Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/323139
28 Vol.3 No.6 / June 2014 TAILDRAGGERS 3. Lack of continual scan. The pilot's eyes have to continually move across the nose judging it against the horizon and monitoring the aircraft's posi- tion on the ground. At the same time the scan should be circling back through the cockpit while the mind says PAST—power, alti- tude, speed (another way of saying nose attitude), track (meaning the line we're fl ying across the ground). If we fi xate on one thing, we're going to let something else get out of whack. However, the windshield and the view outside is the primary instrument with the instrument panel providing fi ne-tuning. 4. Lack of precision. Everything in the air that defi nes the path to the perfect po- sition in fl are has a quantifi able parameter attached to it. Maybe it's distance from the runway on downwind, altitude when power is cut, confi guration change position, airspeed on fi nal, etc. The more precisely we control all of those parameters, the more likely we're going to be in the sweet spot in ground ef ect when we fl are. A S FOR GROUND H A NDL ING In more than 40 years of checking folks out in tailwheel airplanes (with an emphasis on Pitts and high-performance taildraggers), I've not found a single person who couldn't land a taildragger in a fairly short time. This includes not one, but three amputees. However, because there are so many opinions and methods connected with teaching actual ground han- dling, I'm going to make the following statements knowing that there will be those out there who will be jumping up and down saying "No, no, no!" That being the case, I invite them to drop a note to Experimenter (e-mail Experimenter@eaa.org ) and, if we get enough good ones, we'll do another article and present the other viewpoints. My techniques have evolved over the years, as I've tried dif erent methods of teaching taildragger landings. So I've experienced most of them and am willing to discuss them. 1. Where do you look when landing: a new view. This is a point of controversy. The majority of instructors teach the tailwheel student to look straight ahead and use his peripheral vision. For decades I taught that way, too. However, 10 or 12 years ago I changed because the information coming from the edges of peripheral vision is too "soft," and I need more accurate info. To illustrate the problem, try this: Put your index fi ngers pointing up at arm's length in front of you about 14 inches apart. Turn your head and stare at the left fi nger. Without moving your eyes, study your other fi nger in your peripheral vision. See how blurry it is? The FAA says as soon as your vision is 5 degrees of the point of focus, 20/20 vision drops to 20/100 and keeps going down the farther you get from the point of focus. That's why you're advised to scan for traf c clicking across the horizon in narrow visual segments. I fi nd the best information during fl are and rollout is where the edges of the runway touch the side of the fuselage at 10 and 2 o'clock (assuming a tandem aircraft). Then the focus is shifted from point to point throughout takeof and landing. On super slow aircraft (Cubs, etc.), peripheral vision can work, but not on faster, quicker aircraft. Pilots coming out of side-by-side aircraft have a dif cult time keeping from looking at one side when in a tandem. Photography by Bonnie Kratz Most classic-era aircraft were also taildraggers, such as this Stinson 103. E A A E X P _ J u n e 1 4 . i n d d 2 8 EAAEXP_June14.indd 28 6 / 3 / 1 4 8 : 4 0 A M 6/3/14 8:40 AM