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Flight Training

Tailwheel Endorsement

Are you already a pilot, but haven’t flown a tailwheel airplane? Improve your flying skills, especially takeoffs and landings, while you learn to tame the taildragger!

AeroDynamic Aviation specializes in tailwheel endorsements, initial training in Citabria 7ECA for Private or Sport Pilot Licenses, and aerobatics/upset recovery. With nearly 60 years of experience flying taildraggers, we are the premier school in the industry. Our instructors go through rigorous training to learn to fly from the backseat so they can turn you into a proficient, tailwheel-endorsed pilot.

Requirements for Tailwheel Endorsement
  • At least 17 years of age
  • Private Pilot Certificate. No FAA written test needed.
  • Medical: None for training, US Drivers License or Class I, II, or III to fly without instructor, depending on airplane. Light Sport Airplanes do not require a medical.
  • 10 hrs dual minimum required by AeroDynamic Aviation to rent our taildraggers.
  • Must fly to proficiency
3-Day Tailwheel Endorsement Course

This immersion course is designed to take a pilot completely new to taildraggers through to a tailwheel endorsement. The only prerequisites are a Private Pilot Certificate. The course will give a pilot 10-15 hours of intensive flight training over a consecutive 3-day period, ending with a tailwheel endorsement. If additional hours are needed or desired they will be charged at the regular rates. The training can be done in the following aircraft:

  • Bellanca Citabria 7ECA, 115hp
  • Bellanca Citabria 7GCAA, 150hp
  • Bellanca Citabria 7KCAB, 150hp

We will endeavor to match the student with the same instructor for the whole period, although sometimes that won’t be possible. It is also possible to mix and match airplanes.

The course does not have to be done in three days; training can be spread over a longer period. The same topics would be covered in a similar order.

Tailwheel Endorsement Course Outline

Citabria, Champ, California, tailwheel syllabus, tailwheel, taildragger tailwheel syllabus, tailwheel endorsement, tailwheel maneuversWe have our own syllabus for tailwheel transition, which can also be used for the accelerated 3-day course. We have a maneuvers guide specific to Citabria to help with mastering tailwheel skills.

Three-Day Tailwheel Course Syllabus

Day 1Day2Day 3

Day 1

Ground Approx time 1:30

  • Introduction
  • Background discussion
  • Aircraft description
  • Flight manual
  • Limitations
  • Weight and balance
  • Takeoff and landing techniques
  • Emergencies and malfunctions
  • Flight briefing
  • Preflight

Flight Approx time 2:00 (or two flights with a short break)

  • Preflight inspection
  • Starting procedures
  • Taxi
  • Proper control usage on ground
  • Checklist usage
  • Normal takeoff
  • Normal climb
  • Coordination exercises
  • Steep turns
  • Full stall series
  • Simulated emergencies including engine failure and power off glides
  • Pattern entries ( South County Airport )
  • Normal landings and takeoffs (power off approach, 3-point, full stop)
  • Taxi procedures
  • Pattern exit
  • Coordination exercises
  • Pattern entries
  • Wide runway landing ( Hollister Airport , Watsonville alternate)
  • Post flight

Ground Lunch Approx time 1:00

  • Tailwheel stability
  • Directional control
  • Gyroscopic precession
  • P-factor
  • Takeoff and landing techniques
  • Flight briefing

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Normal (3-point) takeoff and full-stop landing
  • Bounce recoveries
  • Directional control exercises
  • Slips
  • Pattern exit
  • Coordination exercises
  • Slow flight
  • Pattern entry ( South County Airport )
  • Normal (3-point) landing full stop
  • Debrief

Ground Approx time 1:00

  • Flight discussion
  • Review of progress
  • Q&A
  • Flight briefing

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Normal takeoff and landing
  • Slips
  • Pattern exit
  • Coordination exercises
  • Steep turns
  • Stall review
  • Pattern entry (Reid-Hillview)
  • Normal (3-point) landing full stop
  • Debrief

Day 2

Ground Approx time 1:00

  • Answer student questions
  • Spins, spin entries and recoveries
  • Short field takeoffs and landings
  • Soft field takeoffs and landings
  • Grass field landings
  • Crosswind takeoffs and landings
  • Touch-and-goes
  • Flight briefing

