The International Cessna 170 Association

Guys I finally soloed my new 170 this past weekend. I’m a low time pilot and N1714D is my first tail dragger. After about 3 flights with my instructor and a couple with an experienced TW pilot, I took the plunge. I made 3 touch and goes and one full stop landing. I was struggling to maintain alignment on final because by the time I soloed I had a 50 degree crosswind at 7, gusting to 14. Not the prettiest landings but successful. It’s a good feeling to be able to practice on my own going forward.
JP

Congratulations!

Congratulations

Well Done !

Way to go JP! Log all the landings you want but remember that only the full stop ones count for currency in taildraggers. Keep practicing and a 7G14 crosswind will be a piece of cake (just don't let it go to your head; taildraggers seem to notice when you've stopped paying attention ).

Congratulations! I remember my 170 solo as fondly as my student pilot solo.

I had about 1500 hours before I learned tailwheel, so I had lots of complacency to un-learn. For the first two years I had my 170, as I'd turn base to final I'd say out loud to myself, "Pay attention! You're about to land a tailwheel airplane!"

Good Job JP

When I went through pilot training in '43, all the training had been in tailwheel airplanes with control sticks. My first control WHEEL was in a B-25. On my first ride, the instructor taxied off the parking apron onto the long straight taxi strip leading to the take off end of the parallel runway. "OK, you've got it." he said. The airplane must have known that taxiway and it went straight down to the end without any help from me. As we reached the end, I NATURALLY turned the control wheel to the right to steer it onto rhe runup pad. The stupid North American B-25 kept going straight ahead! Fortunately the instructor was alert to the stupidity of the STUDENT pilot and got us turned before we went off the pavement onto the grass. I thought for sure he would make me wear my Cub Scout uniform on my next ride.

Congrats on a major LIFE accomplishment, JP!

Congrats!!!

Great job!

Congratulations JP! Keep up the good work and let us know how things are going from time to time. Wish you could have made the Christmas party but there is always next year.

blueldr wrote:When I went through pilot training in '43, all the training had been in tailwheel airplanes with control sticks. My first control WHEEL was in a B-25. On my first ride, the instructor taxied off the parking apron onto the long straight taxi strip leading to the take off end of the parallel runway. "OK, you've got it." he said. The airplane must have known that taxiway and it went straight down to the end without any help from me. As we reached the end, I NATURALLY turned the control wheel to the right to steer it onto rhe runup pad. The stupid North American B-25 kept going straight ahead! Fortunately the instructor was alert to the stupidity of the STUDENT pilot and got us turned before we went off the pavement onto the grass. I thought for sure he would make me wear my Cub Scout uniform on my next ride.

That's a great story!

JP, congrats on the solo! There's just something about a taildragger and these days it seems taildragger pilots are a small percentage of pilots out there. I flew in to an airport about 50 miles from home a couple weeks ago and there was a Citation on the ground. The pilot walked up to me and we got to talking about how fast his Citation was. I was in awe, but then he told me he'd ever flown a taildragger.

Congradulations JP. Now you will begin to realize how great it is to fly a tail dragger. Just keep alert and you will be fine with crosswinds.

John

Thanks Guys.
Tomorrow will be the first day I show up at the airport alone and practice unassisted. I'm looking forward to it!
Richard, I was not ready for cross country flight for the Christmas Party this year but I do plan to attend the convention in Gulf Shores next summer.
JP