![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")
Makes You Go Hmmm
Rotary-engine enthusiast Paul Lamar details the benefits and efficiencies of using rotary power for homebuilt aircraft.
Into the Coal Sack
Paul Dye discusses the ins and outs of landing at night on a narrow, obscured by trees private runway.
Helping Hands in the Plansbuilt Hangar
An appreciation for Steve Wittman's ingenious design and the community of those who build from plans.
What’s New
A new idle gear for the IO-540, Glasair sets Reno speed record, activate your engine pre-heater with a cell phone and more. Edited by Mary Bernard.
Portable Coms Compared
Which portable VHF transceiver comes out on top after a side-by-side test in the field?
Safety Is No Accident: Glasair and GlaStar
Ron Wanttaja examines the accident data for the Glasair and GlaStar designs and finds structural support may play a key role.
Buzzwords
Ground effect, or changes in airflow when flying a wingspan distance above the ground, affects longitudinal stability, elevator effectiveness and possibly even your airspeed indicator. By Ed Kolano.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook considers the current state of customer service and its implications for business success.
What’s New
The Dakota Cub Super 18-180 kit debuts, Dynon updates its autopilot software for EFIS units, and AeroLEDs updates its SunSport landing light. Edited by Mary Bernard.
Product Review: Spidertracks S3 Aviator
The next-gen Spidertracks Aviator satellite tracker offers more features at a better price. What’s not to like? By Marc Cook.
In Case You Missed It
Ye Olde Slip Roll
This month’s project is a follow-on to the Pietenpol muffler that was the subject...
To Dream The (Almost Impossible) Dream
Almost from the beginning of aviation, the idea of a plane you could drive/car you could fly has captured both the popular imagination and the hearts of some dedicated experimentalists. The dream remains alive, and realization, the author says, is fettered only by the lack of willing investors; by Murry L. Rozansky.