Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Tailwheel Training

If you guys were picking somewhere to get your tailwheel endorsement this summer... which operations would you look into, and which would you avoid? Probably looking at the last week of July, preferably within a semi reasonable drive of ANC. Thanks in advance for any input!

Do you own or have access to a friend's tail-dragger...??? Very few flight schools inventory a tail-dragger, or know who they can borrow one from for training. I never got an endorsement. I am guessing that is something needed to "rent" one, but I suspect it would be hard to find one to rent, as they would assume where you were going with it would "NOT" be covered by their insurance.

Blue River Aviation in Palmer has a couple cubs that they train in. Looks like maybe 3 cubs, but one will be on floats. Seem awfully proud of them, but then again, if you have priced a cub lately their rentals might be perfectly in line. They get good marks from people I know that have flown with them recently.

If you have your own plane, or access to a plane, there are lots more options.

Insurance typically requires that rental aircraft depart from an asphalt runway and "ONLY" land on an asphalt runway, sometimes requiring said runways have at least two windsocks.

There appears to be a variety of flight schools that offer tailwheel courses of instruction, and that's how I'd be doing it as I don't own one or know anyone who does. Unless anyone on here wants to work a deal! Current CFI, commercial ASEL/AMEL/ASES etc

Another option for getting a plane is to join a club and use their plane(s). May or may not be feasible, depending on how long you'll be here. AOPA has a flying club directory by airport. Here's the listing for Merrill Field. https://www.aopa.org/destinations/airports/PAMR/details#flyingclubs

You'd just have to call around and see who has a conventional gear plane. Probably not worth it for just a taildragger endorsement, but who knows?

My son has been working on getting his private pilots license for almost 2 years now. A deployment, weather cancellations, and lack of IP’s seems to be his biggest issue. My son has been going through Angel at Merril Fld, but is switching to Blue River in Palmer after this spring for all of his other ratings. He claims their price is now cheaper and they have assured him their will not be a lack of IP’s either.

There was a club on Joint military base in Los'Anchorage, it was cheap. May not be there now.

No they are still there. My son’s issue is his work and college schedule that plays into it now. Up until last year it was all valeted due to COVID.

I was getting an IFR rating there, and having never been in the military, it was a super treat for me to shoot an approach and have the instructor say take the hood off, I was 50' off the threshold coming in over Cook Inlet onto Elmendorf Base. I still get excited thinking about that.

My first and highest recommendation would be Dean Paulson, Eagle River. He flies out of hood and Merrill mostly. Birchwood too. This would be a provide your own aircraft thing though, pros and cons there. He works for himself and is a fantastic instructor. Has a very solid real life Alaska aviation background, and taught at UAA at one time. He’s done a little bit of everything, and truly loves teaching from what I’ve seen. Most beneficial time with an instructor I’ve personally spent. Let me know if you want his contact.
Another good outfit already mentioned is Blue River. Not sure who you’d fly with, but they are a very well run and successful flight school, and for a reason. I did most my ratings with them, and being in Palmer, have gotten to know Jamie and some of the folks there pretty well. They used to have a Champ for a wee bit more economical tail wheel trainer but I believe only current options would be pa18.
Anyways, that’s just based on my personal experience. There are undoubtedly many many other good options out there.
Good luck on your search, and apologies for the unsolicited advice….but one of the things that I finally got brave enough to do was to move on to a different instructor if things weren’t clicking. It’s nothing personal and any good instructor will know that and encourage that mentality. People teach, and learn differently. It’s amazing how important that is, in my opinion.

+1, Dean is great.

I learned to fly in a tail wheel, on skiis. Easier to start with but the transition to wheels was tricky. If you already have flight experience try starting on skiis.

My son just told me Monday they Angel is coming to Palmer. Since my son is already flying with them, he’s going to stay and fly in Palmer with them.