Training is customized to each student, but my general approach starts before your first lesson with a list of recommendations for home study. When you get here there will typically be about an hour of ground training, followed by tailwheel ground operations in the aircraft, working our way towards high-speed, tail-up taxing. This is where the real learning starts and where pilots are required to stay calm, anticipate, and use finesse over power to ‘keep it straight’ on the runway. From there we’ll move on to air-work, flying a number of exercises designed to teach aileron/rudder coordination and get the general feel of the aircraft.  Coming back to the airport we’ll move into pattern work, starting with go-around procedures, cross-control technique, 3-point landings, wheel landing, and finally crosswind landings. Depending on conditions and student desires, we’ll try to incorporate some grass strips into the schedule.

While the Luscombe is known as a demanding aircraft, it is an honest aircraft and  does exactly what the pilot tells it to do.  With its powerful and responsive controls, it's highly capable but also points out sloppy technique.  This makes the Luscombe a good trainer - requiring high standards to fly well and makes transition into most other tailwheel aircraft easier.

The tailwheel endorsement typically takes about 10 hours, but depends on a number of factors.  Student weight is limited to 220 lbs.