Recently the folks at American Legend Aircraft Company asked me to write an article for their Legend Magazine, to be distributed at April’s Sun ‘n’ Fun. I addressed three-point (full-stall) landings in a tailwheel airplane; specifically the Legend Cub. To read the article on-line, click here (there are also other pictures of ‘Big Al’ throughout the magazine). Here is the text of the article I wrote:

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I’ve been the proud owner of an American Legend Cub for just over three years. During that time I’ve flown it all over Southern California, low and slow. As a CFI I have also issued a couple dozen Tailwheel Endorsements and Flight Reviews in “Big Al”. The plane is a joy to fly and combines the best of the old (classic Cub design and styling) with the best of the new (full electrical, GPS, and responsive flight controls).

There are, however, a couple “nuances” or unique attributes related to flying a Cub. The good news is, once in the air, a Cub flies very much like any other light airplane. It’s the landing and taking off (but primarily landing), that you will really want to dial-in.

Landing a Cub is all seat-of-the pants. Everything you need to know is outside the windows. Because the center of gravity is behind the main wheels, the airplane acts like a weathervane in strong wind conditions and tries to pivot the tail into a wind. In ‘tricycle’ gear airplanes (Cessna and Piper planes from the last 60-years), the center of gravity is in front of the main wheels and many directional and control issues on landing “self-corrected”.

At one point Cessna even marketed this as “Land-O-Matic” landing gear. In the Cub, there is nothing automatic about landing. And that is what makes the Cub such a rewarding and enjoyable plane to fly. You’re only as good as your last landing. You have to work for each landing. You will learn to anticipate what is about to happen, rather than merely reacting to it as you do in a tricycle gear airplane. You will get comfortable with landings, but you should never get complacent about them.

Learning to land a Cub will take about 60-70 practice landings with a good instructor. It’s easy to mount a GoPro or Contour camera on one of the overhead trusses in the cockpit. Going home to watch video of your lessons will help you see the good, the bad and the ugly as you learn to land, and you’ll progress much more quickly.

Here are a few of my favorite tips and observations to help pilots transitioning to tailwheel airplanes, specifically regarding 3-point landings:

>>> The plane sits on the ramp in ‘full-stall’ (3-point) attitude. Burn this sight picture into your mind as you sit in the plane

and as you taxi. This is the sight picture you want to see when you have the wheels 3” over the runway on landing.

>>> When you’re over the runway --- at the height of a person --- bring power to idle and just hold it there… steady, slow, gradual back pressure on the stick to dissipate energy. You’re just getting the plane in position to land; when it’s done flying (the wing stalls), you’ll let the wheels touch the runway.

This phase is generally the most difficult for transitioning pilots. They’re always in a hurry to land, but the Cub’s not done flying! I take students to a nearby 8,000’ runway to do a low pass (6” off the deck) down the entire length of the runway (with ATC’s permission). Slow flight, high angle of attack, just over the runway is a great way to dial-in the required sight picture and control pressures.

>>> If the wing is not fully stalled when the wheels touch, that means you are too fast, and that’s because you’re not close enough to the critical angle of attack! The wing will still want to fly, and the plane will momentarily take off again after the wheels briefly touch. We call this a bounce.

>>> When practicing 3-point landings, try to actually land on the tailwheel first. You won’t be able to; with power at idle it’s nearly impossible to achieve the angle-of-attack required to do

that. But, if you try to do it, it is more likely that you will be that much closer to actually getting the plane into true 3-point / full stall landing position, or as we like to call it: nirvana.

>>> In the Legend Cub, if you do not have the stick all the way back when the wheels touch, there is about a 99.9% chance you are going to ‘bounce’. The goal is to dissipate energy (airspeed) when you are 3” over the runway with smooth, gradual, continual back-pressure on the stick until you can get the wheels to touch at the same moment the stick has reached its full aft position ---- that’s a true 3-point landing!

1. ->>> Always keep the nose pointed at the far end of the runway. You do this with rudder inputs. To keep the airplane over the centerline, use the ailerons.

   

   
   

2. ->>> Small control inputs early are always better than large inputs later.
   

>>> Pitch for airspeed; power for descent. If you can dial-in 50mph on short final you’ll greatly minimize your float down the runway as you dissipate energy (in the form of airspeed) before you land.

>>> Wear thin-soled shoes. You need to feel the rudder inputs you’re making. If you’re wearing Air Jordans or combat boots,

you’re not going to feel anything. I fly with a pair of Puma racing shoes; almost as good as flying barefoot.

>>> If it ever starts to get wonky, simply power up and go-around. No good can come from keeping the wheels on the ground when the plane is not under control. Get it back in the air and dial it in on the next landing.

>>> I notice a lot of pilots correcting a pitch, airspeed or runway centerline issue with power or control inputs --- but then forgetting the second part of that --- to then neutralize the power or input control. If they’re too low, for example, they correct with power and get back to glidepath, but then fail to neutralize power, and proceed to climb above glidepath, creating an unstabilized approach.

>>> Whatever aileron and rudder inputs you are using to correct for a crosswind over the fence will have to be increased as the plane decelerates during roll-out and control effectiveness lessens. Don’t make a decent landing then lose control when you’re turning onto the taxiway!

>>> Bounces are OK; PIO’s (Pilot Induced Oscillations) are not. If you bounce a 3-point landing, it means you were too fast when you let the wheels touch; the wing had not exceeded the critical angle of attack and was not stalled. Power up, level off and try it again 300’ down the runway (remaining runway permitting), or power up and go around. Don’t try to fight the oscillations after a bounce; they generally never get better.

>>> The flight’s not over until the first beer is in front of you.

Correct for wind while taxiing to and from the runway and always chock both main wheels when refueling and whenever you’re not in the plane.

Garry Wing is a Commercial Pilot, CFI and American Legend Cub owner. He’s been flying light airplanes for nearly 40-years and resides in San Diego, CA. He can be reached through his website, www.FlyTheWing.com  

© 2013 Garry Wing