First Tailwheel Solo

I keep wondering why it felt so different. I have soloed in many different types and never felt the same. Thinking back, there are probably several small reasons, little dabs of paint that when you step back and look at the whole picture, made for a slightly intimidating aircraft, and hence the nervousness.

There were all of Appa's stories about experienced Air Force pilots swinging on take off. Then there was the article in AOPA pilot where their flying editors spoke about their nervousness flying a tailwheel and the fact that they'd never soloed after getting the endorsement on paper. Then there was the whole changing instructors thing -- I spent close to 10 hours with the first, but felt like he was destroying my confidence more than teaching me to fly. Mike Korklan turned out to be a breath of fresh air -- more realistic about the level of "perfection" a new Tailwheel pilot should have, and equally keen to point out what you did well as he was to tell you what you could improve, and how.

Anyway, Mike had said that we'd do a few take offs and landings, even some soft and short ones, and then he'd give me a "final exam" and sign me off. All that went well and we asked the tower to give us the right so that we could call it a day. Mike expected me to taxi to the fuel island, tank up, and taxi back to the hangar. He was not a little puzzled when I asked him whether I could just drop him off and go do a few solos myself. In fact, I think he said "it's good that you want to fly this aircraft solo". Maybe he thought I was one of those people who wanted a Tailwheel endorsement for the logbook. (Of course, this made me a little nervous too).

The Taxi out and take off felt good, and it also reminded me why I like flying so much -- it's the ultimate responsibility trip.

On previous flights I might have been a bit lazier on my feet or less careful about sliding my feet down so that I was not touching the brakes, but this time, with no Mike to step in if things went hairy, I was acutely conscious of where my feet were, how I gradually added pressure on the right rudder as the tail came up and how firm I was to keep the nose exactly on the centerline. Good habits came automatically too, like a quick sneak at the engine instruments when adding power.

A snappy climb out and nice, coordinated left turn saw me on the cross-wind to 27L, throttling back to maintain 600', and turning left on the downwind left. Richard's constant reminders to look out came back to me again, as I watched a Southwest B-737-800 lumber down runway 29 and get airborne on my right.

The first landing was a conventional 3-pointer that worked out just perfect. I followed that by another 3-pointer, and then a nice wheel landing that I judged well enough that I needed no power to help out. By this time I was confident enough to consider, and later execute, two multiples (3-point + wheel), before deciding to call it a day.

The last landing was the most fun, since I did a wheel landing on 27R so that I could roll upto the turnoff point Golf, which is closest to the fuel island. A three pointer would have had me stop really short (this aircraft lands on a dime) and then I'd have had to exit and taxi some distance to the fuel island. That felt really professional.

I love this plane. I really felt one with it, where the sound of the engine and the wind over the wings was enough to know whether we were at the right throttle setting or at the right landing speed. Almost takes me back to times in Delhi in the T-21b or the ASK-13 (gliders) where I often did not need to look at the gauges.

There were times with the other instructor that I hated the Citabria with every fiber of my being and had written off ever being able to fly it. But now, I just can't think of flying anything but this aircraft. I guess I now have to find enough single victims to take up with me.

I am already thinking up trips I can take in this think -- and of course soft field -- this aircraft was made for a grassy strip -- I hope I can head out to Columbia or some such place soon and try that out too...

Maybe I'll even convince Sandhya to let me buy one of them soon...