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Tailwheel endorsement help to get insurance?

Duncannon

Active Member
I’ve heard of pilots being denied insurance when wanting to purchase a tailwheel aircraft, especially an experimental like an RV. Can having an endorsement help a pilot when seeking coverage, even if it’s only the bare minimum of around 10 hours? (I realize the premiums would be sky high until you get some time logged in your tailwheel aircraft).
 
Tail wheel

How do you legally fly a TW aircraft without the endorsement unless you were grandfathered in?
Dave
 
Technically, if you have no tailwheel time today, your insurance company is going to assume that you are not qualified to fly a tailwheel airplane. You will be considered (and understandably so) a high risk. The endorsement (or recent TW experience if grandfathered) is really the only evidence the insurance company has to go on to assign risk.
 
I’ve heard of pilots being denied insurance when wanting to purchase a tailwheel aircraft, especially an experimental like an RV. Can having an endorsement help a pilot when seeking coverage, even if it’s only the bare minimum of around 10 hours? (I realize the premiums would be sky high until you get some time logged in your tailwheel aircraft).

An endorsement is required or being grandfathered in with TW time as PIC prior to April 15, 1991 (so yes it helps). Not sure how an insurance company would assess risk with 10 hours of TW time. It's only conjecture, but I would think they would look at the bigger picture with total time and other ratings when evaluating risk. You have to start somewhere. If you want a TW plane, I would encourage you to rent a J3, Champ or Citabria, and get 40-50 hours of TW time under your belt. That would probably be sufficient to get a more reasonable rate with an insurance company.
 
The other option is to fly liability only until you build "acceptable" TW competency. Generally, a liablity policy is fairly insensitive to endorsements and time. My first airplane was a squirelly, high performane biplane and I had only a few hour TW time logged. No issue getting a policy.
 
Talk to your agent and ask those questions directly.

My situation was high time but no tail wheel, the minimum requirement stated in my policy was 10 hours dual, probably pretty standard.

I asked specifically what could be done to lower my rate, and since my time and instrument qual had already been taken into account, more TW time was all that would matter (hangar and paved surface airfield counted as well.)

The agent told me to expect a significant discount next renewal when I had accumulated some time in my -7.

This all seems very reasonable, and in truth, I think any underwriter who will insure a low time TW pilot on their first flight in an experimental for any price is a little loony ... but that's how the industry works!
 
TW

Long ago 10 hours of dual in a Pitts or similar was all that was required for insurance. This was usually split roughly 50/50 between pattern work and spin training including upright and inverted normal, flat and accelerated spins. Hands on and hands off spin recovery was pretty standard. If the trainee has zero acro time 15 hours training is more likely.
First flight in a new EAB is a different matter. However I don't know why a high time pilot with proper transition training should be an issue for initial test flight.
 
Yes get a tailwheel endorsement. You have to. There is no min to get the endorsement, it is not a rating. Then there are hours in TW. 5 ours or 10 hours is not a lot. Unless you have 100's of hours of TW time, you will pay a premium. They may require transition training in make and model.

I can say RV's are tame taildraggers, like a fast Piper Cub. However I found as an instructor if a pilot can not land well in a crosswind with a tricycle gear plane, it will not get better with a TW plane. If you can land well in a tricycle gear plane, your transition will be much easier.

Regardless of insurance you need to think competency and safety. Can you land a trike plane in strong cross wings well with complete control authority and confidence? Do you know the difference between Fwd slip and side slip?

Regardless of insurance get current in any plane. Then get TW training and the endorsement. I highly recommend Riggin Flight Services Madison, SD based on the review below. They have a boarding house that is very reasonable. Go and immerse yourself in TW planes from people who have been flying them for a lifetime. Don't do it to check a BOX do it to be a better pilot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ew-8yp8-0

Last is insurance. It is not a legal requirement you have insurance. However if you ball it up then it is on you. Not saying it is wise to do this, but I have owned and flown planes without hull insurance. However I always carried liability. In other cases I carried only ground not in motion hull insurance.
 
Yes get a tailwheel endorsement. You have to. There is no min to get the endorsement, it is not a rating. There is no written but there are a lot of great books and video instruction sources. TW endorsement might take 2 or 5 or 10 hours of dual, depends on the pilot. If you are going to check off an insurance requirement or rental min that is another matter. Unless you have 100's of hours of TW time, you will pay a premium. They may require transition training in specific model of RV. However if you can fly a Citabria, Luscombe, C170, C180 well you can fly an RV well.

I can say RV's are tame taildraggers, like a fast Piper Cub. However as an instructor, I found if a pilot can not land well in tricycle gear plane crosswind or not, it will not get better with a TW plane. If you can land well in a tricycle gear plane, your transition will be much easier. After I got my Pvt long ago, I found every chance to fly in crosswinds and perfect my skill. Some pilots are afraid of crosswinds.

Regardless of insurance you need to think competency and safety. Can you land a trike plane in strong cross wings well with complete control authority and confidence? Do you know the difference between Fwd slip and Side slip? Regardless of insurance get current in any plane. Then get TW training and the endorsement. I recommend Riggin Flight Services Madison, SD, based on the review below by Juan Brown. They have a boarding house that is very reasonable. Go and immerse yourself in TW planes for a week, from people who have been flying them for a lifetime. Don't do it to check a BOX, do it to be a better pilot. Don't get an endorsement get competent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ew-8yp8-0

Last is insurance, it is not a legal requirement you have insurance. However if you ball it up then it is on you. Not saying it is wise to do this, but I have owned and flown planes without hull insurance. However I always carried liability. In other cases I carried only ground not in motion hull insurance.
 
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