"Deftly they opened the brain of a child, and it was full of flying dreams" - Stanley Kunitz
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"Deftly they opened the brain of a child, and it was full of flying dreams" - Stanley Kunitz
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I started flying in 1981, soloed when I was 16, private certificate at 17, bought my first taildragger at 18, and have had a passion for flying ever since. Although I have an instrument rating and enjoy the technical aspects of instrument flying, my passion is tailwheel, biplane, aerobatic, and most recently helicopter flying. I use my first taildragger, a Cessna 140 for flight training. I also own a Pitts S1-S and an original certified Rose Parrakeet Biplane. I have a wonderful wife and three children that somehow put up with my aviation interests. I became interested in aircraft at a young age. My Grandfather had a
friend by the name of Don Coleman who had a couple helicopters. I believe
I must have been around 10 at the time. If I ever heard the sound of
helicopter blades in the air, I was quick to get outside. I knew
that if Don saw me wave, he was sure to stop at the house and take me for a
ride. Looking back, I never realized how fortunate I was.
I do know those flights are what really sparked my interest in aviation.
After building model airplanes with tissue paper, toothpicks and Elmer's glue, I
decided to tackle radio-controlled airplanes. Needless to say, being
self-taught, I had
lots of experience building and repairing. That
experience had its advantages and disadvantages when I started taking flying
lessons. The advantage was that model airplanes taught me a lot about basic aerodynamics, how an airplane flies, weight and balance and its effects on stability and aircraft structures. Being self-taught, the huge disadvantage was that I was terrified of stalls! After all, I spent countless hours rebuilding model airplanes that had so quickly succumbed to the stall/spin on initial climb-out!
I credit overcoming my fear of stalls, spins, and other unusual attitudes to a few wonderful instructors I trained with years after earning my private pilot's certificate. Now, one aspect of teaching that I find most rewarding is working with a student, pilot, or even other CFIs to help them understand slow flight, stalls, and spins better. I strive to teach all the maneuvers in a way that does not cause fear or anxiety. It is my belief that if a pilot is apprehensive about spins, they are likely to be apprehensive about stalls which leads down a dark path of avoiding slow flight, therefore making fast approaches, floating long distances down the runway, running out of runway....... I try my best to share my passion with airplanes with my students on every flight. My emphasis is on basic stick and rudder and seat-of-the-pants flying. The airplane is always talking, I just have to teach the students to listen. Of course some of my students say that it would be a lot easier to hear the airplane if I would just quit talking! I maintain membership and involvement with the following organizations: Experimental Aircraft Association - Lifetime member www.eaa.org Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association www.aopa.org Instructor participation for the FAA WINGS program www.faasafety.gov National Association of Flight Instructors www.nafinet.org
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Send mail to todd@tailwheelguy.com
with questions or comments about this web site.
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Todd A.
Mason, CFI
