Q: I want to become a private pilot and I have heard the best way to do this is to learn in a tailwheel airplane and then transition to tricycle gear—but I have also heard it the other way around: tricycle gear first, then transition to tailwheel. Which is better? Which is easier to fly?
A: Ah, tailwheel (said in a husky tone usually reserved for talking to summer loves from the heady days of youth)! The short answer is, once you get into the air, both types of aircraft fly the same way. It is the takeoffs and landings that are different, because the center of gravity on the airplanes is different.
A tailwheel airplane, by design, requires more rudder skill because there is a lot more airplane behind the CG. This means you need to be ready for the back end of the aircraft to try to swing around to the front during takeoffs and landings. Appropriate rudder control prevents this.
