Frank's "Taildragger" Site:
I hold a private pilot's certificate, and one of my favorite activities is flying light airplanes, especially airplanes having the jaunty look of a "conventional" (tailwheel/skid) undercarriage.
Nowadays, tailwheel airplanes, affectionately known as "taildraggers," are no longer in the majority at most general aviation airports; the tricycle (nosewheel) arrangement has all but replaced them, and for some very functional reasons. When you land a tricycle-gear plane it tends to track straight down the runway in a perfectly regulation, nose-first attitude; in contrast, the taildragger, due to its aft center of gravity, wants to spin around and go down the runway tail-first (the dreaded "ground loop")! Also, because of the nose-high attitude of most taildraggers on the ground, some runway visibility can be lost, thus contributing to what might already be a stressful situation. As a general rule, sloppy take-offs and landings are not easily forgiven by the average taildragger, and pilots soon learn that they have to stay alert and keep "flying" their machines until they've come to a complete and final stop.
So why bother with them at all? Simply put, because they are fun, loaded with character, and reminiscent of a simpler and more romantic era of aviation. Additionally, when the runway is short or in rough condition, the taildragger, because of the initially steeper angle of its wing relative to the wind, will generally become airborne sooner. Rustic grass fields and taildraggers were made for each other, and the sight of a classic "flying machine" climbing out of a laconic pasture on a sunny summer afternoon is one that is guaranteed to increase the pulse of poetically-minded aviators everywhere.
Follow the links to see some taildraggers
1999 Sentimental Journey, Piper Cub Fly-In