Hi,
My first flights were a bit strange because they were in a DC3 and then in a Beach 18 as a kid. I got my Private in a Citabria and my Commerical in a Cessna 411. The check ride pilot was not real happy with the prospects of riding in a 411. Geared engines and all that hand grenade on a throttle cable stuff...lol A 411 has a bad reputation for killing people. I never found it to be any problem, less rudder authority than I would like but "hot and high" has always kept me out of trouble.
I have flown a good many taildraggers, Beach 18 and T6 Texan beings a bit of a hand full. I quit flying Stearmans before I ground looped one...lol Nastiest airplane I ever flew was a Metroliner, San Antonio Tubes...lol Two or three good landings out of ten if you were lucky on a short strip.
At 76 years young I only ride in the right seat on occasion with some of my younger friends. I have been flying in the new Microsoft flight sim to all my old West coast airports of my younger years. Some things in the sim I had to smile at. The "white spot" a dry lake bed just past Twenty Nine Palms that you have to pass to go to Bullhead City (IFP) from the LA basin to get around the restricted airspace looked like the real thing.
Anyway, I have always thought it made me a better pilot to train in a taildragger.
How about you guys? Any Extra 300 or Pitt Special pilots out there?
Billy