When I started flying in 1957, tail wheel was the only way to go. We did have a Tri-Pacer in the SAC Aero Club,(Davis Monthan AFB, AZ), but that was about a year after I started flying and the first trike gear I flew. On my second time in the air, with a different instructor than the first time, my new instructor told me to go ahead and taxi out and then told me to take off. He was under the impression that I had about 5 hours in the air. At that time I had about 50 minutes just getting use to the controls. I managed to get airborne after touching both sides of the runway, (about 50 feet wide) and making a low pass at the hanger area. My instructor had the nerves of a lion going after a piss-ant. He said "That was a little rough, lets go around and try it again." Then after that take off he told me to land the airplane,(Champ 7AC). Never have I seen an instructor with that much guts. I did manage to get it on the ground but I suspect I had some help from the back seat. It was the that he asked me how much time I had. When I told him I had less than an hour of air work only, he said lets go try that again! I took off again with nothing but verbal instructions from him and also landed with just verbal instructions. TAIL DRAGGERS are easy rick Driscoll Saint Paul, MN [email protected]
If you can read this, Thank a teacher If you are reading this in English, thank a veteran
