Book – ‘Taildragger Tactics’ by Sparky Imeson

Description

Sparky Imeson is one of the “gurus” of mountain and bush flying, and imparts much knowledge in this book. This book is obviously oriented towards those flying taildraggers, but beyond that, it covers many techniques and procedures for flying in mountains and remote areas (the places where taildraggers excel) and will be of interest to anyone operating in such environments regardless of the type of aircraft they fly. Imeson teaches many techniques that many pilots may be unfamiliar with, which help to get the most performance possible out of the airplane and can help cope with a variety of unusual or marginal situations. He also gives many useful rules of thumb and parameters to make the right “go-no go” decisions before and during the flight, covering the many otherwise “unusual” situations that only occur in bush/mountain flying.

Written by Sparky Imeson, Copyright 1998, 2004. ISBN 1-880568-70-5. Published by Aurora Publications. 274 Pages, Softcover.

Chapters include:

INTRODUCTION STRUCTURE FLIGHT OPERATIONS AVIATION ACTIVITY FLYING THE TAILDRAGGER AERODYNAMICS NON-ESOTERIC STYLE COMPLACENCY CONVENTIONS 1. AERODYNAMIC FORCES INTRODUCTION Intuition SLOW FLIGHT AND STALLS BASIC AERODYNAMICS FLIGHT PATH TURNS AND COORDINATED FLIGHT Slips and Skids TWISTING FORCES TORQUE TAKEOFF MOMENT P-FACTOR Gyroscopic Precession CORKSCREWING EFFECT OF PROPELLER SLIPSTREAM COMBINED EFFECT STALL AERODYNAMICS STRAIGHT-TAIL VERSUS SWEPT-TAIL AIRPLANES Straight-tail Spin Recovery Swept-tail Spin Recovery TRICYCLE GEAR AND TAILDRAGGER COMPARISON CENTRIFUGAL FORCE SUMMARY 2. STARTING PREFLIGHT WHAT TO CHECK LANDING GEAR TIRES FUEL CONTAMINATION AUTOGAS STC FUEL SAMPLING PROCEDURE ENGINE STARTING Engine Preheat Engine Starts Priming Throttle Usage Propeller over Dirt or Water Beginning to Taxi Oil Pressure Indication Carburetor Heat HAND PROPPING Initial Preparation Precautions Mag Test PROPPING PROCEDURE SAFETY RULES 3. TAXIING INTRODUCTION TAIL WHEELS TAILDRAGGERADVANTAGES TAILDRAGGER DISADVANTAGES CONTROLS TAXI AERODYNAMICS GROUND OPERATIONS Tail wheel Steering Brakes Differential Braking Taxi Surface Taxi Speed Downwind Turns on the Ground Visibility from the Cockpit Brakes Control Positioning Taxiways Turning Vision 4. RUN-UP ENGINE OPERATION Mixture Control RUN-UP PROCEDURES Park Facing the Wind Control Positioning Engine Roughness Check Flight Controls Adjusting Mixture for Takeoff Sample Checklist 5. TAKEOFF AERODYNAMIC FORCES RUDDER USAGE TECHNIQUE The Problem The Solution RUNWAY ALIGNMENT POWER APPLICATION SWERVING Flap Settings TECHNIQUE TO PREVENT GROUND LOOPING Put it All Together FACTORS REQUIRING CONSIDERATION FOR TAKEOFF Aircraft performance Rule of Thumb: Determine Density Attitude Rule of Thumb: Fixed-pitch Prop DenAlt Takeoff Distance Rule of Thumb: Constant-speed Prop DenAlt TO Distance Rule of Thumb: DenAlt Rate of Climb – Fixed-pitch Propeller Rule of Thumb: DenAlt Rate of Climb – Constant-speed Prop Airspeed Gross Weight Rule of Thumb: TO Distance Varies as Square of Gross Wt Wind Rule of Thumb: Head Wind Reduces Takeoff Distance Tail wind component Rule of Thumb: Effect of a Tail Wind on Takeoff Distance Gusty Wind Takeoff Runway Surface and Condition Rule of Thumb: Takeoff Distance for Various Surfaces Gradient (Sloped Runway) Rule of Thumb – Upslope Runway Takeoff Rule of Thumb – Downslope Runway Takeoff Downslope Reduces Takeoff Distance Upslope Increases Takeoff Distance Humidity Aircraft and Engine Condition Experience and Performance Effect of Local Terrain GROUND EFFECT Drag Ground Effect Extent of Ground Effect NORMAL TAKEOFF Normal Takeoff Procedure YAW LEFT DURING TAKEOFF SHORT-FIELD TAKEOFF SOFT-FIELD TAKEOFF MODIFIED SHORT-FIELD/SOFT-FIELD TAKEOFF CROSSWIND TAKEOFF 50/70 RULE FOR TAKEOFF Rule of Thumb – Determine Runway Length Sufficient Predict General Weather Trend 6. CRUISE ENGINE OPERATIONS Mixture Control Fuel-air Mixture Temperature and Fuel-air Ratio Recommended Leaning Altitude Mixture Distribution Detonation Preignition MIXTURE DEFINITIONS Best Economy Mixture Recommended Lean Mixture Best Power Mixture PROCEDURE FOR LEANING Takeoff Mixture Adjustment CRUISE POWER MIXTURE ADJUSTMENT Tachometer Method – Fixed-pitch Propeller Engine-rough Method – Constant-speed Propeller Fuel-flowmeter Method – Constant-speed Propeller Pressure Carburetor Recommendation TURBULENCE Convection Currents (Thermals) Mechanical Turbulence Wind Shear Low-level Temperature Inversion Wind Shear in a Frontal Zone Mountain Wave Wind Shear Sea Breeze Fronts Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) Thunderstorms Detecting Wind Shear AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE IN WIND SHEAR Power Compensation Energy Trade FLIGHT LOAD FACTORS Ultimate Loads MANEUVERING SPEED Rule of Thumb: Determine the maneuvering speed Increased Stall Speed EMERGENCY LANDING Energy Absorption Occupant Restraint Speed and Stopping Distance 7. DESCENT AND TRAFFIC PATTERN THERMAL SHOCK DETUNING THE ENGINE Rapid Throttle Operation Propeller Feathering High Engine Speed and Low Manifold Pressure Excessive Speed and Power CARBURETOR ICE Categories of Carburetor Icing Fuel Ice (Fuel Evaporation Ice) Impact Ice (Atmospheric Ice) Throttle Ice (Expansion Ice) CARBURETOR HEAT DESCENT RULE PRE-LANDING CHECK NORMAL APPROACH STABILIZED APPROACH

