A tailwheel endorsement is the logbook sign-off you need under 14 CFR 61.31(i) to act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane. The rule requires logged flight training from an authorized instructor in a tailwheel airplane, including normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings, wheel landings (unless the manufacturer recommends against them) and go-arounds, followed by an endorsement from an instructor who finds you proficient. There is no minimum number of hours and no FAA test, and pilots who logged tailwheel PIC time before April 15, 1991 are exempt.
Part of our Pilot Endorsements guide. Review crosswind landings before your first lesson: the FAA notes tailwheel airplanes are less forgiving of crosswind landing errors than nosewheel airplanes.
What 14 CFR 61.31(i) requires
- Flight training from an authorized instructor, in a tailwheel airplane, logged in your logbook.
- At a minimum: normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings; wheel landings, unless the manufacturer has recommended against them; and go-around procedures.
- An endorsement in your logbook from an authorized instructor who found you proficient in the operation of a tailwheel airplane.
Unlike the complex and high-performance rules, 61.31(i) calls only for flight training, and there is no simulator option: the training happens in a tailwheel airplane. The FAA reference for it is the Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH), Chapter 14, Transition to Tailwheel Airplanes.
The AC 61-65K sample endorsement (A.75) certifies that you received the training required by 61.31(i) in a named make and model of tailwheel airplane and that the instructor found you proficient in the operation of a tailwheel airplane. The AC adds that the endorsement may be given in a sport pilot aircraft by a sport pilot instructor, or in an airplane by a flight instructor with a rating other than a sport pilot rating.
Floats, skis and the 1991 exemption
AC 61-65K (paragraph 33.2) explains that the endorsement applies to an airplane on main wheels and a tailwheel. If skis or floats replace the wheeled landing gear, the AC says the training cannot be accomplished and the endorsement is not required. When you do train for the endorsement, the airplane must be on its wheels. Pilots who logged PIC time in a tailwheel airplane before April 15, 1991 need neither the training nor the endorsement (61.31(i)(2)).
Carrying passengers: tailwheel currency
Separate from the endorsement, 14 CFR 61.57(a) requires three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days to carry passengers, and for a tailwheel airplane those landings must be to a full stop in an airplane with a tailwheel. Touch-and-goes, or landings in a nosewheel airplane, do not count toward tailwheel passenger currency.
Why tailwheel airplanes handle differently
The AFH traces the differences to one design fact: the main wheels sit slightly ahead of the center of gravity (CG), so the airplane rests nose-high on the main wheels and the tailwheel. That creates three handling differences:
- Directional instability. Once a turn starts on the ground, the CG behind the pivoting main wheel keeps it going and can tighten it. You start a turn with rudder, neutralize the pedals as it continues, then use opposite rudder to stop it.
- Angle of attack on the ground. The nose-high attitude means the wings make lift whenever there is a relative headwind, even at slow taxi speeds.
- Weathervaning. More side area behind the main wheels makes the airplane turn into a crosswind more strongly than a nosewheel airplane does.
The nose-high attitude can also hide what is directly ahead, so taxi slowly with a series of gentle S-turns. The AFH calls taxiing and turning at slow speeds the most important lesson a tailwheel airplane teaches.
What you will practice
Taxiing
Keep your heels on the floor and the balls of your feet on the rudder pedals, sliding up to the brakes only when you need them. Most tailwheel airplanes have a steerable tailwheel; the AFH describes steering that stays engaged through about 30 degrees either side of center before the tailwheel breaks free to swivel fully. The AFH’s elevator guidance: usually hold it full back to keep weight on the tailwheel and improve steering, ease toward neutral in a strong quartering headwind, and hold it forward in a strong tailwind so the wind cannot get under the elevator and lift the tail. Position the ailerons for the wind as in any airplane.
Takeoffs
After a brief acceleration with the tailwheel straight, apply forward elevator to raise the tail smoothly to an attitude that improves your view ahead. Lowering the nose this way produces left yaw from the propeller’s gyroscopic precession, so be ready with rudder; the more abruptly you raise the tail, the stronger the yaw. Hold that attitude and let the airplane lift off. In a crosswind, keep aileron into the wind from the start and use rudder to stop weathervaning. Our guide to left-turning tendencies explains the forces at work.
Three-point landings
The basics of the round out and flare are the same as in any landing. Round out with the main wheels about a foot above the runway, then keep raising the nose as the airplane slows so the main wheels and tailwheel touch together. Once the tailwheel is down, ease the elevator fully back and hold it there to keep the tailwheel on the runway for steering. Touching down a little early with the tail high causes a skip: re-flare, or go around if the bounce leaves you high with little energy.
