements).

The Citabria thing will get me some complaints, but I would not loan my airplane to someone that had 200 hours of Citabria time, but would consider someone with 50 hours of Luscombe time. And I am not kidding, I loaned my airplane to someone last week that had never been in a Clipper in his life (Bernie Vasquez). Of course he showed up in the Jelly Belly Stearman, and I had met him a couple of times before.

I'd disagree only to the fact that if you're taught "right" it doesn't really matter what T/W you learn in. I had 200 hours in mainly Citabria's when I got checked out in a T-6. Learn the basics, and everything else will follow.

And besides Eric... you told me I could come up and fly the Clipper!

Chris

You are 100% correct, getting a complete checkout in conventional gear from an experienced and truly qualified conventional gear instructor is more important than the type of aircraft flown. Then do endless takeoffs and full stall landings in the simplest and cheapest conventional gear aircraft..................................when you can make it sing and dance you will be able to make other aircraft walk and talk.

Today most conventional gear checkouts are done by a CFI with 50 hours of conventional gear time who is at least 5 generations of 50 hour conventional gear CFIs from someone who is fully qualified and experienced in conventional gear aircraft.

Tom-

[Vessbot]

Avoid getting all your tail wheel time in a Citabria. They are so easy to fly that I find some people don't give them as much credit towards tail wheel time (like Apache time is now for many multi-time requirements).

The Citabria thing will get me some complaints, but I would not loan my airplane to someone that had 200 hours of Citabria time, but would consider someone with 50 hours of Luscombe time. And I am not kidding, I loaned my airplane to someone last week that had never been in a Clipper in his life (Bernie Vasquez). Of course he showed up in the Jelly Belly Stearman, and I had met him a couple of times before.

I'd disagree only to the fact that if you're taught "right" it doesn't really matter what T/W you learn in. I had 200 hours in mainly Citabria's when I got checked out in a T-6. Learn the basics, and everything else will follow.

Chris

I'd add on top of that that it's up to the pilot to keep himself honest after the instructor leaves.

Then do endless takeoffs and full stall landings in the simplest and cheapest conventional gear aircraft..................................when you can make it sing and dance you will be able to make other aircraft walk and talk.

To get the maximum benefit from the experience, I would become and stay proficient in all the airplane's modes... not limed to one type of landing.

And don't shy away from them crosswinds!

[Dave Downs]

[

Today most conventional gear checkouts are done by a CFI with 50 hours of conventional gear time who is at least 5 generations of 50 hour conventional gear CFIs from someone who is fully qualified and experienced in conventional gear aircraft.
Tom-

Hmmmm- I've got some bragging rights here

One of my tail-wheel instructors had taken instruction from Orville Wright and had a signed log book to prove it!!

.....he's gone West.......

[Jake Fendermen]

I did it the hard way, but the proceedure worked. In 1968 I had 100 hours in a C-150 and no tailwheel time. My dad and I had been looking for an airplane to buy and eventually located a T-6G at Parker Cramer airport in Clarion, Pa. The asking price was $3000.00, but we picked it up for $2800.00. It had a 90 hour chrome engine, but was out of annual and needed lots of TLC and all the fabric replaced. Following the inspection I began taking dual instruction from ex-Air America pilot Bill Andresevic and soloed the plane in January of 1969 after 9 hours of dual. Would I suggest this is the way for everyone; probably not, but it did work. :

Jake Fendermen
"Those were the days".

[Ethan]

I recommend a Globe Swift.
Thats what i plan to use,this is my fathers.

looks like a warbird and flys like one too.

[skymstr02]

I want to apply for for check out in the CAF WI Wing's PT-26.

If you are not a sponsor on that airplane, you may want to consider sponsoring it. A sponsorship goes a long way in getting approved to fly it.

[RickH]

That's a nice looking Swift !

A Cessna 120/140/170 are relatively inexpensive to acquire and operate.

[gilt]

I did it the hard way, but the proceedure worked. In 1968 I had 100 hours in a C-150 and no tailwheel time. My dad and I had been looking for an airplane to buy and eventually located a T-6G at Parker Cramer airport in Clarion, Pa. The asking price was $3000.00, but we picked it up for $2800.00. It had a 90 hour chrome engine, but was out of annual and needed lots of TLC and all the fabric replaced. Following the inspection I began taking dual instruction from ex-Air America pilot Bill Andresevic and soloed the plane in January of 1969 after 9 hours of dual. Would I suggest this is the way for everyone; probably not, but it did work. :

Jake Fendermen
"Those were the days".

If that was Erg Murray's T-6 it had plenty pf interesting stories to tell.

Tom-

[Randy Haskin]

I recommend a Globe Swift.

looks like a warbird and flys like one too.

Which warbird is it that it flies like?

I recommend a Globe Swift.

looks like a warbird and flys like one too.

Which warbird is it that it flies like?

All of em!!! ....