How to Get a Tailwheel Endorsement

Tailwheel airplanes have a reputation.

They’re the ones that will bite you on landing if you get lazy with your feet. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll be swinging toward the weeds before you know it.

Flying one forces a precision that nosewheel pilots can’t get away with. It also makes you sharper at the controls in everything you fly afterward.

There’s just one catch. Before you can act as pilot in command of a taildragger, the FAA requires a tailwheel endorsement.

So, let’s talk about what that endorsement is, and what it takes to earn your sign-off.

Key Takeaways

• Training covers crosswind takeoffs and landings, wheel landings, and go-around procedures with an instructor.
• The requirements for a tailwheel endorsement are in 14 CFR 61.31(i).
• There is no FAA minimum, but most pilots finish in 7 to 12 hours.
• Tailwheel flying sharpens your rudder coordination and overall stick-and-rudder skills.

What Is a Tailwheel Endorsement?

A tailwheel endorsement is a one-time sign-off in your logbook that lets you act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane. 

Now, you may have caught that we used the word “endorsement,” and not “rating.”

A rating gets added to your certificate after a knowledge test and a checkride with an examiner.

An endorsement works differently. Your instructor trains you. Once they decide you are proficient, they sign a statement in your logbook.

So yes, it is not a rating, and you don’t need to take any extra FAA exams to be a tailwheel captain.

The requirement itself comes from 14 CFR 61.31(i). 

It says that before you act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane, you need flight training from an authorized instructor and a logbook endorsement confirming your proficiency.

But if you logged pilot-in-command time in a tailwheel airplane before April 15, 1991, no endorsement is required. Anyone who came to tailwheels after that date needs the sign-off.

Why You’ll Need Special Training

Tailwheel airplanes, affectionately called taildraggers, will behave differently than the nosewheel trainers you’re used to. 

They’re generally less forgiving of pilot error than nosewheel airplanes.

But what makes flying them so tricky?

For starters, your directional control while taxiing will come largely from a steerable tailwheel. It’ll feel a lot different from the nosewheel you’re used to.

You’ll also feel your airplane’s “eagerness” to turn into the wind, so to speak. 

Because the main wheels sit ahead of the center of gravity, a taildragger shows an exaggerated tendency to weathervane in a crosswind. You’ll notice how it swings its nose toward the breeze.

Visibility complicates things even more. 

Sitting on the ground in its normal nose-high attitude, the airplane blocks much of your forward view. 

You’ll also need an entirely different technique for landing a taildragger. 

After touchdown, you ease the elevator fully back to pin the tailwheel to the runway so it keeps working as a steering surface. 

That after-landing elevator input is quite foreign to you if you’re used to flying a nosewheel. It’ll need extra emphasis during your training.

Tailwheel Endorsement Requirements

Remember that a tailwheel endorsement is an add-on to a certificate you already hold. So first, let’s talk about prerequisites. 

To act as pilot-in-command, you’re going to need a pilot certificate. 

There’s no specific minimum in the regulations. You can earn your endorsement on a student pilot certificate.

That said, though, the sport pilot certificate or the private pilot certificate are great entry-level licenses that grant you more privileges and options.

Now, the substance.

Under 14 CFR 61.31(i), you can’t act as PIC of a tailwheel airplane until you’ve received and logged flight training from an authorized instructor and earned a logbook endorsement finding you proficient.

That training has to cover normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings. It also has to include go-around procedures and wheel landings. 

Some manufacturers recommend against wheel landings for their aircraft. If yours is one of them, your training doesn’t have to include wheel landings. 

So, have you noticed what’s missing? There’s no knowledge test or checkride, and no minimum flight-hour requirement either. 

Your instructor flies with you and, once satisfied you’re proficient, signs your logbook. That signature is the endorsement, and it doesn’t expire.

How Many Hours Does It Take?

There’s no strict FAA minimum, so the number is up to you and your instructor.

That said, we peg the real-world average at 7 to 12 hours of flight time. Just keep in mind that you should be aiming for competence rather than a number on the clock. 

Prior experience and currency both make a difference, since rusty skills take longer to sharpen.

The big variable is how quickly your feet learn to keep the airplane tracking straight. That’s because tailwheel flying lives and dies on rudder coordination.

And while the FAA sets no minimum, your insurer might. Check your policy before you assume the endorsement alone clears you to fly.

How Much Does a Tailwheel Endorsement Cost?

As of 2026, plan to set aside roughly $2,000 to $3,500.

Wet hourly rental tends to run about $200 for a Piper PA-18 Super Cub and around $170 for an American Champion Citabria.

A Super Decathlon sits near $200 as well, though the numbers shift by region and operator.

And since you’re seeking an endorsement, you’ll need to train with an instructor. They can charge around $80 per hour.

Many flight schools bundle flying and instruction into a tailwheel package, which can soften the total cost.

What Tailwheel Training Actually Covers

The regulation lists maneuvers, but the real curriculum is a set of skills.

First comes rudder coordination, drilled until your feet move without conscious thought.

You’ll learn both the three-point and the wheel landing, then practice holding directional control all the way through the rollout.

Crosswind technique also gets heavy attention.

Above all, you’ll need to learn to spot a swerve and stop it before it becomes a ground loop.

Three-Point vs. Wheel Landings

When it comes to putting a tailwheel airplane back on the ground, you have two techniques to choose from: the three-point landing and the wheel landing. 

