Is tailwheel endorsement really necessary?

[flyboycpa]

Tailwheel pilots have balls.. the rest are just women.. dressed in mens clothing..

That's interesting.....my wife has 300 hours TT, only 20 of that is tricycle (and that's only because we recently did her high performance signoff in a buddy's 182 and did some trips) PLUS she owns her own 1947 Stinson 108-1 Voyager. I don't think that she has balls, though. In fact I'm sure, I've looked!

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[81Horse]

PLUS she owns her own 1947 Stinson 108-1 Voyager. I don't think that she has balls, though.

Okay -- still, she's a stud!

 

[Tram]

That's interesting.....my wife has 300 hours TT, only 20 of that is tricycle (and that's only because we recently did her high performance signoff in a buddy's 182 and did some trips) PLUS she owns her own 1947 Stinson 108-1 Voyager. I don't think that she has balls, though. In fact I'm sure, I've looked!

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Eh.. ok.. I guess you totally missed what I was trying to get at.. Oh well..

 

[Lead Sled]

About the only thing it will do for your career is give you something else to talk about in an interview. It will allow you to gain more skill flying but won't keep you from an airline job. Much like many other once needed ratings like the seaplane, flight navigator, and increasingly the flight engineer, these are all ratings that are almost if not completely unneeded for a person just starting thier career. If you had the opportunity to do these and can afford to then by all means do them. I did my seaplane rating because it was free (except for the $200 for the examiner fee) for instructing a year at my old college.

I've got to disagree with you. Have those ratings and endorsements could, in a round about way, get you that airline job. Remember, for the most part, everyone at that level is pretty much equally qualified and basically a clone of everyone else. When I was hired by one of the majors, the fact that I had learned to fly and had a bunch of time in tail draggers and also had a glider rating set me apart from the crowd - go figure? (The chief pilot was a soaring enthusiast and as I mentioned in a previous post, he told me once that he could always spot guys with taildragger time when they flew a B727.) My advise for you guys wanting to break into the business is to concentrate on the "total package", not just the "essential" licenses, ratings, and flight time.

'Sled

 

[Tram]

I'm not that far into my career.. but I totally agree with Lead Sled..

Everyone shows up at the interview with all the same boxes checked... Anything you can offer that will help you stand out, in a positive way, could help...

The fact of the matter is, a tail wheel endorsement, complimented with a good handful of tailwheel time, will indeed make you a better stick/rudder guy...

 

[Say Again Over]

I don't think tailwheel experience gives me ANY advantage flying a modern jet.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Interviewer looking at Application:
Hmmmm.... let's see, ATP, 2000 multi-PIC, 121/135 experience, turbojet...
bla bla bla....oh! Tail wheel! In a (insert classic plane here)!! I loved that plane.

Sometimes, certain things really make you stand out. My tailwheel has impressed
a few, usually the older crustier (not an insult) pilots.


Not only tailwheel. In one interview, the guy saw the Citation time and could
not care less. Saw my F-27 time and were instant friends (guy had thousands
of captain hours in them). You never know what will peak a person's interest.

CE

 

[Lead Sled]

Interviewer looking at Application:
Hmmmm.... let's see, ATP, 2000 multi-PIC, 121/135 experience, turbojet...
bla bla bla....oh! Tail wheel! In a (insert classic plane here)!! I loved that plane.

Sometimes, certain things really make you stand out. My tailwheel has impressed a few, usually the older crustier (not an insult) pilots.

Not only tailwheel. In one interview, the guy saw the Citation time and could not care less. Saw my F-27 time and were instant friends (guy had thousands of captain hours in them). You never know what will peak a person's interest.

That was exactly my point. As far as Say Again Over's comments, I've flown with more than a few pilots in "modern" jets who seem to have "issues" with runway alignment once the yaw dampner comes off on short final or in the flair. Again, a lot of guys never really have figured out what their feet are there for.

'Sled

 

[Tram]

I don't think tailwheel experience gives me ANY advantage flying a modern jet.

That's probably because you can't fly a tailwheel aircraft..

 

[81Horse]

That's probably because you can't fly a tailwheel aircraft..

Let's be fair: flying them is no great challenge. It's those few moments between flying and driving that build character.