8. LANDING CAUTION INSTRUCTORS STABILIZED APPROACH Procedure EFFECT OF FLAPS Flaps for Landing LANDING DEFINITIONS Downwind Leg Base Leg Final Approach Rule of Thumb – Determine True Airspeed Flare Touchdown After-landing Roll GROUND EFFECT PHENOMENA Drag and Ground Effect Ground Effect Extent of Ground Effect SPOT METHOD FOR LANDING Optimum Approach Speed Stabilized Approach Best Approach Angle 3-degree Glide Slope 4.5-degree Glide Slope Windscreen Mark Landing Requirements Aiming Point Touchdown Point Go-around Point The Pitch/Power Controversy Pitch Changes Wind Shear Awareness SPOT LANDING USES Descent to Pattern Attitude Crossing Ridges Forced Landings Collision Avoidance Cloud Avoidance Landing Uphill Landing Downhill Landing in Rain Summary LANDING AERODYNAMICS Effect of CG on Directional Control Landing Gear Forces THREE-POINT LANDING Advantages of the Three-point Landing Disadvantages of the Three-point Landing Procedure Elevator Control WHEEL LANDING Advantages of the Wheel Landing Disadvantages of the Wheel Landing Procedure Elevator Control TAIL-LOW WHEEL LANDING Elevator Control Practice Maneuver SOFT-FIELD LANDING SHORT-FIELD LANDING Safe Maneuvering Margins Gusts and Wind Shear Flare Capability Airspeed is All Important Short-field Landing Technique Safe Landing Principles LANDING IRREGULARITIES GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS AIRSPEED INDICATOR ERRORS Airspeed Calibration Chart Reduced Landing Weight BALLOONING Corrective Action – Ballooning BOUNCING Corrective Action – Bouncing PORPOISE Corrective Action – Porpoise GROUND LOOP Corrective Action – Ground Loop SIMPLIFIED LANDING SUMMARY 9. CROSSWIND OPERATIONS INTRODUCTION CROSSWIND TAXIING Control Positioning During Taxi THUMBS-UP METHOD FOR POSITIONING FLIGHT CONTROLS Aileron Positioning Elevator Positioning DOWNWIND TAXIING Caution Tail Rising On It’s Own RUDDER USAGE VISIBILITY CROSSWIND TAKEOFF WIND LIMITS Crosswind-takeoff Technique Upsetting Wind Action Skipping During Takeoff Weather Vane Tendency Takeoff Technique Crosswind Liftoff Leaving the Ground RUNWAY MARKINGS TO DETERMINE DISTANCE ESTIMATING RUNWAY LENGTH ANGLED-PATH TAKEOFF TECHNIQUE CURVED-PATH TAKEOFF TECHNIQUE Runway Alignment Reduction of Crosswind Component Example: Airplane One Example: Airplane Two Common Errors CROSSWIND LANDING 1. Crosswind Approach Establish Crab to Offset Drift Forward Slip Side Slip Avoid the Mechanical Side Slip Gusty Wind Compensation Flaps Curved-Path Landing Twin-engine Taildraggers 2. Crosswind Flare (Round Out) 3. Crosswind Touchdown Full-stall Landing Wheel Landing 4. Crosswind After-landing Roll CROSSWIND LANDING ERRORS Failure to Correct for Drift Ground Loop Excessive Aileron Aggravates Runway Overrun Excessive Wind Maximum Crosswind Component Crosswind Component Chart GO/NO-GO DECISION Circular (CR) Computer Determination of Crosswind 10. TIE-DOWN INTRODUCTION REMOTE STRIPS Improved Airports PREVENTING DAMAGE TIE-DOWN SENSE Chains Ropes TIE-DOWN PROCEDURE Chocks Brakes Control-wheel (Stick) Locks 11. COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS PILOT PREPARATION AIRCRAFT PREPARATION Insulation (Reciprocating Engine) Baffling and Covers Engine Oil Oil Viscosity Multi-viscosity Oil Pour Point Fluidity Oil Breather Lines Cabin Heater BATTERIES Wet-Cell Battery Nickel-Cadmium Battery Dry-cell Battery WHEEL COVERS AND WHEEL WELLS ENGINE PREHEAT COLD-ENGINE STARTS Primer FROSTED PLUGS OIL PRESSURE INDICATION 12. REGULATIONS TAIL WHEEL REGULATIONS Recommendation RECENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE RESOURCE APPENDIX Cessna 170B – Pilot’s Operating Checklist INDEX