With a three-point landing, you hold the aircraft off the runway until its pitch attitude matches the geometry of the landing gear. 

At that moment, the main gear and the tailwheel kiss the surface all at once. 

Now, during a wheel landing, you let the airplane touch down earlier and in a lower pitch attitude. The main gear meets the runway while the tail is still airborne.

Once the main wheels are planted on the surface, let the tail come down on its own accord until it too settles onto the ground.

Tailwheel Touchdown

Tailwheel airplanes punish sloppy crosswind landings harder than nosewheels do. The fix is easy to say and hard to do.

• First touch down with the nose pointed straight down your ground track. 
• Land in a crab or a drift and you throw side loads into the gear, and the airplane starts to wander.

You have two ways to put it on the runway.

A three-point landing holds the airplane off until its attitude matches the geometry of the gear. At that point, the mains and the tailwheel touch together.

A wheel landing touches down earlier, in a lower pitch attitude. The mains meet the runway while the tail is still flying.

Directional Control and the Ground Loop

The moment before your wheels touch the runway, make sure your nose will align with your ground path. 

You should hold the elevator control back as far and as firmly as you can until the airplane comes to a complete stop.

Lose directional control, and you can end up in an aggravated, uncontrolled, tight turn on the ground. We call this the ground loop.

Worst case, the airplane can tip so far that the outside wingtip scrapes the ground. The sideward force could even be so strong that it collapses a landing gear leg.

To stay out of trouble, make sure you land straight and avoid turning at a higher-than-normal running speed.

Where to Get a Tailwheel Endorsement

You’re looking for an airplane with a wheel in the back and an instructor who knows how to teach in it. 

Truth is, neither is as common as it used to be. Finding the right setup takes a little legwork. 

Where to Look for Tailwheel Training

Your home airport can be the perfect place to start. Walk the ramp and ask if the local flight school has a taildragger and someone who teaches in it.

If you come up empty, widen the circle. Many tailwheel instructors are independent CFIs who own their airplane and teach on the side.

The airport bulletin board or front desk often knows names that never show up on a website.

Some operations specialize entirely in tailwheel and aerobatic instruction. Those are worth a drive if one sits within your radius.

Then there are the type clubs. Communities built around airplanes like the Piper Cub or the Aeronca Champ are packed with owners who fly these machines constantly.

They’re usually glad to point you toward a trusted instructor nearby.

What to Look for in a Tailwheel Instructor

What should you actually look for in a tailwheel CFI? Experience matters more than almost anything else.

You want someone with real hours in conventional-gear airplanes, ideally in the same make and model you’ll be flying. A Cub handles nothing like a Decathlon.

Just as important is attitude. A good tailwheel instructor cares about making you genuinely proficient. 

Remember, the endorsement is only worth as much as the stick-and-rudder skill behind it. Find that person, and the rest of the training tends to fall into place.

Is a Tailwheel Endorsement Worth It?

For most pilots, the answer is an easy yes.

The endorsement demands a level of footwork that nosewheel flying tends not to emphasize.

Those sharpened stick-and-rudder skills carry over to everything else you fly. You tighten your turn coordination and your awareness during the critical moments of a flight.

The endorsement opens you up to a whole world of airplanes you otherwise can’t touch.

It often doubles as the checkout an insurer wants before they’ll cover you in a specific taildragger, too.

And honestly? It’s just plain fun.

But even if your tailwheel endorsement doesn’t expire, it isn’t a finish line either.

Tailwheel proficiency fades without practice, so you’ll want to keep flying conventional gear regularly to stay sharp, especially in crosswinds.

In that regard, you should see it as a license to keep learning rather than a box to check. The payoff is hard to beat.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Tailwheel Endorsement a Rating?

No. It’s a one-time logbook endorsement, not a rating, which means there’s no written test and no checkride with an examiner.

Your instructor trains you and signs your logbook once you’re proficient, and that’s the whole process.

How Many Hours Do You Need for a Tailwheel Endorsement?

There’s no FAA minimum, since the endorsement is proficiency-based rather than time-based.

In practice, most pilots get there in about 7 to 12 hours, though your own number depends on your experience and how quickly the skills click.

Does a Tailwheel Endorsement Expire?

No. Once it’s in your logbook, it’s permanent.

That said, the skill behind it doesn’t last forever, so normal currency rules still apply, and you’ll want regular practice to stay genuinely proficient.

Can a Student Pilot Get a Tailwheel Endorsement?

Yes. A student pilot can train in a tailwheel airplane and receive the endorsement, since the rule doesn’t set a certificate level for it.

It matters most the moment you act as pilot in command, which for a student means flying the taildragger solo.

Do I Need a Tailwheel Endorsement for Every Taildragger?

No. It’s a one-time endorsement that covers tailwheel airplanes in general, not a separate sign-off for each make and model.

Your insurer is a different story, though. You may want a type-specific checkout before covering you in a particular airplane.

Conclusion

The truth is, taildraggers are far more approachable than the stories suggest. A tailwheel endorsement is one of the most straightforward sign-offs in aviation. 

A handful of hours with a good tailwheel CFI, a demonstration that you’re proficient, and a signature in your logbook. And what you get back is worth far more than the effort.

You’ll walk away with sharper stick-and-rudder skills and a key to some of the most rewarding airplanes ever built.

So go find a taildragger and an instructor, and learn how to get a tailwheel endorsement of your own.