![Ten hours of dual instruction in a tailwheel-equipped aircraft is usually required for proficiency. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_354747155.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Learning How to Drag Your Tail")
![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
![The newly-restored F-24 enjoying the morning sun. [All Images Credited to Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_0001.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Golden Age Revival")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AdobeStock_176619176.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Instructional Inflexibility")
This Puddle We Play In
You are a rare person, participating in a unique hobby. You’ve seen the reactions when you tell people at Friday night pickleball tournaments that...
Cracks, Both Foreign and Domestic
Perhaps like me, you missed the big show this year. That is, they ran AirVenture without me, and I’m not sure anyone really noticed....
Notes From the Heartland
No surprise that my first trip back to Oshkosh in years was a funny combination of beginner’s excitement and jaded journalist’s déjà vu. So...
Headset Trial: David Clark Pro-X2
In this Avionics Bootcamp video series, we put the David Clark Pro-X2 on the evaluation bench and took them flying for this field report.
The 2-Mile Decision
For those of you who read my column last month on keeping the fires lit, I find it ironic that I find myself telling...
Taxes and Shipping Additional
Most homebuilders—and just I’m spit-balling here—have waited a long time to justify the cost of building an airplane.
The Big Scare
You look down at the instruments, and instantly energy drains down your body as if bomb bay doors on the soles of your feet had opened and the concrete floor were a sponge.
The Usual Suspect, Part 2: Missing Power
The dark interior of a hangar comes into focus as an announcer says, “Building Time Theater presents, ‘The Usual Suspect, Part Two: The Missing...
Build, Maintain, Inspect
One of the big reasons that people build their own airplane is the flexibility afforded by the FAA when it comes to maintenance and...
Round-Trip Flight
Let’s see. Where was I?
When we last spoke, I was headed back into the motorcycle realm, where I eventually got to be editor in...
In Case You Missed It
The “Flying by Feel” Fallacy
Smart pilots embrace tools like AoA systems to reduce risk—not ego-driven notions of flying solely 'by feel.'
Flight Testing
Even current pilots need to hone specific skills before attempting a first flight in their homebuilts. There's only one way to do that: practice. And then practice some more.