The Taildragger Experience

7:50 PM Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Location:DVN
Weather:Forgot to copy
Runway in Use:33

So it has been quite a while since I posted anything, mostly because I haven't done anything fun related to aviation. But then...in July my plane finally arrived at KDVN. This plane has a special little place in my heart. It is the first plane I ever took a ride in (I was 2 months old). It is the plane I associate with flying. Way back in 1970 by Grandpa bought this plane. It is a 1964 Maule M-4. My Grandpa flew it and 3 of his sons flew it over the years. For the past 20 years my Uncle has been in possession of it and when he learned that I was getting my pilot's license he called me up and said, it's tradition, you should learn to fly it. So here I am, learning to fly a taildragger. I have barely 100 hours under my belt, which in the grand scheme of things in aviation, is not much. All of that time is in a Cherokee or warrior. Which I now know spoiled me rotten with their timid demeanor. I considered myself a pretty decent pilot, and I try to keep my skills sharp. However, my first trip in the maule humbled me greatly. And during my 4th hour of training, I was beyond humbled as I was introduced to the grass between the runway and taxiway. I made the mistake of not getting my aileron into the wind on rollout and it picked up my wing and I didn't maintain rudder control as I was fixing that error and off we went. Right through the grass. Thankfully it was a well placed mistake because the only thing damaged was my pride. Next trip up, I plan to show that plane I mean business. I still have 6 hours of mandatory training before I can solo anyway, so why not make the best of it. Hopefully a few more hours and I will be decently proficient. Duration of Flight:1.0
Total Flight Hours:109.2

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