Flight Approx time 2:00

  • Taxi
  • Normal takeoff
  • Pattern exit
  • Coordination exercises
  • Steep turns
  • Spins
  • Pattern entry (Frazier Lake Airpark)
  • Grass landing and takeoff practice
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry ( Hollister Airport , Watsonville alternate)
  • Crosswind landing (3-point) full stop
  • Debrief

Ground Lunch Approx time 1:00

  • Aircraft systems
  • Weight and balance
  • Performance problems
  • Fuel consumption
  • Flight briefing

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Normal takeoff and landing (Hollister, Watsonville alternate)
  • Touch and goes
  • Crosswind takeoff and landing full stops
  • Slips
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry ( Frazier Lake )

Ground Approx time 0:30

  • Flight discussion
  • Pre-flight briefing

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Normal takeoff and landing
  • Short field takeoff and landing
  • Soft field takeoff and landing
  • Pattern exit
  • Coordination exercises
  • Steep turns
  • Slow flight
  • Pattern entry (Reid-Hillview)
  • Normal (3-point) landing
  • Debrief

Day 3

Ground Approx time 1:00

  • Answer student questions
  • Review flight manual
  • Wheel landings
  • Flight briefing

Flight Approx time 2:00

  • Instructor’s choice takeoff
  • Pattern exit
  • Coordination exercises
  • Stall review
  • Pattern entry ( South County )
  • Touch and goes (3-point)
  • Go-arounds
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry (Hollister, Watsonville alternate)
  • Wheel landings full stop

Ground Lunch Approx time 1:00

  • Student questions
  • Wheel landings
  • FAR review ( FARs pertinent to tailwheel airplanes)

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Wheel landings
  • Touch and goes (normal and crosswind)
  • Full stop landings
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry ( South County )
  • Wheel landing

Ground Approx time 0:30

  • Flight discussion

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Landings (3-point) full stop
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry (Reid-Hillview)
  • Debrief
  • Tailwheel endorsement

Ground Approx time 1:00

  • Answer student questions
  • Review flight manual
  • Wheel landings
  • Flight briefing

Flight Approx time 2:00

  • Instructor’s choice takeoff
  • Pattern exit
  • Coordination exercises
  • Stall review
  • Pattern entry ( South County )
  • Touch and goes (3-point)
  • Go-arounds
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry (Hollister, Watsonville alternate)
  • Wheel landings full stop

Ground Lunch Approx time 1:00

  • Student questions
  • Wheel landings
  • FAR review ( FARs pertinent to tailwheel airplanes)

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Wheel landings
  • Touch and goes (normal and crosswind)
  • Full stop landings
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry ( South County )
  • Wheel landing

Ground Approx time 0:30

  • Flight discussion

Flight Approx time 1:30

  • Landings (3-point) full stop
  • Pattern exit
  • Pattern entry (Reid-Hillview)
  • Debrief
  • Tailwheel endorsement

Estimated Cost

Total hours on our tailwheel transition syllabus: 10-15 hours dual

Click below for details on Aircraft and Instructor Rates

San Jose Aircraft
San Jose Instructors

Articles and Links for Flying Taildraggers
Budd Davisson’s wrote an article in EAA Sport Aviation about “Taming The Taildragger Pilot“. He also wrote “Tailwheel, the Pros and Cons of Learning in a Taildragger.” For  more about the EAA and Sport Aviation magazine click here.

“Wag the Tailwheel” by Pia Bergqvist in Flying Magazine.

Citabria, tailwheel, tailwheel endorsement, taildragger, california
Citabria, tailwheel, tailwheel endorsement, taildragger, california
Cessna 170, tailwheel, taildragger, california, flight training

Prices and rates are subject to change without notice. All training and rentals are subject to the terms and conditions in the Renter’s Agreement. Minimum 24 hours’ notice required for cancellation or you may be charged for the rental time.

C Flight training, california, pilot, monterey, san jose, salinas, private pilot, tailwheelome fly with us in the beautiful San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas of California. Our flight school facilities are located at Reid Hillview airport in San Jose (KRHV), at the south end of San Francisco Bay, and Monterey Regional Airport (KMRY). We offer ground and flight training for sport pilot, private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, multi-engine, ATP, CFI, tailwheel, aerobatics, and mountain flying.

Ready to schedule a flight? Have a question? Give us a call!

San Jose (408) 320-9614

Monterey (831) 373-8320

You can also reach us via email with our Contact Form

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