Wheel landings
When wind conditions call for more control authority, a wheel landing puts the main wheels on first in a flatter attitude at a higher speed than a three-point touchdown, with the tail still off the runway. The keys are a soft touchdown and a slight relaxation of back elevator just after the wheels touch. Let the tail come down on its own, then bring the elevator full aft. If you bounce, do not push forward to chase the runway, which can start a pilot-induced oscillation; go around, or convert to a three-point landing if conditions permit. The AFH notes the approach angle and airspeed are the same for both techniques; only the timing of the touchdown differs.
Crosswinds and the rollout
Touch down with no crab and no drift, because side loads at touchdown lead to directional problems. The AFH’s preferred technique is a sideslip, or wing-low, touchdown in which only one main wheel touches first, and it notes many tailwheel pilots prefer a wheel landing in a crosswind because the higher touchdown speed keeps the controls more effective. As the airplane slows, keep adding aileron into the wind until it is fully deflected as you stop. The landing is not finished until the airplane has slowed to normal taxi speed or stopped clear of the landing area.
Ground loops
A ground loop is an uncontrolled turn on the ground during taxi, takeoff or the landing roll. It starts as a swerve allowed to continue too long, from a side load at touchdown, a taxi turn at too much speed, overcorrection, or a soft spot that drags one wheel. Counter any swerve with firm rudder, add differential braking when steering is not enough, and remove those inputs promptly as the correction takes effect so you do not start a swerve the other way. In the AFH’s words, tailwheel airplanes are damaged not by too much rudder but by rudder inputs held too long.
- Required: normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings, wheel landings (unless the manufacturer recommends against them), go-arounds, endorsement.
- Taxi: slowly, with S-turns to see ahead.
- Takeoff: raise the tail smoothly and expect left yaw.
- Touchdown: no crab, no drift.
- Tailwheel down: elevator full back; add aileron into the wind as you slow.
- Bounce: go around, or convert a bounced wheel landing to a three-point landing if conditions permit.
- Swerve: firm rudder, then release it promptly.
How long it takes and what to fly
The rule sets no minimum time. You are finished when your instructor finds you proficient and endorses your logbook, so the hours depend on your experience, the airplane and the winds you practice in. The AFH pictures the Piper Super Cub as a popular tailwheel airplane, but the endorsement is not tied to one model. Whatever you fly, learn the crosswind component the airplane can handle, and avoid wind conditions beyond its capability or your own. If you will fly from soft or grass fields, our short- and soft-field guide covers the basics; the AFH’s tailwheel technique keeps the tail low on a soft-field takeoff and holds the tailwheel down with firm back elevator after a soft-field landing.
What you'll need
The FAA handbook with the tailwheel transition chapter, a logbook for the endorsement, and the regulations.
Logging the training
If you hold an airplane single-engine land rating, you can log PIC time on the training flights while you are the sole manipulator of the controls. Under 14 CFR 61.51(e)(1)(i) the test is whether you are rated for the aircraft, and the FAA’s Chief Counsel reads “rated” as the category, class and type ratings listed in 14 CFR 61.5 (Herman interpretation, 2009). A tailwheel endorsement is not one of those ratings. Until you have it, though, someone else, normally your instructor, must act as pilot in command. Our logbook guide shows how to record each lesson, and it pays to note your full-stop tailwheel landings for passenger currency.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours does a tailwheel endorsement take?
14 CFR 61.31(i) sets no minimum. Training continues until your instructor finds you proficient in the required maneuvers, so the time depends on your experience, the airplane and the wind conditions you train in.
Is there a written test or checkride for the tailwheel endorsement?
No. The rule requires logged flight training and an endorsement from an authorized instructor. There is no FAA knowledge test or practical test.
Do I need a tailwheel endorsement for a seaplane or ski plane?
According to AC 61-65K, paragraph 33.2, the endorsement applies to tailwheel airplanes on wheeled landing gear. If skis or floats replace the wheels, the endorsement is not required. Training for the endorsement must be done with the airplane on its wheels.
What is a ground loop?
A ground loop is an uncontrolled turn on the ground during taxi, takeoff or the landing roll. Because a tailwheel airplane’s center of gravity is behind the main wheels, a swerve allowed to continue tends to tighten and can tip the airplane until a wingtip strikes the ground. The FAA’s remedy is firm rudder against any swerve, differential braking in stronger swerves, and prompt release of those inputs as the correction takes effect.
Do I need tailwheel landings to carry passengers?
Yes. Under 14 CFR 61.57(a), to carry passengers in a tailwheel airplane you need three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days, made to a full stop in an airplane with a tailwheel.
Does the tailwheel endorsement expire?
No. 14 CFR 61.31(i) sets no expiration. You still need a current flight review and the 61.57 recent experience to carry passengers.