DISCOVER
TAILWHEEL

ONLINE TAILWHEEL
COURSE

TAILWHEEL
ENDORSEMENT

BUSH PILOT
COURSE

DISCOVER TAILWHEEL

This experience starts out with a briefing at Stick ‘n Rudder HQ. The briefing will be tailored to you and your level of experience. If you’ve never flown before we’ll take you through the basic operations of the aircraft controls and some important safety considerations. If you have experience flying a nose-wheel (we won’t judge you…much) we’ll take you through the fundamental principles of flying a tailwheel aircraft. 

After completing the pre-flight inspection of the aircraft, we’ll get airborne and track for the beautiful Glass House Mountains and then onwards to the Somerset Valley. Along with taking in the breath taking views, we’ll be climbing, descending and turning; embracing the freedom of flight. En-route we’ll stop at a few of our exclusive bush flying strips soaking up the serenity. 

Use this experience to discover if learning to fly is for you or if you’re ready to drop the training wheel for a tailwheel. 

We are operating the legendary Piper Super Cub. It is fitted with many bush modifications, which include but are not limited to, vortex generators, an offset engine thrust line, 31″ Alaskan Bushwheels, 3″ extended landing gear, a belly pod and much more. 

One of the best things about the Cub is you can fly with the door open, fully embracing the elements. 

It is the ultimate adventuring machine. 

This experience takes half a day (around 4 hours) from start to finish. There will be around 1.5 hours of flying in the aircraft. 

$995

A hands-on flying experience for anyone, no matter your skill level. Or for nose-wheel pilots that are considering greener pastures. 

Join us flying the well renowned Piper Super Cub around the Sunshine Coast hinterland, exploring some of the exclusive bush strips we have access to.

No experience? No worries! Our instructors will show you the basics of how an aircraft flies and you’ll be manoeuvring the aeroplane before you know it.  

Have some flying experience already? We’ll focus more on introducing you to the fundamentals of tailwheel flying.

LEARN ON THE FLY

ONLINE TAILWHEEL COURSE

Prepare for your practical tailwheel training with our online course. It features illustrations and interactive quizzes, along with written and video content by one of Australia’s most experienced tailwheel flight instructors. 

ANYWHERE
ANYTIME
ANY DEVICE

TAILWHEEL ENDORSEMENT

Tailwheel or conventional undercarriage aircraft training is our speciality. Collectively, our flight instructors have tens of thousands of hours operating tailwheel aircraft and we are passionate about sharing our knowledge and skills with you. Learning to fly tailwheel aircraft is for any pilot aspiring to improve their general flying skills. Upon completion of this course you will be issued with a Tailwheel Design Feature Endorsement.

WHY TAILWHEEL

  • Improve your general aircraft handling skills,
  • Develop your stick ‘n rudder coordination,
  • Increase your awareness of energy management,
  • Enhance your sensory inputs to accurately predict changes in aircraft performance.

All of our students start by completing our online tailwheel training course. It features illustrations, interactive quizzes, along with written and video content to ensure you’re well prepared for the practical training ahead. 

Flights will start with a short operational briefing reviewing the theory covered in our online course, however they will be tailored to your past experience and the weather conditions on the day. 

Our course covers the basic flying skills required to safely operate a tailwheel aircraft which are:

  • Tailwheel ground handling,
  • The tailwheel takeoff,
  • 3 point landings,
  • Wheeler landings,
  • Crosswind takeoffs and landings,
  • Short-field takeoffs and landings,
  • Soft-field takeoffs and landings.

 

This course meets the requirements of a CASA Tailwheel Endorsement, however if you’re looking to take your new skills to the next level we have you covered. With a Super Cub that is kitted out for bush operations and access to numerous bush strips of varying complexity, you’ll have the opportunity to hone your skills while having a great time. Alternatively, for a fully immersive experience, you can always do our Bush Pilot Course.

