Flying the Tail Wheel Airplane (Airmanship, the Artistry of Using Stick and Rudder to Maneuver Your Airplane Correctly and Safely)

The author starts with a series of coordination manuvers to help you learn control coordination and the correct sight picture. These are excellent starting points for pilots whose feet are "asleep" after years of flying tricycle gear aircraft. Author also gives a clear description of the causes and cures for many of the common mistakes.Highly recommend this book if you are going to make the transition or even start in tailwheel aircraft.

I am a 180 hour pilot and have been taking tail wheel lessons, which has exposed so many weaknesses in my skill set. I am lhaving to relearn everything that I thought I had learned as a Private Pilot. This book was very helpful in teaching me what to look for in the front windshield. It is easy an easy and fast read but it will definitely put the concept of the "sight picture" in your mind. I would recommend it to anyone looking to improve their basic VFR handling and maneuvers.

Love this book. Clear reading and fantastic advice. The flying exercises I have tried and improved my flying. I wish I lived in the states and could have some lessons with Jim. A lot of the advice is good even if not flying tailwheels but if you are thinking of converting I highly recommend this book. Before reading this I never really understood why a tailwheel should be harder to control (on the ground) than a noeswheel but this spells it out so clearly. I actually bought this because it is one of the few books on this subject available on Kindle but would recommend it regardless.

Although Jim makes many great points about flying small aircraft in this book, it seemed to me that the point was made during his introduction and the following first few pages. After that, the same message was repeated over and over and over again in an 85 page pamphlet. The book would probably be about 40 pages long if the repeated phrases and rhetorical questions/statements were simply dropped.All said, I was able to pick up on a few items of interest and apply them in a practical way. I suggest the author revise the edition with a little less gab and a lot more substance on the important differences between tail wheel and tricycle gear aircraft. Jim is clearly qualified and capable of writing a better book.In all, I thought there were about 10 pages in his book that highlighted the true differences between the two different types of aircraft's handling characteristics. This was valuable stuff that I had hoped would fill the book.I am very disappointed that the kindle price is close to 10 bucks with a value of about 99 cents.Romeo SierraATP/CFI/A&P

I liked the author's writing style, his ability to present the material in a very understandable way, and that he finishes each pertinent topic with a highlighted "Key Points" summary. Regarding Slipstream, P-Factor, Engine torque, and Gyroscopic effect, I liked the author's decision to spare the reader a detailed discussion of how these forces exist, and instead refer the reader to the FAA's "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge". My experience with taildragger flying occurred almost three years ago and was limited to the dual instruction necessary to get my taildragger endorsement. When I get my own taildragger in the not too distant future, I plan to refer to the "Key Points" in this book before each flight until I become proficient.

I can almost hear Jim warning me about the big guerrilla when I roll the plane out of the hangar.

Excellent book on flying tail wheel airplanes.

Excellent review of basic piloting skills with emphasis on taildragger aspects of flying. In-depth review of the physics with a common sense approach to application.

Clear guide without complicated phrases or equations. Good key points to allow quick refresher training before a flight. I recommend this to new tail wheel pilots