Stories That Fly: Dan Marks Explains a Groundloop

This video excerpt is part of the story, "My Tail's Dragging" by Joe Murray. See: http://www.storiesthatfly.com/

Direct link to the story: http://tinyurl.com/5g3tzg

Also see Dan Marks in, "The Dream Boat -- It's a Plane"
Direct link to the story: http://tinyurl.com/4s5o4u

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• storiesthatfly
• plane
• landing
• pilot
• flying
• stories
• that
• fly

[an8pilot]

That video didn't explain sh1t compared to its title.

[navajopa31]

Ground loop cont. I did a ground loop in front on the tower at a large airport with a buddy working in the tower. He ask me if I was al lright. I told him nothing but my pride was hurt. We had to repair the missing frabric on the wing tip. I probably had over 1000 hours in PA-18's at the time and the cross wind was less than 12 knots. After a hurricane I did a power line patrol and had to land in the mountains for fuel. 65 knots of wind at 90 degrees to the runway. I made that one OK.

[navajopa31]

Failure to hold the the wing down on the wind side of the A/C until your speed is almost zero causes a ground loop. I have ground looped a PA-18 super cub. You have to controll a tail wheel aircraft from start up to shut down. If after landing you neutralize the controls the wind on the upwind side will lift the wing and the wheel on that side off the ground and and the nose will pivot into the wind and you will usually get the wing tip on the other side. I happens reallllly fast.

[ricglos]

i was at "shady acres airport " in the year of 1975 in an aeronca 7ac with a really wicked 45 degree x wind, well with 65hp under the cowl,i was on approach wind coming from my left and houses 75 feet off each side of the rwy i managed ,with lots of rudder and aileron, to touchdown and stop mere 8 feet from a deck of a house, man i learned FAST coordination!! (WASHINGTON STATE)

[michaelpilot1000]

best fun is to practice ground loops on grass. Then you learn to recognize the feeling and visual sensation and avoid it. Not just talk about it. Wet grass works good. Avoid pot holes.

Thats how I was trained back in 1965...K ? lol

[larmor66]

A good demonstration of a ground loop is a shopping cart. A cart pushed normally is like a tricycle gear aircraft – fixed wheels at the rear, pivoting wheel(s) at the front. When you push it backwards, it’s like a tail dragger. At the grocery store, push a cart normally at a fast walking speed and let it go. Then try pushing it backwards and letting it go, When you do it backwards the cart spins quickly and wildly out of control. When done with an aircraft, that's a ground loop.

[01sircharles]

bluemax, so explain it!!!!! better than in your reply. how bout HOW TO AVOID?

btw taildraggers are tops. I would be more than happy w/ a c-170b. course a beaver would be too much to ask for. how bout a luscombe?

[FLYJB]

well said BlueMax.

i will be starting my tailwheel training very soon, but i have put it off for a long time... either too busy or not enough money.

but now i am finally getting the chance. I have about 4500 hours and have been a CFI for about 8 years. I want to get good enough to instruct tailwheel.

any advice?

[bluemax229]

2nd part of comment:

That occurs when you "get behind" in your rudder control inputs, and the swinging weight of the fuselage becomes too much for the steering of the tailwheel to overcome. The tail comes around, hence "groundloop". Sometimes there is enough force that the fuselage tips over onto one wheel, and the wingtip hits the ground. 

Part of the author's problem in explaining it, is because he has never experienced a ground loop.

[bluemax229]

He did not do a very good job explaining a groundloop, or more importantly, what causes it to occur. By comparison, a nosewheel, or tricycle geared airplane is stable, since its center of gravity is forward of the main wheels, and it steers from the front, like an automobile. A tailwheeled airplane has its center of gravity to the REAR of the main wheels, and it steers from the REAR. Both of those factors mean that the airplane is ALWAYS trying to swap ends on you.