*Bonus: The issue of a CASA Design Feature like a Tailwheel Endorsement will renew your single engine class rating. i.e “flight review”. 

We are operating the legendary Piper Super Cub. It is fitted with many bush modifications, which include but are not limited to, vortex generators, an offset engine thrust line, 31″ Alaskan Bushwheels, 3″ extended landing gear, a belly pod and much more. 

It is the ultimate adventuring machine. 

The course takes approximately 6-9 flying hours to complete. With a series of short briefings and detailed review of each flight, it is typically completed in 2-3 days of training. 

Please note this is a competency based course and we are here to make great tailwheel pilots, not just tick boxes. 

  • Online Tailwheel Course $135 = Free of charge for our students.
  • 2-3 Days x Instructor Hire @ $890/day = $1780 – $2670
  • 5-7.5 Hrs x Super Cub Hire @ $390/hr = $1950 – $2925
  • Total = $3730 – $5595
 
*Note, aircraft price is calculated on tacho hours and your pilot logbook hours will be approximately 20% higher. This gives an estimated total flying for the course of 6 to 9 hours. 

BUSH PILOT COURSE

Take your tailwheel skills to the next level with our Bush Pilot Course. If you want to challenge yourself and have a great training experience, this is for you. Discover the full flight envelope of our modified Super Cub, exploring and adventuring around beautiful south-east Queensland. Hone your skills on bush strips, learn on the fly with a series of micro briefings and debrief/talk planes with your instructor while camping out under the wing. There is no other experience available like this in Australia.

This is a two day, one-on-one, fully immersive training experience. 

Starting out at Stick ‘n Rudder HQ, your instructor will take you through an operational briefing of the forecasted weather for your training and a briefing on the Super Cub’s handling. 

Load the Cub with the provided camping gear (there’s no need for you to bring anything, except a water bottle and cap) and learn about the importance of correctly planning the weight and balance of the aircraft. 

We’ll start out with a local flight, putting the Cub through its paces, particularly slow speed flight and circuits at our home airfield. Shortly afterwards we’ll be tracking for our first bush strip. 

Flying from bush strip to bush strip we’ll hone your skills on different landing areas and operating environments. As required, we’ll top up the aircraft’s tanks and yours with snacks. Soaking up the picturesque countryside of south-east Queensland with a hot or cold drink in hand, your flight instructor will deliver a series of micro briefings on important bush operation considerations which include: 

  • Emergency equipment
  • Essential aircraft tools and their uses
  • Aircraft performance considerations
  • Go/no-go considerations
  • Landing area analysis 
  • Micrometeorology considerations
  • Precautions when flying low and slow
  • Landing on sloping terrain
 

After a full day of flying we’ll stop at one of the bush strips and setup camp underneath the wing of the plane. This is a great opportunity to review the day’s flying and unwind from your busy life back at home. 

Day 2, more flying! In total we will land around 15 different locations.

Please note: there is no formal Bush Flying Certification but we’ll provide you with a certificate of completion. If you’re due for an Aeroplane Flight Review (AFR), training and assessment for this can be done during this course. 

We are operating the legendary Piper Super Cub. It is fitted with many bush modifications, which include but are not limited to, vortex generators, an offset engine thrust line, 31″ alaskan bush wheels, 3″ extended landing gear, a belly pod and much more. 

It is the ultimate adventuring machine. 

This is a two day course with one night of camping. We will visit approximately 15 bush strips and log around 9.5 hours of flying over the two days.

$4890

This includes aircraft, instructor, fuel, camping gear and food. Absolute everything. Just bring your great personality!

Other Training

Aeroplane Flight
Reviews (AFRS) 
RAAus RPC to CASA RPL Conversions 
CASA RPL Controlled Airspace Endorsements 
CASA Private Pilot Licence 
  • Sign Up
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

    Want to Buy

    Contact Details



    Aircraft Details


      Want to Sell

      Contact Details



      Aircraft Details